Book Your Private Rock Climbing Experience in Downtown Squamish

Summary: My two boys (a tween and teen) and I booked a half day of guided rock climbing in Squamish with MSAA. Our guide Phil was outstanding, and we couldn't have been happier with his expertise, professionalism, guiding and coaching skills. Based on our climbing experience and skill levels, Phil selected one of the many granite crags in the Smoke Bluffs area to do some top-roped crack climbing. Crack climbing is quite different from face climbing or bouldering in indoor gyms, so this was a perfect learning experience for us. Phil was great at selecting routes, teaching and motivating the three of us. We had a blast, and would definitely climb with Phil and MSAA again! (Note: We met at the Squamish Adventure Center on Hwy 99, and Smoke Bluffs is just two minutes away. Very easy to get to! We're staying in Whistler, which is about a 45 minute drive from Squamish.)

Summary: We had a great time with our guide Eric for the full day lesson and tour. My son and I are in door climbers mostly. So the outdoor climb at the bluffs was great to teach us more about climbing outdoors and also we learned a lot about how to climb the cracks of the granite walls. Great day!

Summary: From the moment we contacted Mountain Skills Academy it was easy and professional. We booked our first half day and had Maya as our guide. We took our 5 and 8 year olds and they were hooked! The first day Maya made it so fantastic that we booked to have another half day with her on our same trip. She is experienced, knowledgeable, so patient and helpful. I cannot say enough great things about her, and she has a wonderful sense of humour!

Summary: I did a full day Sport Climbing Multipitch group course in Squamish with Evan Beatty as the guide. Evan was extremely knowledgeable as well as vastly experiened. He not only went over and demonstrated each part of the process well but also gave an in depth explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of using various ways to build different parts of the multi pitch setup as well as elaborating on what he would use in a given situation and why. This included different anchor setups, knots, types of carabiner, PASs as well tips and tricks that he uses to make his climbs more efficient. In addition to the above, Evan came across as being very passionate about what he does with an innate love for climbing which only served to fuel my own ambition to push myself further in this sport. Having completed the course I now feel confident in my knowledge of the multipitch setup and would be able to climb multipitch routes without issue. I would highly recommend this course, and especially Evan, to anyone wishing to take their outdoor climbing skills to the next level whilst being taught by a true climbing enthusiast.

Summary: I had the pleasure of participating in the 2 day intro to rock climbing course with Corey Woolnough as our instructor.  All participants were unanimously pleased by how knowledgeable, skillful and endlessly patient he was. It was remarkable how much Corey managed to teach us in 2 days (knots, anchor building, rappelling, lead climbing and much more), all the while making us feel safe and making it fun. I was particularly impressed by how he answered every nagging question we had from the very first minute with the same degree of detail and positive demeanor as he did at the last. We had a great time, learned a lot, highly recommended!

Summary: Did the half day climbing tour in Whistler and it was awesome! Lots of fun, great communication and felt safe the entire time. Maya was a great guide :)

Summary: Booking with Mountain Skills Academy is a breeze! Whether you’re wanting an instructional course or seeking a guided approach as a climber, they are awesome and accommodating. You can either bring your own gear for climbing or have them bring everything for you - as long as you bring your spirited self to enjoy your time! Our guided tour with Corey Woolnough was phenomenal! He knows his craft and is extremely personable. As avid, mostly gym rock climbers, my partner and I were excited to explore the different routes at Smoke Bluffs trail in Squamish. Corey taught us how to successfully crack climb and also share many cool tips that we can leverage in other styles of climbing. One of the most valuable takeaways for me from my interaction with Corey was on the type of shoes needed for climbing. Often, we are advised to aggressively size down so that’s what my partner and I had done. And oh boy, were we miserable in the full day of climbing! It was interesting to learn that the shoe shouldn’t be outright killing your feet (I know, but that’s literally what a lot of places recommend one does). We also particularly enjoyed Corey’s sense of humour and his willingness to work with us on our requirements. Highly recommend Mountain Skills Academy for all your climbing/other adventures and if you get Corey as your instructor, you’re definitely in for a treat!

Summary: Excellent guide gave us great course on how to properly and safely set an anchor. He took us to a good site. Excellent time to practice and we now feel confident to practice ourselves at our own crag at home.

Summary: We had an awesome afternoon climbing around the Smoke Bluffs. I was a bit nervous but Corey, our guide, was extremely professional and made sure not to push to hard but also get us to challenge ourselves. It was my first time and I was with a more experienced climber but Corey was able to find opportunities to challenge us both. I would definitely recommend Corey and MSAA and hope to do it agin.

Summary: I did the Star Chek multi-pitch climb with Corey last week. What an exceptional experience! I live on the US east coast in an area where there is not a lot of great climbing, so a chance to climb in BC was an opportunity I could not let pass. The climb was definitely a challenge, but Corey's obvious expertise and familiarity with the climb made me comfortable that I was in good hands as I worked through situations that definitely stretched my boundaries and forced me to get 'dialed in.' I also appreciated his patience in coaching me on some anchor and belay techniques that I will be able to use in the future on my own. Kat and Ollie in the office were also indispensable for their assistance over the phone and by email as I researched and set up the climb. They made it as easy as it could have been. If I am able to come back to BC in the future, I will definitely return to Mountain Skills!!