Whether you are new to climbing or looking to rekindle an old relationship – look no further! Our experienced staff are here to guide you through classes that will focus on a variety of climbing skills. The purpose of these climbing classes are not only to teach a range of skill sets that are crucial for any climber, but also to help acquaint you with Sportrock’s facilities. There are many ways to begin your climbing experience at Sportrock – just click on the class links below for a full description and feel free to contact us if you need help deciding which class is right for you!
All Beginner classes require pre-registration in order to secure your spot! The only exceptions are our Open Belay (limited reservations available) and Open Climb programs which are first come, first served.
The perfect starter program for kids and adults! Our instructors will handle the ropes as you experience the thrill of climbing! This program is first come, first served and offered on most weekends and select holidays. No pre-registration is required but it is recommended for our Alexandria location. For maximum enjoyment, please limit your group size to five or fewer. Larger groups may be better served by booking a private party.
- You Will Learn:
- To have fun in a safe and supervised environment
- To get used to different wall heights
- Encouragement and coaching on climbing basics from instructors
Gear Included: Harnesses & Helmets
Alexandria: Saturdays & Sundays 11am-6pm
Sterling: Saturdays & Sundays 12pm-5pm
Looking for a vertical adventure with the whole family or a special date night out? Every Friday night Sportrock invites you to join in for 2 hours of all-you-can-climb fun! Whether you are brand new to climbing or just want to relax and let our experienced instructors handle the ropes for a night, Friday Night Heights is for you! This program is always buy one, get one free, so find your climbing partner and join us!
- You Will Learn:
- To have fun in a safe and supervised environment
- To get used to different wall heights
- Encouragement and coaching on climbing basics from instructors
Gear Included: Harnesses & Helmets
Alexandria: Fridays 6:30pm-8:30pm
Sterling: Fridays 6:30pm-8:30pm
Is your child interested in joining our Junior Climbing Team? The Breakfast Club is a great way for youth to test the waters without the season-long commitment! Our instructors will handle the ropes as your child experiences the thrill of climbing.
- Your Child Will Learn:
- To have fun in a safe and supervised environment
- To get used to different wall heights
- The basics of bouldering
- Encouragement and coaching on climbing basics from instructors
Gear Included: Harnesses & Helmets
Alexandria: Saturdays 9am-10:30am
Sterling: Saturdays 10am-11:30am
Want to learn what climbing is all about? Our Introduction to Rock Climbing class will teach you the ins and outs of our facility and let you experience bouldering and top rope climbing for yourself. Our instructors will walk you through what bouldering on the shorter, steeper walls is all about and will also do all of the rope work for you on the taller walls. No experience necessary. Grab a friend and join us! Pre-registration is required! This is a 2hr class.
- You Will Learn:
- To have fun in a safe and supervised environment
- To get used to different wall heights
- The basics of bouldering
- The basics of top rope climbing
- Encouragement and coaching on climbing basics from instructors
Gear Included: Harnesses & Helmets
Alexandria:
Tuesdays 7pm-9pm
Thursdays 7pm-9pm
Sundays 4pm-6pm
Sterling:
Tuesdays 7pm-9pm
Thursdays 7pm-9pm
Sundays 4:30pm-6:30pm
Want to use our facilities on your own? Our Basic Skills class will teach you the essential skills needed to climb the tall walls at a Sportrock facility. This class will prepare you to pass our Top Rope Belay Test on your next visit. This is a 2hr class.
- You Will Learn:
- How to safely wear a harness
- How to tie into the rope
- How to belay for a partner
- The grading scale & route selection
Gear Included: Harnesses, Belay Devices, Helmets & Climbing Shoes
Alexandria:
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 7pm-9pm
Saturdays 11am-1pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm, 4pm-6pm
Sundays 11am-1pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Sterling:
Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays 7pm-9pm
Saturdays 12:30pm-2:30pm, 2:30pm-4:30pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm
Sundays 12:30pm-2:30pm, 2:30pm-4:30pm
No partner, no gear - no problem! Bouldering is one of the most accessible ways to climb at the gym and best for all skill levels. This is a 2hr class.
- You Will Learn:
- Movement techniques like using feet and body positioning
- How to spot
- Training & Projecting
- How to build basic bouldering workouts
Gear Included: Climbing Shoes
Alexandria:
Every other Sunday 4pm-6pm
Every other Tuesday 7pm-9pm
Sterling:
Every other Tuesday 7pm-9pm
Passed Basic Skills and ready for the next class? L1 Ropes will teach you everything you need to know to advance your climbing to new heights! This is a 2hr class.
- You Will Learn:
- Technique for movement
- Personalized assesment and coaching
- Training & Projecting
Gear Included: Harnesses, Belay Devices & Climbing Shoes
Alexandria:
Every other Sunday 4pm-6pm
Every other Tuesday 7pm-9pm
Sterling:
Every other Thursday 7pm-9pm
Ready to take your bouldering to the next level? L2 Bouldering is for V3 and up climbers who are struggling with a plateau in their climbing. This is a 2hr class held on the same night and time for 2 consecutive weeks.
- You Will Learn:
- Advanced bouldering techniques like toe hooks and heel hooks
- Nuances of projecting a boulder problem
- Personalized assesment and coaching
- Training & Projecting
Gear Included: Climbing Shoes
Ready to graduate from top roping? L1 Lead will teach you the fundamentals of sport lead climbing. This is a 2hr class held on the same night and time for 3 consecutive weeks.
- You Will Learn:
- How to Lead Climb
- How to Lead Belay
- Proper safety techniques
Advance your lead climbing skills to the next level or prepare to make the transition outdoors! This is a 2hr class held on the same night and time for 2 consecutive weeks.
- You Will Learn:
- Advanced belaying techniques
- Training & Projecting
- Identifying areas to improve
- Tips & tricks, like stick-clipping
- Improving head-game on the wall
- Personalized coaching and instruction
This class is for lead climbers looking to gain the skills necessary to climb at world-class sport crags. L3 Lead will prepare you to head to the crag to lead and clean single-pitch sport routes. This is a 2hr class held on the same night and time for 3 consecutive weeks.
- You Will Learn:
- To place your own quickdraws and clean routes
- Emergency and self-rescue skills
- To set up anchors and repel
This advanced class is for climbers looking to learn multi-pitch climbing.
Join AMGA Rock Instructor and Sportrock Director Sean for a jam-packed class designed to take the experienced outdoor sport leader and prepare them to transition to multi-pitch sport routes. This is an all day class outside from 9am-3pm.
- You Will Learn:
- To build 2 & 3 bolt anchors
- To go off belay & to belay the second
- To transition between pitches
- Rope management techniques
- Rappelling and self-rescue techniques
- Low instructor-to-student ratio
- Personalized coaching and instruction
This class is for climbers looking to learn to trad climb or prepare for their guided trip. You will receive personalized attention in this low-ratio course. This is an all day class outside from 9am-3pm.
- You Will Learn:
- To place cams, stoppers & tricams
- To build anchors
- To combine several pieces into a bombproof anchor
- Training & projecting
- Rappelling and self-rescue techniques
- Low instructor-to-student ratio
- Personalized coaching and instruction
Spend a day outside learning the fundamentals to explore the world of outdoor climbing. This is an all day class outside from 9am-3pm.
- You Will Learn:
- Site selection & anchor construction
- Picking your materials & gear
- To tie new knots
- Increased security while rigging
This advanced class will cover how to use natural elements to elevate your master point, and a variety of rescue techniques to get you and your climbing partners out of sticky situations. This is an all-day class outside from 9am-3pm.
- You Will Learn:
- A variety of rescue techniques
- To climb over water
- To speed up and hone techniques
- To use natural elements to elevate master point
Climb some classic routes at Great Falls National Park or Carderock! Some examples of past Private Guiding requests include: Artificial Anchor Systems Course, Traditional Leading Instruction, Sport Leading Instruction, Multi-Pitch Instruction, Family Climbing Outing, and Bouldering Trips. To ensure you have the highest quality experience, Sportrock has AMGA (American Mountain Guide Association) certified instructors who are also licensed Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responders – you are in great hands! A half-day is 3 hours of Guided Outdoor Climbing.
