Sportrock Climbing Centers is committed to providing the premier rock climbing experience. Over the last 19 years, our amazing climbing community in the Alexandria and Sterling facilities has grown and we continually strive to provide the best in customer service, safety, climbing routes, boulder problems, classes and programs, and adventure.

To better serve our community, Sportrock completed an expansion of our Alexandria facility in 2010.  Due to the overwhelming success of that expansion, we have been well aware that another is not only needed but wanted!  As a business, however, the limitations of operating in a leased facility, with a limited term, made it challenging to deliver the type of expansion that we envision.
So it is with great excitement that I can announce that Sportrock has purchased the 5300 Eisenhower/West End Business Center.  This transaction ensures Sportrock’s continued operations at the Alexandria location long term.  Additionally, it affords us the opportunity to ultimately deliver an expansion that is consistent with our vision of the member’s and customer’s climbing experience.

All of us at Sportrock are grateful for your loyalty and thankful that you have contributed to this awesome enterprise. None of this would have been possible without you! We remain committed to providing the premier rock climbing experience and look forward to expanding our facilities in the near future.

Lillian Chao-Quinlan
President
Sportrock Climbing Centers

Sportrock is proud to support HERA's Climb4LIfe DC Metro fundraising event!

We climb, we hike, we fight ovarian cancer one step at a time.

Join us for the 8th Annual Climb4Life DC, a great day of climbing or hiking amongst the beautiful crags of the Potomac followed by the HERA Celebration Dinner at the Carderock Pavilion. Registration fee includes event shirt, goodie bag, climbing or hiking, drinks and dinner, gear giveaway, top fundraising prizes, and, of course, lots of fun and friendship!

Whether you're a beginner or experienced climber, a courageous cancer survivor, a person whose life has been affected by cancer, or just someone looking for a weekend of fun – Climb4Life is for you!

This event is part of a national series that raises money for ovarian cancer research and awareness initiatives. Whether you are a newcomer or an old pro, HERA brings together women, men and teens to climb for a cause. You are the heart of the event. We need your strength to help fight ovarian cancer!

The mission of the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation is to stop the loss of women to ovarian cancer by promoting Health, Empowerment, Research, and Awareness. To learn more, visit: www.herafoundation.org

Register for the event here: HERA's Climb4LIfe DC Metro fundraising event.

Always wanted that Sportrock Membership?  May is a great time to get one during our Cinco de Mayo Membership Special!  $5 Initation May 1st through 15th- come in or call in to get your memerbship today!  Memberships are good at both our Alexandria and Sterling locations.

Routesetting Clinic next Wednesday, May 1st in Alexandria.
There will be 4 sessions of 3 people each:
Session 1 5pm-5:45pm
Session 2 5:45pm-6:30pm
Session 3 6:30pm-7:15pm
Session 4 7:15pm-8pm
Registration is required-email Jessica@sportrock.com to sign up!

Sterling is hosting an awesome Member Appreciation competition on February 18th - crate stacking! The concept is simple: using plastic crates, competitors vie to make the highest stack possible. Oh, and we should probably mention that you'll be on belay and standing atop the stack the entire time, somehow adding new layers without falling off. The event starts at 7pm and promises to be a wacky night with some ingenious engineering and plenty of crumbling crate construction.

Welcome to 2013!  We hope this year brings you adventure and happiness!

All month long in January we are offering $0 on our Initiation Fee on our 6 & 12 month Memberships to Sportrock!

Memberships give you access to both our facilities in Alexandria and Sterling along with:

• Free Yoga and Zumba classes.
• A Free Fast Forward class with your Membership and discounts on all other Fast Forward Clases (up to 50%!).
• Up to 20% off Outdoor Courses
• 20% off all Retail goods at Sportrock & 20% off select merchandise at Hudson Trail Outfitters! (We love those guys.)
• 20% off special orders
• Members Only Hours at both gyms.
• 3 Free Guest Passes to bring your friends in.
• Reduced Walk-Up fee for your guests and friends who want to keep coming with you (before they get their own membership!)
• An awesome community of climbers.
• And tons more!

