Rock Climbing Classes
The more you know, the better you go.
Building your climbing skills takes time, dedication and occasionally, a little professional rock climbing instruction. Whether you’re a novice climber or sculpted of stone from years of climbing, Mesa Rim offers the best rock climbing classes, lessons, and training programs to further refine your rock climbing techniques. Looking for an experienced rock climbing instructor? Our talented and personable rock climbing instructors cater to climbers of every level. From teaching beginners how to rock climb, developing lead climbers, or refining near pro climbers, our classes provide excellent rock climbing training sessions that are tailored to engage a defined set of climbing capabilities. Train on the tallest rock climbing walls and in the best climbing gym San Diego has!
And, if you want a personalized rock climbing class, Mesa Rim offers private instruction to help you build your skills just the way you want to to reach the peak of your climbing abilities!
We also offer the below classes in packages:
Beginner Techniques (Beginner Climb-On Series)
Advanced Techniques (Sharp End Series)
Outdoor Techniques (Outdoor Approach Series)
Check out our latest classes and programs for everyone from youth to adults.
Beginner Belay Lesson
In Mesa Rim’s Belay Lesson, you’ll learn to safely manage the rope in order to keep the climber and belay partner safe. Additionally, you’ll learn the proper harness safety checks, knots, and climbing commands. After taking the class and before your first time climbing, you’ll be certified to climb and belay for the day. In order to ensure proper safety and knowledge of the belay techniques, all participants in the beginner’s belay class will be required to officially belay certify on a later visit.
Reservations are strongly recommended due to our class cap of 5 students per class. (Classes fill up fast!) Private classes are available at additional cost with reservations only.
| Cost: | $20 Members & Member Guests/$30 Non-Members. Day pass and all gear (shoes, harness, chalk bag and belay device) included! |
| Duration: | 25-45 minutes |
| Student Max: | 5 students per class |
Technique 101: Basic Footwork
Discover the fundamental concepts of efficient climbing with an emphasis on generating upward movement using the lower half of the body. Learn about the essential role of footwork, how to utilize the skeletal structure, find balance points, and identify basic climbing positions, which are all crucial aspects of effective climbing technique.
| Cost: | $30 Members / $45 Non-Members |
| Duration: | This is a 60-minute class with 30-minutes of personalized instructor feedback for each student. |
| Student Max: | Class is limited to 6 students in order to allow the instructor ample time to work with each student individually. |
Technique 102: Advanced Technique
Learn the secrets to climbing efficiency using advanced hand and foot techniques. This class will cover the spectrum of footwork from back stepping to heel-hooking and hand grips to overcome slopers and crimpers. Students will learn to identify different techniques and the respective climbing terrain where they are necessary.
| Cost: | $30 Members / $45 Non-Members |
| Duration: | This is a 60-minute class with 30-minutes of personalized instructor feedback for each student. |
| Student Max: | This class is limited to 6 students in order to allow the instructor ample time to work with each student individually. |
Technique 103: Dynamic Movement
If you are always trying to lock holds off or move statically this class is for you. Learn how to use your body’s momentum and the power of your legs to let loose and break out of your static habits. This class will teach the efficiency of dynamic movement, body coordination, and situations where dynamic movement is advantageous.
| Cost: | $30 Members / $45 Non-Members |
| Duration: | This is a 60-minute class with 30-minutes of personalized instructor feedback for each student. |
| Student Max: | Class is limited to 6 students in order to allow the instructor ample time to work with each student individually. |
Technique 104: Crack Climbing
From hand jams to toe cams, unlock the mysteries of efficient crack climbing with a clinic that focuses on the fundamentals. Learn some of the many techniques and styles you can play with on Mesa Rim’s variety of crack sizes.
| Cost: | $30 Members / $45 Non-Members |
| Duration: | 90 minutes |
| Student Max: | 4 |
Anchor and Rappelling Clinic
The foundation of outdoor climbing starts with building simple, solid, and safe anchors for top rope climbing. This clinic will cover equalization, redundancy, how to avoid shock loading, extensions, and helpful knots. Participants will learn several different anchoring systems from cordelette to sliding-x systems and will also learn proper rappelling technique with a safety backup.
