#98 | Cody Bradford - AMGA Rock Climbing Guide

Cody Bradford began his climbing and guiding career on the sculpted meta-sandstone cliffs of the North Carolina High Country while attending Appalachian State University.  After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management in 2012 he gained his first AMGA certification as a Single Pitch Instructor. During this time, he worked as an Instructor and Climbing Specialist for Outward Bound where he honed his signature instructing style and also guided for a professional guide service in the area.  Here, teaching his students and guests on the challenging NC slabs and steep traditional lines, Cody developed educational and technical approaches to further enhance their efficiencies and enjoyment of the mountains.

Traveling the country, both living and working in the greater climbing areas and mountain ranges of the US, Cody continued through the AMGA’s rock programs to eventually earn the Rock Guide certification in 2018, the highest standard for guiding rock terrain in the world.  He is currently undertaking the AMGA Alpine discipline programs as his next step towards international certification.

Cody is the host of #techtiptuesdays where he breaks down techniques to move more efficiently and safely while climbing in the mountains. Check it out on instagram @thecodybradford. Checkout Cody’s website codybradford.com

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#TechTipTuesday . . RAPPEL EXTENSIONS (BASKET VS GIRTH HITCH): Rappel extensions allow us to easily transition between our rappel and a tether to the rappel stations without adding additional gear. These 4 options allow a 48” sewn sling to be used as both an extension AND tether. Basket options are preferred for dyneema slings as their strength is affected less than with a girth hitch. Girth hitch options can be utilized with mixture or pure nylon slings as the strength loss is much less. *It should be noted that we are only applying body weight when rappelling. BASKET(pic1): Simply tie an overhand with both strands at equal lengths. Device clips to both strands. Limits tethering options. Gives redundancy throughout the system. BASKET(pic2): Offset the strands and tie an overhand knot (other knots work). Device clips into short strand, tether to long strand. Lacks redundancy, but greater tethering extension. Girth Hitch(pic3): Tie an overhand with a bite closer to harness near middle. Device clips to both strands in knot. Gives a shorter tether. Be sure tether side is longer than extension side. Girth Hitch(pic4): Tie a simple overhand knot close to middle. Gives maximum extension. Can be clipped on one or both sides of the knot (adds redundancy). Be sure tether side is longer than extension side. #techtiptuesday @57hours_app @exoprotein @boulderdenim @teamboulderdenim #crafterfortheclimb #57hoursapp #exofuel #climbing_videos_of_instagram #rockclimbinglessons #outdoorclimbing #howtorockclimb #howtoclimb #climbinglessons #rockclimbing #climbing #climbingworldwide #climbing_photos_of_instagram #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #seekqualifiedinstruction #rappelling #howtorappel #rappellinglessons

A post shared by Cody Bradford (@thecodybradford) on Jun 25, 2019 at 11:26am PDT