Get in today and get your memberships at either of our locations OR you can even call us and sign up over the phone!

2013 is here--- get your climb on!

We are open today- New Year's Day- from 12pm-6pm and we are also offering our Open Climb Program during that time as well!

Today we are also starting our $0 Intitiation Fee on 6 & 12 month memberships throughout January!  You know you've wanted to get a membership to Sportrock and now's your chance to take advantage of this awesome deal!

The Holidays are here!

In prepration we are posting our Holiday Hours for both Alexandria and Sterling so that you know when we'll be open and closed during this busy time of the year.

Happy Holidays and stay safe out there in the winter weather!

SPORTROCK HOLIDAY HOURS:

11/22 Thursday - Thanksgiving - closed
11/23 Friday - closed at 9pm - both gyms - no AM hours at SR2
11/24 Saturday - regular hours
11/25 Sunday - regular hours

12/16 Sunday - Company Party at SR2 - closed at 6pm - both gyms

12/24 Monday - Christmas Eve - 6am - 5pm SR2  & 10am - 5pm SR3
12/25 Tuesday - Christmas - closed
12/26 Wednesday - regular hours - NO AM hours at SR2

12/31 Monday - New Years Eve - 12-6pm - both gyms - no AM hours at SR2
1/1 Tuesday - New Years Day - 12-6pm - both gyms - no AM hours at SR2

WE WILL BE PROVIDING OPEN CLIMB THESE ADDITIONAL DAYS:

11/21 Wednesday
11/23 Friday
12/24-1/2 Monday - Tuesday

Donate a new, unwrapped toy for children ages 1-12 at both Sportrock locations and bring a smile to a child's face this Holiday Season!

When members donate a toy they get a FREE key chain membership card!

The city water main break on Eisenhower has been fixed so we are open and we have water!

Sad news everyone- SR2 will be closing tonight at 5:30pm due to no water which means no toilets, sinks, showers, or fountain. Alexandria work crews tell us the water main break will be worked on most of the night.

Please help us get the word out before people make the commute out here tonight! So sorry for this and hopefully the city will have it fixed by tomorrow!

Join us in Alexandria next Thursday, November 15th at 7pm & in Sterling Monday, November 19th at 7pm for our Thanksgiving Potluck!

We're handling the turkey, gravy, and stuffing and you can bring your favorite dish, side dish, or dessert to share with everyone and get your climb on!

Its always a great time at SR as Thanksgiving and the Holidays approach and we love throwing our Annual Potluck for the community.

For more information email us at info@sportrock.com

Can't wait to feast and climb with you all!

In honor of your service to us all we are offering free walkup on Sunday, November 11th and Monday Novemeber 12th to all Retired and Active Duty Military.

All you need to do is present your current military ID.  Thank you all for your service to our country!

So whatcha doing Halloween night? 

Spending it at SR?! No kidding so are we!

Both Sterling and Alexandria will be hosting a fangtastic Halloween this year and here's what you can look forward to:

Costume Climbing: don your best Halloween costume and get in here and climb with us! For those of you roping up make sure your harness is safely accessable to belay from and to tie into!

Costume Yoga and Zumba: Costume yoga at both Sterling and Alexandria and Zumba in Alexandria!

The Paranormal Pumpkin Baking contest

• Bake enough for climbers that night to vote (small portions: can cut pieces ....about 50 pieces or so)

• All baked goods must include either pumpkin, pecans, or peanut butter as an ingredient OR have orange coloring somewhere (example:  orange frosting).

• Winners receive SR Gift Cards: 1st Place: $25 2nd Place: $15.

• Judging will be peer judged and begin at 7pm.

Pumpkin Carving Contest

• 1 entry per person

• Entries can be brought in starting Monday October 29th

• Winners receive SR Gift Cards: 1st Place: $25 2nd Place: $15 3rd Place $10

• Judging will begin Monday night and continue through Halloween night when the winners will be announced.

We are OPEN regular hours today 12pm-11pm!

Hope everyone weathered the storm safely! Come get your climb on!

