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WILD GUYde Adventures, LLC 1047
Stuart St. Harrisonburg,
VA 22802 (540)
433-1637
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Rock
Climbing and Rappelling Adventures “Summits are a place between heaven and
earth” (Gaston Rebuffat) “From death in the valleys, O deliver us,
good Lord” (Vincent O’Conner) Top-Roping at Hidden Rocks, Virginia: This is the rock climbing trip for the
adventurous beginner – you don’t have much experience, but you want a great
outdoor day with your family or special friends. Thirty minutes west of Harrisonburg, we’ll
park just inside George Washington National Forest, gear up, and hike a
scenic 20 minutes through rhododendron and hemlocks and across some mountain
streams to a secluded sandstone cliff.
There will be pink and white mountain laurel in June, and wild
huckleberries in August. You’ll be
introduced to harnesses, knots, helmets, and the belay system; then we’ll try some easy warm-up climbs to remind
you that the kid inside you still likes to clamber on things. We can go on to some harder climbing that
invites you to try new skills and movements.
And we’ll finish the day with a rappel – backing over the edge, with
nothing between you and the ground below but 60 feet of air and a great
view! Closer to Luray or Northern Virginia? We’ll visit Waterfall Mountain in the Massanutten range,
or Little Stoney Man on the Blue
Ridge for TALL climbing and spectacular Shenandoah Valley panoramas! Coming from the south (Charlottesville, Lexington or Roanoke)? Arrange to meet us to climb in the
breathtaking Goshen Pass high over
the Maury River!
(Full-day $200 for 1-3
people; $45 for each additional) Multi-Pitch at Seneca Rocks, WV:
A little more experienced in climbing?
Maybe you tried it at camp or the local rock gym? Ready for the next step? Join me for the multi-pitch experience,
seconding the route as we lead-climb to the top of the fabled South
Summit! This is the only technical
summit in the U.S. east of the Mississippi.
Seneca has routes at all ranges of difficulty, from starters like Old Ladies Route (5.2) to mid-range
classics (West Pole 5.7) to old
school hardman routes like Crack of
Dawn and Madmen Only
(5.10). Every one of them will give
you a new appreciation for the expression “high and vertical.”
Register your accomplishment and ruminations in the summit journal,
wave to tourists way down in the valley, and then head down to terra firma via the three-pitch
rappel. Finish the day with a splash
in the North Fork River swimming hole at “Gravel Beach”; then pick up a cold
drink and a West Virginia memento at Harpers General Store before sleeping
the ride back to Virginia and “the Burg.” (1/2-day: $125 1st
person; $95 each for 2nd and 3rd/ Full-day: $200 1st
person; $125 each addl.) Instructional Climbing:
This is a tutorial for those who have a little exposure to climbing, and
want to gain eventual autonomy. Lots
of instruction in current best practice and hands-on practice for you in
rigging top anchors, belaying skills and equipment alternatives, movement
coaching, and rappel setup and protection.
There will be individualized attention and repetitive practice, as
well as some exploration of the historical evolution of climbing equipment
and protocol. You will finish the day
with a lot more confidence in your basic skills. (Full-day
$150 1st person; $100 each
for 2nd and 3rd) Boys Scout Rock ClimbingMerit
Badge: This two day tutorial guides scouts
through the Boy Scout Rock Climbing Merit Badge. Booklets mailed in advance get scouts
prepared ahead of time, learning basic knots and going through the First Aid
requirements. The two days on site
then are filled with climbing and rappelling, as well as learning belaying,
improvised harnesses, gear specifications, and safety guidelines in the
vertical environment.
($85 per participant; 3 minimum; 1 adult comp for every 5 scouts) Professional Climbing Instructors’
Association (PCIA) Base-Managed and Top-Managed Top Rope Instructor
certifications:
Each season, WILD GUYde Adventures offers this 3-day tutorial for active
recreational climbers who want to add an instructor certification to their
resume. Skills include anchors
(natural and artificial), belay station management, rappel management,
climbing movement coaching, and incident management of several common
scenarios. This certification is
useful for instructors at camps and university programs, as well as
individuals pursuing a career in the outdoor adventure industry. Dates are announced annually. For course requirements and prerequisites,
go to http://www.pcia.us
($400 per person for the 3-day course; $100 per person for the 1 day
certification exam) Design Your Own Adventure:
Numerous other options exist, including hiking and climbing guiding
along Virginia’s Blue Ridge or at the Nelson
Rock Outdoor Center (WV), a climbing self-rescue clinic, outdoor fitness
training, group orienteering challenges in the National Forest, and flatwater
paddling instruction for beginners and children. We can customize to meet the interests of
your family, scout troop, or youth group.
Call to talk about your needs.
(540-433-1637 or Lester@wildguyde.com). “To
those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they
will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward the mountains give to
effort. And it is because they have so
much to give and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them that
men love the mountains, and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choice gifts
for those who stand upon their summits.” (Sir Francis Younghusband) |
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