Half-Day Rock Climbing Tour: Mixed Group Tour

Pricing

Solo - $200 Small Group (2-3) - $135/person Large Group (4-6) - $125/person

Duration

4 - 4.5 hours

About

Never climbed before? Want to step out of your comfort zone and try something new? This tour is our all-time favorite! It is also highly customizable from very easy, perfect first-timer routes to moderate or even hard routes for those that have climbed many times before. Learn to trust the climbing gear, work as a team, and push your personal limits. For some people getting 5 feet off the ground is an amazing accomplishment, while others monkey their way all the way to the top. Our guides are very supportive, meeting guests where they are at, to help them push their limits as far as they would like, and have fun while doing it! Hang out in Nature, enjoy delicious organic sandwiches (Vegetarian/Vegan/GF options available), and revel in making some great new memories! All of our guides are certified climbing instructors (PCGI), trained in wilderness medicine (WFR) and have your safety as their number one priority from start to finish, with the size of your smile as a close second! (MINIMUM AGE TO CLIMB: 8 years old)

Additional Tour Details

Rock climbing is one of the most amazing adventure activities because it is so customizable from super easy (still intimidating to most!) to super hard. All humans have an innate fear of heights; it is a key part of what has kept us alive and allowed us to develop into a modern day civilization. Learning to trust the climbing gear and your guide, and working to overcome parts of that fear can be life-changing. Fear is fear, and when we work to overcome it while rock climbing we start to feel capable to overcome other fears in our lives. We develop more confidence in our ability to overcome challenges in all parts of our lives. This adventure activity has so many naturally translatable life lessons, and that is really why it is our all-time favorite tour. We love to support our guests in working with their fears and developing more self-confidence, while deepening their appreciation for Nature. It is also so amazing to witness someone in accomplishing their unique goal, and celebrating them when they get back down. Rock climbing can look and feel so scary, but when done correctly at a modest-level, it is actually one of the safest adventure activities. Our guides do their best to plan a unique experience specific to the group ahead of time that fits your group's desires and ability levels. Please do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions. We are happy to answer all of your questions and make sure you end up on the best tour that fits your group well! Due to the limitations of our insurance provider, we are unable to take guests that are under the age of 8 climbing. They are still welcome to come on the tour and hang out as long as they are being supervised by a parent or legal guardian, but they will not be able to climb.

Location

We have a variety of rock faces to choose from all within 10 minutes of Durango. Some that are best for first time climbers, some that are better for hanging in nature, and others that work best for guests that have climbed outside a few times before. All climbing areas are around 6,600-7,000ft in elevation, which for many traveling from out of town is great for acclimatization compared to the high elevation trails around 10,000ft! This makes for a great adventure day earlier on in your trip before you go exploring in the big mountains nearby.

What’s Included

• Use of our Osprey Daylite Plus backpacks (20L volume)
• Use of our professional climbing gear (helmets, harnesses, and shoes)
• Use of our adjustable trekking poles to get to the climbing area, if you would like
• Snacks: Guides will provide a variety of snacks for guests to pack into their daypacks at the trailhead, if they would like.
• Lunch: Gourmet Sandwich & Chips from Durango Natural Foods, utilizing predominantly local and organic ingredients on locally made organic sourdough. Please let us know ahead of time of any food allergies and dietary restrictions. Vegan/Vegetarian/GF options are available.
• Transportation to and from your lodging (within 5 miles of Durango’s city center) or an established meeting location
• A medically trained and well experienced climbing guide certified in the industry. Guides are aware of local dangers and how to mitigate them, and are excited to share their passion for the outdoors with you; as well as their favorite places to eat in town!

What's Not Included

• Rain jacket and a variety of layers
• Appropriate footwear
• Lodging
• Personalized Snacks
• Trip and Medical Insurance
• Water bottles/water badders (ability to carry 1 liter is required)
• Guide Gratuity

Transportation/Pick-Up Locations

Meraki guides are happy to pick you up from your place of lodging, as long as it is within 5 miles of Durango’s city center. If you are staying farther outside of town we will establish a spot to meet and transport you from there, or we can meet at the. If you are booking a “Mixed Group Tour”, please recognize your guide will be making multiple stops to pick up and drop off guests. Please be on time with your set pick up time to avoid delaying the entire tour. Guides will drop off guests in the order that makes the most sense to them.

FAQs

• Do I need to have good physical fitness to do this tour? You do not need to be in ‘good physical fitness’ to do this tour. This tour is highly modifiable and your guide will do their best to plan out the day in a way that matches your group’s level of fitness and desired experience. For this reason and others, it is very important that you fill out the health profile section of the Registration Form with complete accuracy. Not doing so may put yourself, others in the group, and/or the guide at risk of serious injury or even death. Please provide all pertinent health information and let us design a tour that fits you well. You just need to have enough physical fitness to carry a light backpack and walk for up to 45 minutes at altitude, with multiple breaks along the way.

• Is there a minimum age required to do this tour? Unfortunately, Yes. We love getting to take younger children climbing on real rock, but our current insurance provider requires all climbers to be at least 8 years of age. Children under the age of 8 can still come on the tour and hang out at the climbing area, as long as they are under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian. If you are planning to bring your little ones who may hike to the climbing routes much slower and need more breaks than your average adult, please book a private tour and your guide will be happy to move at the pace of your family’s needs. If you are not booking a private tour we ask that all guests be at least 8 years old and can hike for 45 minutes at elevation, with breaks. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of bringing your child. Any guest under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

• How does tipping work with these tours? Guides put a lot of work into preparing your tour, running it safely, and doing their best to make your smile large and send you home with great memories; and then clean and store gear. Gratuity is not expected, but it is greatly appreciated. If you thought your guide did a great job keeping you safe, teaching you about the area and accommodating your needs, gratuities usually range between 15-20% of the tour price.

What to Bring

• Rain Jacket (even if the weather calls for pure sunshine, that isn’t always accurate and it can change quickly here)
• A variety of clothing layers to adjust to speed of movement and varying weather conditions that will likely occur. Athletic clothing is preferred.
• A hat to protect from the intense Colorado sun
• Sunglasses
• Long sleeve sunshirt (not required, but definitely recommended for this environment)
• Sunscreen
• Your all-time favorite trail snacks
• 2 liters of water. 1 liter is required, 2 liters is highly recommended. (We will have a large water jug in the vehicle to top up water bottles at the trailhead.)
• Appropriate footwear: Getting to and from the climbing routes has a wide variety of terrain and exposure to cacti. For this reason we highly recommend closed-toes shoes/hiking boots, and footwear with quality traction. (flip-flops are not allowed and sandals are highly discouraged)