Learning to climb outdoors was amazing with a guide like Ryan in a setting as beautiful as Sylvan Lake. The challenge was perfect. I loved that my son learned how to climb safely with the help of his guide. This picture makes me think that what is a beginner climber today might be a skilled guide in the future! Reach for your goals! Thank you, Sylvan Rocks Climbing School!
I did two days with Sylvan Rocks, a 6-hour day and an 8-hour day, both with Doug. I'm a relatively experienced climber, so we didn't have to spend any time on equipment orientation, climbing basics, etc. Doug made it a point to do a thorough safety check of the gear I brought, and continued to focus on safety throughout the day, never a careless moment. The anchors he built were bomber, as was his leading and belaying. It was a blast, even if I was climbing well below my ability. Doug knew all the great climbs, chances for summits and excellent views, along with climbs on rocks with spectacular formations. It was clear he was most interested in me having a safe, fun time; he offered suggestions for the itinerary but always left it up to me, and checked in if it seemed like the climbs were frustrating, always ready to alter for something better. We never had to; the two days were full of good climbing. Highly recommended!
I reached out to Sylvan Rocks about attempting an ascent of Devil's Tower - and they were amazing! I fully recommend them to anyone interested in the Tower, in climbing at Custer State Park, or climbing on Mt. Rushmore itself. My guide for the week was Doug, and I can't recommend him enough. I have significant experience as a climber, and Doug was both respectful of my experience, and informative about how and why he was doing everything. We had a great three days of climbing - two days of warm-up and prep, and then a full-day of climbing on Devil's Tower itself. I got a ton of climbing in, and had an amazing time! I absolutely hope to come back again soon!
