Portland Rock Gym Guides is Portland’s foremost outdoor guiding service.  Portland Rock Gym has been providing the Pacific Northwest with the best indoor climbing instruction for the past 25 years.  That training is also available outside, bringing together unparalleled education and a memorable adventure.

PRG Guides offers clients full or half day adventures to beautiful local climbing destinations in the Columbia River Gorge, as well as world class climbing at Smith Rock State Park – the birthplace of sport climbing in the US.

Get outside for one on one instruction or get a group of friends together for an unforgettable experience.  First-time climbers and seasoned veterans alike can climb more challenging routes, improve existing skills, and create new ones!

Portland Rock Gym Guides is committed to maintaining the most current training and certification industry standards of the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA).

We Provide:

• Highly trained and experienced guides
• All ropes, draws, anchors and rock protection
• Helmets

Guiding Rates:

Additional Rate Details and Trip Information:

• We will keep a 1:4 ratio of guide to client.
• Guides will meet the clients at the climbing area.
• If clients need to rent gear they have to pick it up/rent it from the gym ahead of time.  Rental gear is not included in the guiding costs.   (Outside rentals:  Shoes: $10 per day, Harnesses: $6 per day.  We take a $90 credit card deposit for shoes and $50 deposit for harnesses rented out of the gym)
• We take a $100 deposit at the time of booking.
• There is a 10% rescheduling fee (based on the total cost of their planned activity).
• Cancellations will not receive their deposit back.
• If the weather is too adverse to climb, we will first try to change the venue.  If that is not possible, we will try to reschedule free of charge.  If a reschedule is not possible then the amount paid will be returned.

Local Climbing Destinations:

Smith Rock

Smith Rock State Park encompasses 651 acres on the Oregon high desert plateau, which hovers around 3000 feet in elevation. The major rock faces are composed of welded tuff (compressed volcanic ash) reaching a height of up to 550 feet. The picnic and campground areas sit on top of the rimrock, which is made up of columnar basalt. There are over 1800 climbing routes in and around the park ranging from some of the best sport climbs in the world to… “Why would anyone want to climb that pile of choss”.

The Portland Rock Gym is currently seeking qualified applicants for the following positions.

• Front Desk Customer Service/Sales:  Part-time sales position. Customer service and/or retail experience preferred.  Must be out-going, energetic and friendly! Also must have the ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment.  Must have basic climbing experience and know how to top-rope belay. Job also requires belaying customers (adults and/or kids) during group events, parties and other beginner programs.  Extensive climbing experience with knowledge of climbing gear and the industry a plus!
• Janitor/Facilities Maintenance:  Part-time Janitorial position.  Cleaning and up-keep of entire facility including floors, restrooms & locker rooms, and facility grounds.  Must be comfortable with heights for the occasional use of ladders.  Janitorial experience preferred. Electrical, HVAC, or any other handy work experience a plus!
• AMGA Certified Guides:  The Portland Rock Gym will be offering outdoor guiding services this Spring/Summer!  Join our team of AMGA certified guides! Extensive outdoor climbing experience and AMGA certificate required. Knowledge of Portland area climbing areas and routes preferred but not required.

Inquire within to fill out an application, or e-mail resumes to info@portlandrockgym.com  (please note which position you are applying for in the subject) 

Hey all! Thanks so much for coming out for our Thrash ‘N’ Dangle competition on Saturday, April 13, 2013.

You can view the Citizen final results here!

You can view the Youth SCS final results here!

We love adding new and awesome faces to the PRG family! Meet the latest member: Kae Erickson!

Q: Kae, tell us a little about yourself.  Where are you from?  What brought you to Portland?  What are your plans while you’re here?

A: Oh my, haha! As a Navy brat turned Air Force veteran, pinning down where I’m from is no easy task. I’m more of a ‘where I’ve been’ and ‘where I’m going’ when relating to people. Growing up with military parents, I moved around a lot, but spent the most time in Japan and Maryland, where my family lives now.

I first moved to Portland from Biloxi, Mississippi, my last active duty assignment, after separating from the Air Force in late 2010. I was set to finish my undergrad at the University of West Florida, but a delightful flutter of wanderlust brought me out west instead. When I read the state motto, “She Flies With Her Own Wings” on the ‘Welcome to Oregon’ sign, I knew I was home. I spent my first summer here in Corvallis, then last summer in Ashland, and just moved back to Portland in January. This iteration, I’m attending East West College for massage therapy, fiddling with a few side projects, and playing through a long list of “Oregon Adventures” before taking off to New Zealand next summer.

Q: You’re relatively new to climbing, correct?  What interested you about the sport or made you decide to start climbing?

