Outdoor Climbing Lessons & VEGA Trips (Vertical Endeavors Guided Adventures)
Okay, you've learned to climb indoors – now imagine the thrill of climbing outdoors on real rock! VEGA offers year round outdoor rock and ice climbing lessons as well as guided trips for beginners and experienced climbers. 
VEGA guides can take you to the edge of adventure with trips ranging from the sea cliffs of the North Shore of Lake Superior to climbing at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin or summiting the majestic Devil's Tower in Wyoming. And if extreme adventure is your passion, consider ice climbing on the breathtaking ice flows of Northern Minnesota.
Outdoor Group Experience
Your group can enjoy an outdoor rock-climbing outing to any of several climbing areas: Taylor's Falls, the North Shore, and Blue Mounds State Park! Experience the thrill of feeling real rock under your fingers while enjoying the expansive vistas which only the cliff tops have to offer. These trips are designed to meet your group's goals while at the same time developing individual self-confidence, respect, and group trust. They are perfect for groups of ten or more such as: schools, scouts, churches, corporations, friends or family. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to bring your group climbing!
Taylor's Falls, MN / $59 for 4 hours
Blue Mounds, MN / $59 for 4 hours
North Shore, MN / $59 for 4 hours
Devil's Lake, WI / $59 for 4 hours
10 person minimum / Advanced Reservations Required
Call 651.776.1430 for pricing information and to sign up.
Rock Climbing Lessons
Are you looking for adventure and excitement in your life? Try the sport of rock climbing! Our lessons and trips will take you to some of the most beautiful vistas in the county. Our goal is to teach skills in an appropriate and comfortable environment where students learn proper techniques as well as develop sound judgement on real rock in harmony with nature.
Chillin' Weekend
Would you like to learn the essentials of outdoor climbing? If so, the Chillin' Climbing Weekend is just the thing for you. Enjoy fantastic quartzite cliffs located within scenic Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin. There you will climb on some of the best routes in the Midwest while our guides teach you climbing anchors and equalization, basic safety and rock etiquette, as well as give you the opportunity to be part of our movement and technique clinics. Join us on the Chillin' Climbing Weekend to gain a wealth of knowledge in one full weekend. Bring a friend, the whole family, or just yourself. No climbing experience necessary. Sign up today at Vertical Endeavors!
Check back in 2009
$249 includes camping and instruction at Devil's Lake / 10 person minimum
ANCHORS / ROCKIN':
Outdoor Top Rope Anchoring Basics 
This seven-hour hands-on workshop is devoted to teaching you how to properly construct a standard climbing anchor system. You will practice correct placement of artificial anchors, the use of natural features and appropriate equalization for top-rope set-ups. This is a highly interactive seminar focusing on anchor building and climbing. No previous climbing experience is required.
Outdoor Experience
Grab your friends and head out to the crag for a great day in the sun! This introductory lesson will teach you the basics of outdoor rock climbing. Topics covered include: knot tying, belaying, terminology, equipment use and climbing techniques with a strong emphasis on safety. This popular course is a great way to experience outdoor climbing for the first time. No previous climbing experience is required.
Outdoor Top Rope Anchoring Basics - Minnesota:
Taylors Falls, MN or Ely's Peak, MN
Anchors: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Rockin’: 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Check back in 2009
$149 per person for both Anchors & Rockin' (MN)/ 4 person minimum
$109 Anchors only / $69 Rockin’ only
Members receive a 10% discount
Outdoor Top Rope Anchoring Basics - Wisconsin:
Devil's Lake, WI
Anchors: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Rockin’: 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Check back in 2009
$149 per person for both Anchors & Rockin' / 5 person minimum
$99 Anchors only / $99 Rockin’ only
Members receive a 10% discount
Traditional Lead Climbing
Traditional climbing is where it all began! Learning to place protection while lead climbing, is a skill that has a rich and varied history dating back to the origins of mountaineering. This seven-hour workshop will provide the proper foundation of skills necessary for safe lead climbing. You will practice gear selection and placement, proper belay techniques and anchoring systems, as well as rope management and movement techniques that can optimize your performance and risk-management skills. Prerequisite – Sport Lead Checkout at VE or approval of the guide.
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Taylors Falls, MN or Devil’s Lake, WI
Check back in 2009
$249 per person / 3 person minimum/maximum
Members receive a 10% discount
Custom Rock Climbing Trips
In the summertime it's understandable that you want to be outside more. Vertical Endeavors offers Guided Rock Climbing Trips all across the country. You can climb close to home in areas such as Redwing, Taylors Falls, Willow River or the North Shore. If you're looking for a change in scenery, adventurous Devil's Tower, WY or the Needles in South Dakota will do the trick. If you're looking for something even more adventures, try Red Rock's in Las Vegas, NV. If that doesn't do it for you we can come up with something that does. Vertical Endeavors Head Guide Pat Mackin has climbed all over the country and would love to customize an adventure for you!
Red Hot Weekend - Red River Gorge, Kentucky
Do you love sport? If you answered yes, then you need to take a trip to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky with
Vertical Endeavors Guided Adventures. This is a new and exciting year for VEGA. We added this guided adventure for
2007 in hopes of teaching the art of sport climbing at one of the best crags in the Midwest . With over 800 sport routes to
choose from, there is a great chance you will be suffering from SRADD or Sport Route Attention Deficient Disorder by the
time this weekend is over. From 5.1s such as Beginner's Nightmare to Tuna Town rated at 5.12d there is something for
everyone. So sign up today and take a ride with the VEGA train to The Red!
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Check back in 2009
$699 per person / 5 person minimum
Members receive a 10% discount
Needles, Mt. Rushmore / Devil's Tower, Wyoming
Devil's Tower is the core of an extinct volcano which rises 1,270 feet above the plains of northeastern Wyoming. The route ascended in this adventure (unless otherwise arranged) is called the “Durrance” route (5.7) and was first pioneered in 1938. This route is considered one of the “Fifty Classic Climbs in North America.” If you're looking for a truly unique “summit” experience, standing atop Devil's Tower will be a memory that will last a lifetime. The Needles is a truly magical place. A sea of granite spires, split by narrow grassy corridor, soar above the pine forest providing fantastic climbing opportunities for all levels. This trip is held in the historic “Needles” of Custer State Park and National Park in South Dakota. Superb multi-pitch climbs and fun “gymnastic” sport routes are chosen to be commensurate with your abilities.
4:00 am - 2:00 pm (approximate)
Check back in 2009
$299 per person / 3 person minimum
Members receive a 10% discount
Combine the Needles and Devil’s Tower trips for $759 per person / 3 person minimum
Needles, Mt. Rushmore
The Needles is a truly magical place. A sea of granite spires, split by narrow grassy corridor, soar above the pine forest providing fantastic climbing opportunities for all levels. This trip is held in the historic “Needles” of Custer State Park and National Park in South Dakota. Superb multi-pitch climbs and fun “gymnastic” sport routes are chosen to be commensurate with your abilities.
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Check back in 2009
2 day program: $459 per person / 4 person minimum
Members receive a 10% discount
Combine the Needles and Devil’s Tower trips for $639 per person / 3 person minimum
Vertical Endeavors Top Rope Site Manager Course
The top rope site manager and instructor training course emphasizes the technical and educational skills necessary to safely and professionally instruct rock climbing and climbing related activities in a group setting. Any organization or individual who teaches top rope climbing or uses climbing as a medium for personal or social change should consider this course a tool for improved risk management and consider enrolling its climbing staff. For recreational climbers, this course is the important first step in the guide education process and establishes a foundation of skills, methods and decision making that will lead to becoming model climbing instructors.
Devil’s Lake, WI
7:00 am - 5:00 pm - rain or shine
Call 651.776.1430 for more information
$499 per person / 5 person minimum
Members receive a 10% discount
Rock Guides Seminar
The VEGA Guides Seminar is an in depth, hands on examination of guiding techniques for multi-pitch rock climbs. The course is five days in length and participants should be prepared for 8-10 hour days, rain or shine. Climbers must be confident and experienced in leading 5.8 multi-pitched traditional routes. The main focus of the seminar is on the ‘hard’ skills of belaying and rappelling, raising and lowering, rescue and escape techniques, rope management and short roping. However, often the most significant challenges a guide may face are client-care issues. Throughout the course, the ‘soft’ skills of appropriate demeanor, client assessment, affective communication, route selection, teaching methods, modeling and mentoring are addressed and discussed. The course culminates with a multi-pitch test climb. Students exchange roles as guides and clients and are presented with scenarios and situations to assess and solve. The students’ course performance is combined with the test climb and the instructor provides a written and verbal evaluation. The prevailing theme of the seminar is that a guide should be equipped with a deep working technical knowledge of climbing systems. In that way proper decisions can be made in regards to minimizing hazards while maximizing your clients’ needs and goals.
Guiding presents a unique opportunity to utilize the vertical arena to provide clients with adventure and education and can be a deeply rewarding vocation. Whether you aspire to guide professionally, or are interested in developing advanced skills that will greatly enhance your efficiency when taking friends on climbing trips, the VEGA Guides Seminar is a significant step towards that goal.
Black Hills/Devil’s Tower
8:00 am – 6:00 pm - rain or shine
Call 651.776.1430 for more information
$749 per person / 5 person minimum
Members receive a 10% discount
Winter Climbing Programs
Beat the winter blues while experiencing the thrill and challenge of ice climbing! Whether it is an introductory ice climbing lesson or a trip to a remote wilderness area, we promise that your experience will be unique, rewarding and one that should not be missed.
Ice Experience
Experience the thrill and challenge of ICE CLIMBING with Vertical Endeavors Guided Adventures (VEGA) at Robinson Quarry in Sandstone, MN.
Lesson content includes:
* Proper ice axe and crampon techniques
* Coaching from our experienced guides while you climb
*
Placement of ice screws for lead climbing
* Construction of ice anchors
* Leashless ice climbing techniques
* Dry tooling and mixed climbing techniques
No gear? No worry! VEGA provides all the technical equipment you will need. This course is great both as an introduction to ice climbing or to further your skills.
NOTE: Private lessons are available for groups or individuals upon request. VEGA also offers trips to the ice flows on the North Shore of Lake Superior and to the Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colorado.
Robinson Quarry Park (Sandstone, MN; 1.5 hours north of the Twin Cities)
2008/2009 Schedule
December 20
January 3
January 17
February 7
February 21
March 7
March 14
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$199 per person
Members receive a 10% discount
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