Rock to ice program in the Blue Ridge Mountains, VA

Enjoy a full fay rock to ice climbing program in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with one of our AMGA certified guides.

Private

Appalachians

1 Day

Jan - Mar, Dec

High

Intermediate

Highlights

Enjoy a full day rock to ice course in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Learn several important skills including ground anchors and more.
Ideal for rock climbers who want to transition to ice climbing.

Description

Are you a gym or outdoor rock climber who wants to expand to the amazing world of ice climbing? If so, this rock to ice course in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is perfect for you.

For a full day, you will get to learn several skills that will make the transition from rock climbing to ice climbing easier and more fun.

There are several skills you will learn during this full day course in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Some examples include the following.

Gear essentials
Crampon use and technique
Climbing area hazards and management
Swinging an ice tool
Climbing movement on ice
Top rope belaying review
Belay stance positioning
Ground anchors
Winter climbing leave no trace principles

Along with these skills, we will also provide you with plenty of tips and advice directly from our own personal experiences.

Rock climbing and ice climbing, while quite similar, are also very different. However, the transition from rock to ice doesn’t have to be very difficult. That is why we believe this course is perfect for people who want to climb all year round, regardless if it’s on the rocks or on an ice fall. To take this course, all you have to do is send a request.

We also offer an introductory level ice climbing course in the Blue Ridge Mountains that you can enjoy here.

Price includes

Guiding fee

Price details

Please contact us for pricing information.

About the guide

Blue Ridge

Rock Climbing Instructor

My name is Grant, and I serve as the head guide for the Blue Ridge Mountain Guides. We are based in Virginia, where I grew up climbing rock and ice, constantly searching for my next big adventure.

While I enjoy all types of climbing, I have to admit that I favor ice and trad. As much as I love climbing, I am equally dedicated to teaching. I have always had a great passion for sharing my love of this sport and the mountains with others. As a teacher, I am laid back, patient and adaptive in my teaching style. I strive to convey information and skills to my students in a way that easy to understand and retain.

I am certified by the American Mountain Guides Association as a Rock Instructor, Single Pitch Instructor and Climbing Wall Instructor. I hold a Wilderness First Responder Certification and am also an AIARE Level I Avalanche Course Instructor and Leave No Trace Trainer.

Blue Ridge Mountain Guides is also an AMGA SPI Assistant Provider.

When it gets too cold to climb back home, you can usually find me ice climbing and skiing in Utah, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Languages

English

Request more information

What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

4.8