A: I’m brand new to climbing! I took the Intro Class at PRG in February and am already incredibly inspired by the climbing community here. I’ve been interested in climbing since high school (thanks, Nat’l Geo and public library encylopedias!), but got caught up in a variety of other interests. When I drove by PRG on my way to interview at East West last December, I had a moment of, “Huh, how did I miss this before?” So naturally, I took it as a nod to stop in and get started when I moved back to Portland.

Q: Do you have any short and/or long term climbing goals?

A: Definitely. I want to get back down to Ashland this summer and climb at Emigrant Lake. I had a blast there last summer, but had no idea what I was doing. Smith Rock and Joshua Tree are on the short list as well, and I hear there’s some rad bouldering in New Zealand. Right now, my focus is strength/conditioning and developing solid technique.

Q: Besides your new hobby of climbing, in your free time what else do you like to do?

A: I’m for the verbs! I enjoy vinyl and reading in my downtime, adventuring always. Former marathoner running again after a two-year hiatus, inclined to impromptu fits of awesome and long bike rides. The PNW has me keen on porters, stouts, and reds; I’m sleuthing out Portland’s best, so send recs my way if you have ‘em!

Q:  Anything Portland Rock Gym customers must know about you?  Or any last words?

A: For sure. I’m here to learn! Feel free to drop by the front desk with climbing tips and stories; I look forward to meeting you.

Stephen Meinhold

Sponsors: Five Ten, Mountain Hardwear, Petzl, Sterling Rope

Favorite Music: Underground apocalyptic hip-hop (Aesop Rock, Deltron 3030)

Favorite Food: Meat, greens, potatoes, and cookies

Favorite Friday Night Activity: Stay in and watch a movie or drive to climb

Q: Tell us a little about yourself?  How long have you been climbing and what and/or who got you started?

A: Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, I’m a southern boy at heart with a taste for champagne on a beer budget. I started climbing when my dad took me to the local gym one day, and I was instantly hooked – that was about 16 years ago. It’s funny to say, but it was different then. I was one of only a few kids who consistently climbed and was the youngest at that. The gym had a top rope room with maybe 7-9 ropes (no leading), and the bouldering area had four walls and a small stair step cave. Over the summer, I would climb 4-6 days a week; I just couldn’t get enough of it. Matt Stark, who started Dead Point Magazine, was a young employee at the gym at the time, and he was the first person who told me that I would be a strong climber one day. He made me realize that hard work and time in the gym would pay off, and over time it did. Within a couple years, a bigger gym opened up, and the Charlotte Climbing Center closed its doors. I now had a whole new world to play in, with a whopping 25ft lead cave, AND they had top out boulders – big deal. From there on out, I was the young, punk kid in the gym asking anyone to take me outside to climb. I would mostly get out with guys 20-40 years older than me, so it was a chance to learn a lot. Generally, ethics in NC are some of the purest in the country – ground up (bolting, FA’s, and sends) is the only way. So needless to say I was kept in line and sandbagged from my first time out.

Q: You’ve climbed all over the U.S. and even in Spain, do you have a(any) favorite climbing destination(s)?

A: One of the first areas I climbed at was the New River Gorge, and to this day I haven’t been able to find a better crag around. Cool town, beautiful woods and river, quiet and unsettled, and all in West by God Virginia. This place is amazing, and there is no rock more solid or better made for climbing than the nutall sandstone at the New. There is a rich history dating back to the 70’s, and climbers like Lynn Hill and Scott Franklin have left their sandbagged mark on the rock at the New. (Both of their FA’s have since been upgraded by at least one letter grade, and both lines have fewer than 10 ascents in almost 25 years). The grades are solid, and the routes test every style of climbing, especially locking off and standing on your feet. Check your ego at the door though; the weather is hardly reliable, and sends are never gimmies. Get your try hard on – I love it.

Q: You’ve been climbing for so long and part of that for you has been competing.  What motivates you to compete, and do you have any favorite and/or notable competitions you’ve done?

A: I started competing in junior comps in the JCCA (which is now the USAC) in 1998. I won regionals in 98, 99, 00 and went to junior nationals in 1999 and 2000, one which was at Clubsport here in PDX. Unsatisfied with ribbons, I jumped into adult comps with hopes of winning sweet gear, and proving I could hang with adults. My first few comps I fell in the middle of the pack, but before too long I was consistently competing for the podium. I won $1k getting first at an annual big comp in Atlanta back in 2005, which was probably my biggest win. I tied Dave Graham once, got 4^th overall in the Triple Crown series one year, made top 10 at Mammut Bouldering Championships a few times, and got 2^nd at 24HHH last year. Compete enough and you eventually get lucky.

