As an experienced climber and getting my girlfriend out climbing for her first time, Ryan made our day of climbing a breeze. Ryan was great with making us feel comfortable, safe, and getting us out to see some great spots. With our limited amount of time, Brandon was accommodating to make it work with our schedule to get us out. For anyone in the area that is experienced in climbing or looking to get out for the first time, I would recommend going with Sylvan Rocks for a great adventure!
My son and I did an introductory climbing day a couple of years ago with Sylvan Rocks. That day made my son fall in love with climbing. Last week, we returned for a three-day climbing session, and it was even better than the first. Our guide Shankar gave us three amazing days that culminated in my son's ascent of Spires 2 and 3 of the Cathedral Spires in Custer State Park. He was patient, good-humored, and laser-focused on safety while dealing both with my beginner's mistakes, and with my son's need for technical training. While he pushed me to stretch my limits, there was never any point at which I felt it was inappropriate. And, we got to the top of the "Aquarium." On top of all that, Shankar's just a really cool guy. I feel that we got more than our money's worth out of this experience, and we will be back to climb again with Sylvan Rocks.
Sylvan Rocks is awesome! When they say "Do something you never imagined you could!" on the website, they mean it! The single pitch AMGA guides Ryan and Ben were fantastic and I was able to summit multiple routes on my first attempt ever at climbing outdoors. I cannot recommend the climbing school enough as a fantastic addition to any trip to the Black Hills.
