Outdoor Classes

Get outside and experience the thrill of top rope climbing on real rock at Whipps Ledges at Hinkley Reservation. Trips are geared toward climbers with little or no outside climbing experience. Beginner climbers are welcome.

Get outside with your family and experience top rope climbing on real rock at Whipps Ledges at Hinkley Reservation. Trips are geared toward climbers with little or no outside climbing experience. Beginner climbers are welcome.

This course is for top rope climbers who want to expand their terrain at Shaker Rocks and practice for the outdoors. Our lead climbing instructors will help you learn to lead quickly and carefully with good habits you can apply to indoor and outdoor climbing. You will be coached on proper clipping, belaying, falling, rope handling, and risk management. We will help you stay focused while you’re leading and show you how to give a “soft catch” to any partner. At the end of the course, you will be prepared to complete the lead climb and belay check.

“Cleaning” a route is the process of removing all of your gear after you’re done climbing a sport route outdoors. Alongside lead climbing and belaying skills, this is the most important skill needed to take your climbing outside. Doing it wrong can be catastrophic. In this 2-hour class, you will learn how to clean quickly and confidently, based on the local climbing ethics for the New River Gorge and the Red River Gorge climbing areas.