Rock Climbing Instruction & Guiding

Rock climbing is one of those rare activities where the learning never really ends. A first-time climber stepping onto granite in Acadia and a seasoned trad leader working through a crux on Katahdin are engaged in the same fundamental pursuit – reading terrain, managing risk, building trust in their skills and their partners. Acadia Mountain Guides has been guiding people through every stage of that progression since 1994.

Starting out

A first day on the rock with AMG covers more ground than most people expect. You’ll get comfortable with the equipment, learn to move on rock, take your first rappel, and – in a full-day session – begin learning to belay. We build sessions around keeping everyone active. If you’re coming with family, a group, or a partner who climbs at a different level, we know how to keep the day rewarding for everyone.

Building real skills

Once the basics are solid, climbing opens up considerably. Multi-day instruction with AMG is where most climbers make their biggest leaps – learning to build anchors, developing lead climbing skills, understanding gear placement, and eventually taking on multi-pitch routes. We design each curriculum around the individual. Tell us where you are and what you want to work toward, and we’ll map out a program that gets you there.

The depth of instruction here comes from a long history of thinking seriously about how climbing is taught. AMG founder Jon Tierney developed the original curriculum for what became the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor program – the national standard for climbing instruction – and led that program from 1997 to 2007. More than thirty guides who have trained with Jon have gone on to earn AMGA or PCIA certifications, including eight IFMGA Mountain Guides. That experience informs how every session at AMG is designed and delivered.

Advanced skills and guiding partnerships

Climbers who are comfortable leading and want to push further – into self-rescue, aid climbing, complex anchor systems, or simply harder and more committing terrain – can design multi-day programs around specific goals. If you’re an experienced climber looking for a knowledgeable partner on the routes rather than a formal lesson, we can do that too. Our guides have climbed extensively in Acadia, at Clifton, throughout the White Mountains, and well beyond New England.

Groups

Hundreds of scout troops, school groups, camps, and other organizations have climbed with AMG. We run group days differently than most – participants belay, rappel, and engage with the full experience rather than waiting in line for a single top-rope lap. Group programs are available at Acadia, Clifton, Camden, and across central and northern Maine and New Hampshire.

Reservations can be made by using our Book Now button above and below. 
4 or 7 hours sessions available for Acadia National Park.
7 hour sessions available for regions beyond ANP. Call or email for details.