| Cost: | $35 Members/$50 Non-Members |
| Duration: | 3 hours |
| Prerequisites: | Participants should be Top Rope Belay Certified at Mesa Rim. Participants must bring their own harness, climbing shoes, and belay device. |
| Student Max: | 4 |
Lead Climbing 101
In this lead climbing lesson, participants will learn to safely lead climb routes within a controlled environment to keep climber and lead belay partner safe. Participants will learn how to perform a safety check of all lead climbing equipment, lead belay, and lead climb with proper rope management, as well as techniques for safe clipping and climbing. During the lead climbing class, participants will have the opportunity to practice lead climbing techniques with a backup top rope belay and will learn the skills necessary to pass the lead test. CLASS DOES NOT RESULT IN LEAD CERTIFICATION – lead test must still be administered by a qualified staff member.
| Cost: | $35 Members/$50 Non-Members (Non-member fee includes day pass valid from 5pm till closing). Preregistration required |
| Duration: | 2.5 to 3 Hours |
| Prerequisites: | Must be able to climb a 5.10 top rope without hanging. Recommended three (3) months climbing experience. |
| Student Max: | 6 Students |
Lead Climbing 102
Get on the sharp end with this sequel to our popular Lead Climbing 101. Learn and see the effects of a dynamic belay or “soft catch” on steep to overhanging terrain. Experience real lead climbing and belaying without a backup top rope and under the careful supervision of our experienced instructors. Participants will have the opportunity to practice taking and catching real lead falls and learn how to do it safely.
| Cost: | $35 Members/$50 Non-Members (Non-member fee includes day pass valid from 5pm till closing). Preregistration required |
| Duration: | 2 hours |
| Prerequisites: | Must have taken Lead 101 or be lead certified at Mesa Rim. |
| Required Gear: | Minimum 40 meter dynamic climbing rope |
| Student Max: | 6 |
Self Rescue 1
Often the most neglected yet most important set of skills needed for outdoor climbing, self rescue will help get participants and their partners out of tricky situations when one is either injured or simply unable to complete a climb. Participants will learn how to take over a belay, ascend a line to pick off a hurt climber, counter-balance descend, how to rig a 3-1 pulley system, and a tandem rappel. This clinic primarily focuses on the use of a brake assist device such as a GriGri or Cinch for top-rope rescue situations and is a great starting point for more advanced scenarios to be covered in our Self Rescue 2 course.
| Cost: | $35 Members/$50 Non-Members |
| Duration: | 3 hours |
| Prerequisites: | Participants should be Top Rope Belay Certified at Mesa Rim. |
| Student Max: | 4 |
Multipitch Clinic
Take outdoor lead climbing to the next level with this clinic on multipitch climbing systems and techniques. Multipitch climbs enable ascents of climbing routes longer than the length of a climbing rope by means of intermediate anchors and belays. Participants will learn applicable techniques such as hanging belays, top managed belays, rope management, personal anchoring, and various useful knots.
| Cost: | $35 Members/$50 Non-Members (Non-Member fee includes day pass valid from 5pm till closing) |
| Duration: | 2.5 Hours |
| Prerequisites: | Must be lead certified at Mesa Rim. Recommended at least three (3) months lead climbing experience |
| Required Gear: | Harness, climbing shoes, and belay device. |
| Student Max: | 4 Students |
Core Clinic
This fast-paced circuit training is focused on developing core strength that will improve overall fitness.
| Cost: | FREE!! |
| Duration: | Circuits range in length from 20-30 minutes, followed by restorative stretches and instructor feedback. |
Campus & Finger Board Training
This interactive training session will focus on building basic fundamentals associated with both campus and finger boarding. Students should preempt class with 20-30 minutes of warm up climbing and arrive prepared for an intensive workout.
Campus and fingerboard workouts are an advanced form of training, if you are curious if this training is right for you feel free to contact the front desk for more information.
| Cost: | FREE!! |
| Duration: | Class format is approximately 45 minutes of intensive training followed by instructor feedback. |