I like competitions for a source of motivation and a personal challenge. Competing gives me a goal to train for and a reason to try hard other than just hard red-points outside. Once you travel to comps on the national level, you start to run into the same people over and over. Every comp starts to become a sort of family reunion; you really develop a bond with the other competitors. I still run into some of the guys I competed with in my junior days from time to time, so even a comp loss gives me the chance to cheer my best friends to victory. It’s a win-win.

Q: Competition climbing is definitely tough stuff.  It is obvious climbers need to train hard and put in a lot of effort in order to compete.  What are some of your thoughts on training for climbing and/or training for competing?

A: Like anything it mainly takes dedication and the true desire to want to get better. Training is work. It’s not fun, and it’s not supposed to be. You clock in and complete a workout and never give up early. You welcome failure and wear soreness as a badge of honor. The best climbers rarely make excuses or give up. They always have one more try in them.

First, you set a goal to train for. It can be a comp, a route to redpoint, or even just a grade to overcome a plateau. Next, you need to formulate a strict training schedule that you can and will follow. You can research training methods on blogs of pro climbers, magazines, or even take clinics or talk with people at the local gym climbing. Finally, you need to stick to your schedule and write it all down. By recording everything, you will be able to keep yourself from cheating reps, and you can track what it working.

Q: Do you have any recommendations for climbers looking to start training or put in the extra effort to get over a plateau?  Any good resources you may have used just starting out? 

A: A good start is consistency. Get into a regular schedule of climbing or climbing and training, and it will improve your fitness and strength. Just get used to pushing yourself first, then analyze your climbing. Find your weaknesses and strengths, and address them both through training. As you plateau, watch others climb what you cannot and see what they are doing differently. Sometimes it’s the movement that is hard to figure out, and a lot of times it can be a lack of strength or endurance. You now have areas you need to train. Address them, come back, and send. Also, getting on routes way above your ability allows you to see what you need to climb at that level. Pretty much just get used to falling and figuring out why, then fixing that “why” so that you don’t fall there again. You can speed up the process by working with a nationally certified personal trainer or working with people experienced with climbing training in the gym. Eric Horst has many helpful books pertaining to training for climbing. Also, many professional climbers have training sections on their blogs.

Q: You’ve been setting for quite some time now correct?  How long have you been setting routes in gyms?  How do you keep coming up with fresh ideas?

A: I’ve been setting for about 13 years now. I’ve set in many gyms all over the country and climbed in most of the larger gyms in big cities. Through competitions, I have climbed on routes set by all of the top national U.S. setters, and I have set for many comps including a few regionals.

I generally just set with the flow of the feature that I am working on. I may first find some holds that inspire me, but I just try to force an inviting sequence that makes sense and is relatively equal in grade for all. I like to try and make people commit to moves that they don’t want to do. Whether it’s a small foot or just a desperate move, I like to make people get out of their comfort zone. I want my routes to prepare people for what they might run into outside. In theory, if you can climb one of my routes in the gym, you should be able to go outside and feel comfortable on the same grade. I want everyone to experience what they like to climb and what they don’t like to climb, because that’s what you will run into outside, and that’s what will make you better all around.

Q: Other than climbing what else do you like to do? 

I help support my girlfriend Mackenzie in her pursuit of law school and am also currently finishing up my undergrad in Mathematics with a minor in Physics. Once we graduate, we will head back east where I want to teach at a high school within a weekend trip of the New or the Red. Once I get done with school and work, I have just enough time to train and get outside a handful of times a year. I love climbing and traveling with my girlfriend and our pup Everett. So if I’m not doing that, I’m doing something that will lead to that. I can be pretty one dimensional at times, but I guess I know what I want out of life right now and am just going for that.

Q: Any last words to leave us with?  

A: Don’t make excuses, just try harder. Don’t save your send for tomorrow – it’s probably gonna rain.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.  How long have you been climbing and what got you started? 

A: I tried climbing right out of college.  My college volleyball career was over, and I was looking for something to fill the mental and physical challenge void.   I first tried it at CT Rock Gym (Connecticut), immediately fell in love, and haven’t stopped ever since.  I’ve been climbing for almost six years, mostly on the east coast, until I moved to Portland a year ago.  This past summer I was climbing at Ozone and French’s Dome a lot but hope to get out to Smith Rock more.  Best climbing area I’ve ever been to is in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky.

Q: What is your position at PRG?

A: I am a route setter and an instructor.

Q: There aren’t too many female routesetters in the Portland climbing community and probably women are outnumbered in this position overall.  Why do you think that is, and how does it make you feel about your position?

