On Saturdays, I’m going to try to post testimonials from clients from trips over the past week or so. It’s always so encouraging to know that we are impacting people’s lives in a positive way. It is an honor to serve you all! Here’s what our clients are saying: Read the rest of this entry »

The whole trip was wonderful. The best part for me was the Wailing Wall climb. The start of that climb was very difficult for me, and because this was toward the end of the day, I was pretty tired and feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to do it.  I did make it, with some wailing on my own at certain moments. Jason was a wonderful guide; he talked me through the scary moments and made me feel completely safe. I had only  done sport climbing prior to this trip, so Jason took the time to teach me about all of the gear involved in trad. I learned a lot and will definitely be signing up for more trips in the future. I can’t thank you enough.

Kelly, Climbing Course Participant

This was not my first trip with Ascent Adventure, nor will it be my last.   Brandon Hensinger led my cousin Katie and I up Peekaboo, a two-pitch 5.5 at Linville Gorge Table Rock, in North Carolina.  Though I have prior multi-pitch experience, this was Katie’s first time climbing anything outdoors.  I was confident that Brandon could keep us safe while helping us to reach beyond perceived limitations.  It was a great climb!

Joe, Climbing Course Participant

I just wanted to let you know that my day at Stone Mountain was pretty freaking awesome. Daniel did a great job of choosing the route to suit my goals AND the weather (the rock was still a little damp in sections, which worked fine on The Great Arch!).  He was also extremely pleasant as well as totally safety-conscious, so it was a really nice, chill day outside in beautiful weather.  If anyone ever asks me, I will definitely recommend you guys, and I’m looking forward to future trips with you!

Julie, Climbing Trip Participant

From Katie, Table Rock Climbing Trip participant:

Brandon is a true professional when it comes to guiding climbs. He’s an excellent teacher, and his problem solving ability is extraordinary. During the first hour of my first outdoor climb, I encountered an obstacle I didn’t think I could overcome. After twenty minutes of attempting to negotiate the obstacle, I shouted, “Brandon? I don’t think I can make it across this gap to scale that overhang the way you just did. How do we get down?” Read the rest of this entry »

The canyon system of the Red River gorge is stacked high with beautiful sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and arches. The unique quality of the rock, and the superb location of the Red River Gorge have caused this area to become one of the top climbing destinations in the world.

It is a privilege to be able to guide our clients in a world-wide climbing destination. This is definitely a trip that you do not want to miss. There are climbs here for everyone, whether beginner or advanced. Sport climbing (i.e. bolted climbing) abounds, making it a great location to be introduced to lead climbing as well!

Travel Information:

Clients will meet on Friday Evening at 6:00PM at Miguel’s Pizza (world-famous among climbers!) to set up camp. The weekend will be spent climbing at Red River Gorge. The trip will conclude at 5:00PM Sunday evening.

To sign up for the trip, or for more information, please fill out the following form

One of the biggest problems that new trad climbers face is being overburdened with gear on long multipitch climbs. Standing at the base of a climb, it can be so tempting to say, “Well…I might need that cam, and this hex, those 3 sets of nuts, 15 quickdraws…”, well you get the picture. I know that I personally ran into those problems all the time. One of my first long multipitch routes was Solar Slab in Red Rock Canyon NV. (Here’s someone’s trip report: Solar Slab.) I equated many pitches with lots of gear. I carried 2 full sets of cams, 2 full sets of nuts, a full set of hexes, 10 non locking carabiners, 10 locking carabiners, a nut tool, 12 quickdraws, slings in mass quantities, a chalk bag, and filled my pockets with food. Needless to say, I got burnt out and didn’t top out!

Many years later, I have learned from these mistakes and have learned how to streamline the process of choosing the right gear for the right climb. Over the next few weeks, I will post some thoughts and tips on these things.

• Read the route description and topos thoroughly. Often you can read about features such as “Hand Cracks”, “Off-Widths”, “Chimneys”, and “Thin Seams”. You can learn about directions, such as “Traverse”, “Pull the roof”, or “Hanging Belay”. Tips like these can help you learn what gear to bring. If a climb says that it is a hand crack, followed by a 25 foot traverse to the right, before a hanging belay on bolts, chances are you will not need small cams for that pitch…since it is a handcrack. You also most likely won’t need small stoppers, so just bring larger stoppers. You may need to double up on medium to large cams, and leave the smaller ones behind. You will need some slings to extend your pieces for the traverse. And you will need a cordellete or slings for the hanging belay, with 3 non locking carabiners and 2 locking carabiners. Your partner can bring up the gear that you didn’t carry, in case it will be needed for the next pitch. Hopefully you catch my drift. Study the route.