Planning Your Rock Climbing Trip
Guided Rock Climbing Questions
Yes, we can provide climbing shoes, harnesses, and helmets at no additional charge. We also provide top-of-the-line gear and equipment including ropes, anchor equipment, and safety gear.
Yes! Our guided rock climbing days are open to individuals and groups of all skill levels. Rock Climbing Days are privately booked so you can choose the day that works best for you. For our Rock Camps and Rock Weekends, we recommend having basic rock climbing knowledge. Prior to arriving, consider taking a climbing class in the rock gym, reading rock climbing instructional books and/or watching rock climbing videos will help enhance your climbing experience and thoroughly prepare you for multiple days on the rock.
No, personal transportation is required for all of our Rock Climbing offerings. Currently, there is no public transportation option in our immediate area. Keep in mind that the minimum age to rent a vehicle in California is 21. For our trips, you will meet your guide at a specific location and then follow them to where you will begin your approach to the climbing site.
We’ll meet you at a designated location just outside the Southern gate of Yosemite (near the town of Oakhurst). You’ll follow your guide in your vehicle to the climbing site (this is a dirt road, all roads are accessible with a two-wheel-drive vehicle, though an SUV style vehicle may be more comfortable). Each day is tailored to your own abilities and interests. Tell your guide your goals and they will plan the day to best to meet your needs and help you enjoy your day on the rock!
Currently, we do not have a minimum (or maximum) age to rock climb, though children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian for all our rock programs. We can provide specialized equipment for younger climbers and our guides love facilitating family climbing days. Upon registration please let us know the age of each person in your party and goals for the day(s). We can find a climb for everyone!
If you’re interested in learning to lead climb, we recommend joining us on for a Rock Weekend, Rock Camp or Rock Climbing Skills Day. Your guide will teach you to lead climb in a series of steps. The first step is demonstrating and teaching lead climbing techniques, including gear placements, anchor building, lead belaying and rope management. Then your guide will set up an area for you to practice these skills. After, your guides will assess your gear placements, anchor building, and belay techniques and provide you with valuable feedback. Using the feedback, you will then learn to “mock lead”. Mock leading involves leading a rope up the climb while also being attached to a top rope. This will allow an opportunity to place or clip gear while climbing and get the feel of lead climbing while still providing safety in the instance of a fall. Note: We don’t permit actual lead climbing during our Rock Camp or Weekend.
We offer guided rock climbing in the Southern Yosemite high country, which is just south of the national park but not in Yosemite Valley. There are significantly less crowds, cooler temperatures, and great granite to climb on at the sites we go to, which is why we like them so much! If you’d like to check them out online, you can look up the climbing in these areas: Fresno Dome, Willow Creek Wall, etc.
More Ways to Experience Yosemite & the High Sierra
Guided Backpacking Trips
At SYMG we specialize in planning and executing incredible Yosemite and High Sierra Backpacking Adventures. From three day Half Dome Trips to expedition-style John Muir Trail Adventures, we can do it all, and have since 1991. Our professional guides are renowned for their amazing backcountry cuisine and add color to the experience through natural and cultural history interpretation. In addition to the trips listed below that anyone may join, we can also organize private departures of any of our trips, or even create a custom trip just for you.
Browse Backpacking TripsPack Supported Trekking Trips
Want to get out in the backcountry but don't want to carry a heavy backpack? Then our Yosemite and High Sierra Pack Trips are just the thing for you! We don't hike with the mules each day, but they do pack our gear and provisions along the trail, leaving you to enjoy the day and explore with your professional guide. Plush camps, amazing food, world-class scenery, and engaging guides make SYMG's Horsepack supported trips through the Yosemite High Country a trip to remember. In addition to the Pack Trips we offer, we can also organize private departures of any of our trips, or even create a custom trip just for you.
Browse Pack Supported Trekking TripsYosemite Hiking Tours
Since 1991 we've been offering Yosemite Hiking Adventures throughout the park. All of our day trips are privately arranged and your personal guide will cater the days to your own personal interests and abilities. Choose an interpretive day focusing on natural and cultural history walks to famous landmarks, or set out for a more challenging hiking day on one of Yosemite's long trails.
Browse Yosemite Guided Hiking TripsGuided Yosemite Camping Weekends
Join SYMG for Yosemite camping adventures focusing on hiking and rock climbing. Our professional guides cater the trips to your own personal interests and abilities, making these adventures a great choice for anyone. In addition the dates advertised, we can create custom trips for you based on your own preferences and timeframe. Great scenery, amazing food, well-provisioned camps, and fabulous guides make for an unforgettable experience.
Browse Yosemite Camping TripsGuided Patagonia Hiking Trips
Born from the travels of our renowned guiding staff, SYMG's International Adventure & Hiking Trips are have offered something distinctive for our travelers since 1991, while earning us the reputation as one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth".