Desert Rock Seminars

Desert Rock Seminar

Rock climbing in Moab, Indian Creek, and Castle Valley

The Utah Desert is the undisputed home of crack climbing. Practically the perfect cragging destination in the U.S. is host to a wide array of classic climbs and towers, not to mention scenic car camping. It’s a great place to learn the subtleties of crack climbing, and hone your climbing skills. We guarantee that you will be a better climber after your trip with us to the desert. We offer both crack climbing seminars and private guiding for those who would like more one-on-one instruction.

The Fall (September – early December) and Spring (March – early June) are typically the best seasons to climb in southern Utah, but the winter months are also an excellent time to climb. In the winter we tend to climb at sunny crags in order to be comfortable. Temperatures in the winter can be very pleasant (mid to high 50′s) but it often feels like the 70′s when you’re in the sun. It’s a great way to get some warm weather rock climbing in during those long winter months.

Just a quick word to say thanks for all you did to make my past several days truly rewarding. – D. Mrozek

Desert seminars


2 day Crack Clinic

Our 2 Day Crack Climbing Course will focus on helping you gain crack climbing proficiency in the most efficient manner. Hand jams, fist jams, finger locks, arm bars, and all the latest techniques that are used to crack climb will be introduced, discussed, and practiced, to help you gain crack climbing competency. It’s certainly not the easiest climbing in the world, but a few days in the Creek will do wonders for your climbing ability no matter what your favorite type of climbing may be (traditional, sport, ice).


4 day Desert Seminar

This seminar adds 2 days onto our Crack Climbing Course and applies more specific focus to multi-pitch climbing and strategies, as well as the more advanced topics of anchoring, protection placement, and rescue considerations. If you’re an aspiring leader and want to participate in a course that will help to build a solid foundation of climbing technique and technical know how, then this is the program for you! We’ve designed this course to run Saturday – Tuesday to avoid the weekend crowds on popular climbs and towers such as Castleton.

Rock Climbing Equipment List

  • Backpack
  • Appropriate clothing
  • Sunscreen
  • Water
  • Food & snacks
  • Rain jacket
  • Climbing Helmet
  • Climbing Harness: with belay loop
  • Climbing shoes or approach shoes: in which you can climb up to 5.7
  • Belay/rappel device: such as the “Reverso”, “ATC”, etc.

Training & Follow Up Programs

As always, being in good physical shape is an important component of our our programs. A good mixture of cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness, and especially core strength will help you to maximize the potential rewards that are possible on a great program.

1Before Your Trip

2Follow Up Programs

If and when I decide to tackle the big mountains I will call you guys for sure. I was very impressed with the guides and the service on my last class. Thanks again! – Chris N.

Moab, UT: Getting Here

Moab is undoubtedly the outdoor adventure capital of Utah. Surrounded by a multitude of National Parks, including Arches and Canyonlands, as well as the majestic Colorado River, it’s no wonder why so many outdoor enthusiasts descend into Moab to get their desert adventure fix. The Moab area boasts some of the finest desert climbing in the area. It’s a great place to hone your climbing skills, or tackle a desert classic like Castleton Tower.

We offer introductory through advanced level instruction at popular cragging destinations such as Wall St. and the Ice Cream Parlor, both of which are excellent for acquiring basic skills and crack climbing proficiency. We also offer guided climbs on tower climbs such as Fine Jade (5.11a) on the Rectory, or the Kor-Ingalls (5.9) and North Chimeys (5.9) on Castleton Tower.

We’ve been leading trips in this area since the early 90′s, so we know our way around. All of our guides are AMGA Certified Rock Guides or have completed advanced level training on AMGA courses, meaning you’ll recieve the highest degree of professional instruction and guiding.

The best seasons to climb in the Moab area and Utah desert are in the spring and fall; March – early June and September – early December. The weather lends itself to optimal climbing conditions during these time periods, with warm daytime temperatures and cool, clear nights.


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Flights: The best option for flying to the area is to fly into Durango – La Plata County Airport. Multiple airline options exist, and most connections originate from Denver, Phoenix, or Dallas. The airport is a 20 minute drive from our office. Many hotels offer a free shuttle pickup. Buckhorn Limousine offers a shuttle as well.

Driving: Below are some approximate driving times if you’d like to drive to Moab. If you plan on renting a car, please consider the winter weather when selecting your vehicle and at a minimum choose something that offers either front wheel or all-wheel drive.

  • Durango, CO: 2.5 hours
  • Salt Lake City: 4.5 hours

Additional Information

  • Cost Includes:
  • AMGA Certified Guides/ instructors
  • Group gear (ropes, rock gear, etc.)
  • Tents and cooking gear

  • Not Included:

  • Hotel costs before, during, or after the trips
  • 5% land use surcharge, trip cancellation insurance
  • Food
  • Guide gratuity

  • Registration and Cancellation:
  • You will need to fill out our Domestic Registration Form, cancellation policy agreement, and liability waiver, and send it to us with a 50% deposit as early as possible prior to the course date. Balance is due on the first day of the course. Please click on our Registration/Travel link to access the required forms.