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $175 Per Participant
- 2 Participants - $120 Per Participant
- 3 Participants - $90 Per Participant
- 4+ Participants - $75 Per Participant
Max Group Size: 6
Whether you want to climb some classic routes at Great Falls National Park or you want to try something a little bigger like Seneca Rocks, WV, we will do our best to meet your needs! Some examples of past Private Guiding requests include: Artificial Anchor Systems Course, Traditional Leading Instruction, Sport Leading Instruction, Multi-Pitch Instruction, Family Climbing Outing, and Bouldering Trips. To ensure you have the highest quality experience, Sportrock has AMGA (American Mountain Guide Association) certified instructors who are also licensed Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responders – you are in great hands! A full-day is 6 hours of Guided Outdoor Climbing.
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $295 Per Participant
- 2 Participants - $200 Per Participant
- 3 Participants - $150 Per Participant
- 4+ Participants - $125 Per Participant
Max Group Size: 6
Whether you just started climbing or you consider yourself a veteran, you need to know that climbing can only take you so far. By training strength, you will reach your full potential as an athlete. Level 1 Fitness is built to show you how easy it is to be the climber-athlete. Join our expert instructor for a 90 minute workout/class where you will learn how to best structure a workout as a climber. You will not only learn different exercises during this class, but you will walk away knowing how to build your own workouts moving forward!
- You Will Learn:
- Exercises to strengthen your climbing
- To build your own workouts
Sportrock offers a variety of yoga classes from Vinyasa Flow to Hatha and Power Yoga. Classes are offered at different times throughout the week and are taught in our Yoga studio by certified, hand-selected instructors. Increase your stamina, strength, and flexibility! Yoga classes are free with the purchase of a Day Pass or with Membership. Most yoga classes are typically 60 minutes.
Get fit, have fun – getting upside down gets the job done! This dynamic class is focused on building balance, strength, and mobility throughout your entire body. Handstands and climbing are a perfect complement to one another. You will be stretching the areas which get tight from climbing and strengthening the opposing muscle groups. This is a 60 minute class.
Are you looking for a personal coach to help you reach your fitness goals? At Sportrock, our Certified Personal Trainers can work with you in a variety of areas such as weightlifting, HIIT, Yoga, strength training and more. You can also split your personal training with a few work-out buddies if you prefer. Please note that this does mean less individualized training instruction as the training time does not increase per additional person. Personal training sessions are 60 minutes long and extra class time can be purchased.
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $70 Per Participant
- 2 Participants - $40 Per Participant
- 3 Participants - $30 Per Participant
- 4 Participants - $25 Per Participant
Max Group Size: 4
Sportrock offers private instruction that is tailored to the climber’s needs and desires. From climbing techniques and training, and preparing to go outside – it’s all possible! Private instruction sessions are 60 minutes long and extra class time can be purchased.
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $70 Per Participant
Sportrock offers private instruction that is tailored to the climber’s needs and desires. From climbing techniques and training, and preparing to go outside – it’s all possible! You can also split your private instruction with a few climbing buddies if you prefer. Please note that this does mean less individualized instruction as the training time does not increase per additional person.
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $70 Per Participant
- 2 Participants - $40 Per Participant
- 3 Participants - $30 Per Participant
- 4 Participants - $25 Per Participant
Max Group Size: 4
Class Packs: Available upon request. 60 min classes - extra time can be purchased
Sportrock offers private instruction that is tailored to the climber’s needs and desires. Ready to graduate from top roping but your schedule isn't working out with our lead classes or maybe you prefer more individualized instruction? You can take a private lead climbing class. This is two 2hr classes, preferably for 2 consecutive weeks or less (we recommend no more than a 1 week gap between classes).
- Pricing:
- 1 Participant - $200 Per Participant
Sportrock offers private instruction that is tailored to the climber’s needs and desires. Got a few friends who are also ready to graduate from top roping but it's hard to find a time that works for all of you? You can take a private lead climbing group class!
- Pricing:
- 2 Participants - $135 Per Participant
- 3 Participants - $95 Per Participant
Max Group Size: 3
Make booking classes easier with RGPro Connect! Forgot your keycard? Use the barcode on your phone instead. You can view calendars, classes, and manage your membership too!
