Rock Climbing
Climb high into the Rocky Mountains on a rock-climbing adventure! With guided top rope experiences for beginner and intermediate climbers, we’ll get your adrenaline pumping and get you high enough to enjoy unparalleled Colorado scenery.
Find your Colorado Rock Climbing Adventure
Find out what makes Colorado such an amazing rock-climbing location. All our rock climbing trips take place at our beautiful Buena Vista location, nestled in the Arkansas River Valley with views of the Collegiate Peaks mountain range. Our knowledgeable guides will take you through the basics from belaying to rappelling and setting anchors. Our beginner routes are the perfect place to try out your new skills, and for those with climbing experience, our intermediate routes will introduce you to more advanced techniques.What a Rock Climbing Adventure looks like
What to expect
On Your Rock Climbing Adventure
Our Guides, Your Safety
AVA is passionate about providing exceptional outdoor adventure experiences and guest service. We hold our guides to the highest standards of safety, professionalism, teamwork, and respect and ensure all guides are properly trained before their first day on the job. Our guides receive extensive training, exceeding industry standards, in belay and rappel techniques, emergency response, and safety equipment. We use only regularly inspected and tested gear, including harnesses, ropes, and carabiners. Our guides will provide a thorough overview before your rock climbing course and will lead an in-depth, on-the-ground safety orientation to ensure you're prepared for the adventure ahead, making sure to answer any questions you may have.
25 Years of AVA Adventure
For 25 years, AVA Rafting & Zipline has been dedicated to offering exceptional outdoor adventure experiences throughout Colorado. Our roots as a whitewater rafting company date to 1998, but we have since expanded to include a variety of thrilling activities, including our rock climbing course at Granite Gorge Cliffs. AVA is surrounded by vertical terrain in the Arkansas Valley, and we look forward to helping you explore it to the fullest. We offer one half-day rock climbing trip with lessons and several different guided climbing routes for beginner through intermediate climbers. Combine this half-day experience with a whitewater rafting or zipline adventure, and we will help you test your limits on the water and the air.
Your Rock Climbing Trip with AVA
Our rock climbing tour meets at our scenic Buena Vista Outpost and takes you high into the Granite Gorge Cliffs. All our climbs are top rope climbs, meaning, someone will keep the rope taut for you while you climb, and you will in turn use this technique to belay for them. When you reach the top of your climbing route, you will rappel down, pushing off from the rock and using the support of your rope to gently descend back to the ground. Your guides will determine which of our two convenient climbing routes at our Granite Gorge Cliffs location will be best for your group based on experience and skill level, as we offer courses for both beginners and intermediate climbers. We will provide all gear, including a harness, ropes, and helmet. AVA’s rock climbing trips will test your focus, teamwork, and sense of adventure. AVA provides family-friendly rock climbing that is sure to entertain children and adults alike. While younger kids will work out their energy scrambling up the rocks, adults and older children will appreciate some of the more technical aspects of climbing. Our climbing trips also make for great team-building excursions, as you learn to trust your climbing partners!
Our Adventure Tips
At AVA, trips will proceed even in adverse weather conditions, except in high winds or lightning. As Colorado weather can be unpredictable, we recommend dressing in layers and bringing a raincoat. For safety reasons, closed-toe shoes are required on all rock climbing trips, and comfortable, secure clothing is recommended. Loose clothing, skirts, short shorts, and jean shorts should be avoided, and long hair must be tied back. While you may bring a small backpack to carry water or extra layers, we advise leaving valuables like phones and wallets in your car to avoid loss. To ensure that all guests get the most out of their rock climbing experience, we ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled trip. Our rock climbing trips are family-friendly, and you do not need to have experience with rock climbing to take part in this adventure, but there are some physical capabilities necessary to traverse the routes. The adventure lasts around 3 hours, so be sure that you are physically capable of moving for that long. Please check before your rock climbing trip everyone in your party meets the age and weight requirements.
Why AVA?
AVA places the utmost importance on excellence in guest service, safety, and innovation and consistently seeks to prioritize sustainable recreation. The AVA team hopes that a rock climbing adventure will not only thrill and excite, but will instill a deeper appreciation for Colorado's outdoors and a passion to continue to explore every nook and cranny of our wildest places.
- 25 years in service
- Your safety is our job
- We set the bar high
- We have the trip for you
Can’t decide which adventure to choose?
Too many options? Not sure where to start? We know, it’s a lot to choose from! To narrow down the list to a handful of trips that are just right for you, try our Adventure Compass, below, which will provide a customized set of recommendations. Want a little extra bang for your buck? Try one of our adventure packages and combine Whitewater Rafting with Ziplining, a Via Ferrata, UTVs, or Rock Climbing. If you’re looking for something a little different, don’t worry, our Adventure Specialists can help you create your own custom adventure package!Explore the AVA Landscape
Find us across Colorado! Use our handy map to determine the activities convenient to your destination.Photo Packages and Retail
Once your adventure is complete, you will return to our outpost with your guides, where you can return your equipment and purchase souvenirs. Our guides work hard to provide an unforgettable experience, so if you had a great time, gratuities are much appreciated. We hope that your adventure with AVA becomes a highlight of your spring or summer and that we see you again soon!