A: I think that’s because climbing has been more of a male-dominated sport for a long time and more recently in the last few years, women are really starting to shine.  I think there’s been a change in attitude; a more “I can do that too” attitude.  It makes me love my position even more, and I’m happy to be in it.

Q: What are some of the ways female setters differ from males, in terms of routes? 

A: Women are built very differently than men.  Our lower bodies are what we use the most, and my routes are usually very footwork intensive and require a lot of technique.  I think setters will use certain moves in their routes that may be their favorite kind of moves (depending on the terrain of course), and there might be moves that males favor or find more comfortable than females do because of our different body structures.  That being said, I think men and women can learn from each other when executing climbing moves, and how there might be more than one way to do it.  As a setter, I take that into consideration.

Q: Portland Rock Gym doesn’t really feel the “male domination” as much as the climbing world overall.  PRG has a pretty good 50/50 split of strong females and males.  Do you try to design routes that cater to women specific movement and ability? 

A: No, not at all.  I want my routes to cater to everyone and for everyone to feel challenged in some way.  With climbing, everyone learns/uses the same techniques.  I think footwork is a challenging part of climbing and makes you slow down and think more.  Sometimes men will just power through a move or skip things that women can’t, generally because of height differences, so women tend to improvise a lot more. I think my routes might come off as women specific with highly flexible and footwork intensive moves that are less “reachy” but I think they present challenges for both men and women.

Q: There has been a huge rise in strong women climbers the past decade.  Women like Sasha DeGuilian, Mayan Smith-Gobat and Daila Ojeda are pushing the limits right alongside the men. Do you think it’s gotten any easier or actually harder for women to make it to the top in what is essentially still a very male dominated activity and industry?

A: I think, no matter what, climbing is hard, and making it to the top is even harder, but seeing more and more women doing it is inspiring.  I think it’s gotten easier for women to feel more accepted and gain respect in the world of climbing, which in turn, has spread the “I can do that too” attitude.  I think what it comes down to is women can love and be passionate about climbing; something so very physically demanding, as much as men can.

Q: What/Who inspires you as a climber and/or a person?

A: My mom, because of her ability to overcome physical challenges that didn’t seem possible, and showing me that sheer ‘toughness’ isn’t something you’re born with; it’s learned through many, many obstacles.

Q: Thanks Kat!  You’re getting pretty famous for your fun and original route names, do you have any last words you’d like to leave us with?

A: Climb everything and keep challenging yourself!  Don’t be afraid to try something harder because you might surprise yourself in the end.

Q: 25 years of Portland Rock Gym, when exactly did the gym open?
A: The Grand Opening was on February 1st, 1988.

Q: To give our readers some context, what was climbing like as a sport at the time?
A: Climbing in 1987… Locally, you would be climbing at Rocky Butte Quarry, Beacon Rock, and Smith Rock. The birth of sport climbing was a couple of years prior, and so it was right there in the golden era. The Spring of ’87 was the French Invasion. J. B. Tribout and Jean Marc Troussier came to Smith Rock to repeat a whole bunch of Alan Watts’s test pieces, and they liked it so much that they stayed and put up a ton more routes. Thus, there was a lot of climbing available for everybody resulting in an explosion of climbing activity at Smith Rock. Throughout the early ’80s, I would go there on a weekend and maybe see 6-10 people there on a busy Saturday, but once sport climbing occurred and people started bolting routes, it became popular really quickly. It was exciting to go there and climb with 25-50 people climbing at the same time. Bolting routes made rock climbing seem so much safer that more people chose to join the sport.

Q: What inspired you to start the Portland Rock Gym? Where did you get the idea?
A: Throughout 1986, climbing became less of a hobby for me and more of an obsession. In order to climb three days a week, I started climbing more in Portland where I found a lot of good climbers, a lot of good climbing, and a lot of crappy weather. I really wanted a better way to train during the winter then just doing pull-ups. Then, in the Summer of ’87, my wife and I went to England to visit family and climb. There we found local “climbing centers,” with very rudimentary indoor climbing walls made of rocks glued to brick walls over the hardwood floors of basketball courts. We also found that the average climber there was stronger than the average climber back home, and that they were climbing at a higher standard. After that trip, I really started putting the idea together. A gym tailored exclusively to rock climbers, run like a weight gym or athletic club, perhaps, with the birth of sport climbing, there would be enough climbers to make it feasible. I wanted to give running my own business a try anyhow, so I figured, what do I have to lose? If it failed, I’d do something else.