We love our members!  All month long we're giving you 1 month FREE to your membership AND a $50 gift card to HTO when a new member refers you. You love climbing, we love climbing, your friends will love it too!

Our Open Climb Package in Sterling is a great way to get your kids (and you) in climbing at Sportrock in Sterling on the weekends for our Open Climb Program.

The Package costs $80 and here's what you get:

• 5 Open Climb Sessions
• 1 Basic Skills class for Parents
• That's 5 OC Sessions for the price of 4 + a $25 savings on a Basic Skills class for parents!
• Sessions do not expire and are attached to your name in our system.
• Use as you go!

Available for purchase at the Front Counter in Sterling our Open Climb Package is the perfect deal for you and your kids.

Oh and hey... adults can use it too if you want to!

I Said Goodbye to the Couch and Hello to the World

I began climbing three years ago and immediately became obsessed with it. It’s an awestruck feeling to have adrenaline and a profound sense of peace pulsing through your veins at the same time.  From the instant you touch the rock you commit your blood, sweat and sometimes tears to the wall.  It was something that always provided me the motivation to go beyond what I thought my body and mind could do.

My world was rocked last January when I was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. Between the surgery to remove the cancer and the yearlong treatment, my doctors were adamant that it was in my best interest to move on to a sport other than climbing. Not climbing was not an option for me. Why would it be, it was part of who I was. The commitment and discipline that I inherited from climbing would have to translate now more than ever. There were no ifs.  I MUST recover. I HAD to. There was so much more I wanted out of life that I didn’t realize I wanted or needed until I was faced with the possibility of losing it.

There is something to be said for pulling yourself out of a passion, a community, a family for six months to be on the mend.  That something is “Oh my god, get me off this couch!” That’s exactly what I did; I got off the couch and began making my way back into the big, wild world of activity. Now, seeing as I was twenty-five pounds less and most of the less was made up of muscle mass I had to start slowly. I was already on the couch for six months; moving quickly and injuring myself would just be…for lack of a better word, idiotic! I started with a bike. You know the old saying, “It’s like riding a bike?”  Well…it’s true.  After not being on a bike in ten years, not bad, I could do this.  So I started with three miles; an exhausting three miles! High fives all around! I was officially off the couch and on my way to saying “Look at me doctors! I’m going to climb and become stronger than I was pre-cancer!”

That’s what I did. I am four months post-treatment and I am climbing close to the level I was before I left. Now, for those of you with injuries don’t take this as get on the rock or your bike or whatever it is you do and push as hard as you can for as long as you can.  This took time. Months and months of being frustratingly patient (maybe some tears) in building myself back up.  Three miles every few days has now turned into 60 mile rides and small bouldering sessions have turned into planning excursions to climb the Grand Tetons in July. Did I mention that I am now cross-fitting?  Something I never thought I could do. It’s an amazing thing to go into something nervous and saying “I can’t do this!” and then walking out of the class saying “Wow, I can’t believe that my body and mind is capable of that!”
I think...that we are all capable of that. We are all capable of saying I don’t want to lose these possibilities in my life or I don’t want to miss this chance to be the best I can be.  My advice to you…Get off the couch now! Don’t wait another minute. Plan that trip to climb El Capitan or that trip to Nepal. Go see the world!  Go to that cross fit class you never thought you could survive. You may surprise yourself.  And remember; always tell your friends and family you love them.

On October 6, myself and some members of Sportrock, my family (you know who you are) will be riding one hundred miles in the Sea Gull Century as the Melanoma Mountaineers. We are dedicating this ride to Cancer with the goal to help raise money to fund research; research to find better treatments that will one day lead to a cure.  If so inclined, please take a moment to check out our page by clicking on our logo below!

In honor of Labor Day both SR locations will be closed Monday, September 3rd. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Throughout August we are offering $0 Initation Fee on our 6 & 12 month memberships in honor of Beat the Heat 7!

Its a great time to sign up for a membership as you will be saving $95 by not having to pay the Initiation Fee!

You can sign up for your membership at either Sportrock location and you can even sign up over email at info@sportrock.com.