Q: What hurdles did you face in starting the gym?
A: First, I needed to know if there was enough interest. The good people at Oregon Mountain Community let me conduct a survey with their customers. The Mazamas gave me access to their advanced school for surveys as well. With a resounding response, I quit my job and went to the bank, only to get turned down for a modest loan. Remember, there wasn’t such a thing as a climbing gym, I had never managed an athletic club, nor did I have any collateral. Metolius Mountain Products were great, they helped me secure a lease on the tile wall that we still have today. I was Metolius’ first wall customer, so they delivered the tiles and installed them for free. I had around 20-30 friends that pitched in to help build the first walls. On the grand opening night, many of them bought annual memberships to help me get started. I felt like Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The gym was built by the climbing community; I could never have done it myself.

Q: What inspires you going forward? What are your plans for the future?
A: Well, since I own the land that the parking lot is on, ultimately it would be nice to double the size of the gym at its current location. The financial climate right now is such that doing so is not altogether feasible, however, what would still be really cool and much more feasible would be to open up a second location somewhere in the greater metro area. A second location would be a means of making the PRG community larger overall, enabling us to make the current location a bigger, better gym.

Join us on February 1-2, 2013 to celebrate our 25th Anniversary! Stay tuned for details!

Learn a little bit about our newest PRG team member, Derrick Peppers!

Q: What brings you to Portland?
A: The big volcanic peaks of the Cascades really.  The backwoods of Tennessee doesn’t really have anything more than Talus heaps.  I wanted to be enveloped by my surroundings.  It feels good to feel small sometimes.

Q: How long have you been climbing, any major accomplishments?
A: I first got the chance to get on a rope in 1999.  Ever since then, I have slowly but steadily progressed with every passing year.  Smith Rock is my favorite spot so far, but I am very excited to travel to a host of other destinations in the coming future.  I lived at Smith Rock for most of this past summer and have been guiding with the Smith Rock Guides through most of it.  I like to think of myself as a human Smith Rock guidebook.  I know almost every nook and cranny there.

Q: Do you do any other activities besides climbing?
A: I am definitely a part of the close knit community of wonderful highliners and longliners across the globe, although I tend to excel at tricklining for the most part.  I also enjoy any water activity when I get the chance.

Q: One thing we should all know about you?
A: If I could climb any style, I would choose to be on a long off width every time.

Q: Plans while in Portland?
A: Learn to cook.  Take French.  Make dinner for a cute French girl.

It’s  that time of year again.  The leaves start to change, the sun goes down a little earlier, and the Portland climbing community gears up for some great events!

Get an early taste of Winter at the 6th annual Portland Ice Fest! This TWO DAY event kicks off Friday, October 12th, 7pm  at the Mazamas Mountaineering Center.  Ice climber/mountaineer extraordinare, Colin Haley, will be presenting a slideshow of his adventures in Patagonia.  Saturday, October 13th, 5-9pm test your dry tooling skills at the Portland Rock Gym in our Mixed Climbing Competition!  No ice climbing or dry-tooling experience necessary.  Come spectate or compete in a fun-focused comp!   Black Diamond, Grivel and Petzl reps will be on hand demo-ing the latest ice climbing gear! Win some great raffle prizes from our sponsors and enjoy FREE BEER from Sierra Nevada Brewing!  I’ll repeat that.. FREE BEER!! Tickets available at the Portland Rock Gym and the Mazamas.  All tickets include slideshow and watching the competition. $12 at the door, $10 advanced, $8 for Mazama members.  Additional $20 to enter the competition.   See you all this FALL!!

Meet Ryland Brooks, PRG’s newest staff member!  Ryland comes to Portland all the way from Boston, so show him the West coast charm and say hello next time you’re in the gym! Read this exclusive Q&A session with Ryland to get to know him a little better…

Q: What brings you to Portland?
A: My wife and I took an extended honeymoon after we got married.  We had all of our things packed into storage when we got home so we decided on a whim to move to Portland. We have a few friends out here and have heard many good things.

Q: How long have you been climbing?
A: I’ve been climbing since 2005.  I started in college in Colby, ME.  Maine has some awesome climbing in Acadia called the Otter Cliffs.  These are actually some really cool sea cliffs! There are a bunch of really sweet local crags on the East coast also.

Q: What are some of your favorite spots to climb?
A: I really love Cathedral Ledges in New Hampshire!  I’ve only been to the Gunks once, but it is a really beautiful spot with some good climbing.  The East coast is a really beautiful spot for climbing in the fall because of the colorful foliage.

Q: What other activities do you like to do?
A: I love to hike!  I used to be a professional videographer, but now it’s just a hobby.

Q: What is one thing that everyone should know about Ryland Brooks?
A: My dog has one ear.