climber on rock face

Climbing and Bouldering

Lessons and skill-building courses

Start with beginner lessons and progress as your skills develop. Our experienced instructors teach adults and children year-round.

Our 13m indoor climbing wall features moulded concrete panels embedded with quartzite holds, texture, cracks, and chimneys. It was designed to learn/practice leading on gear, anchor building, rappelling, rock rescue and crevasse rescue. 
The bouldering wall in the basement of the Kinesiology A block was revamped in 2019 and 2023 with recommendations and feedback from the local climbing community.

climber and belayer at crag

Rock Climbing

Explore the vertical world this summer with our rock programs. Whether you have indoor climbing experience of not, you can take a one-day intro and learn new skills from our experienced and certified instructors. For those with experience, advanced options include lead and alpine climbing programs.

Spend a day with us and spark a lifelong passion! Learn skills and stay safe under the guidance of our ACMG-certified instructors at a local crag.
Prerequisite: none

View offerings and register for Rock Climbing Intro

Ready to take your lead skills onto the rock? This 1-day course will cover guidebook interpretation, route selection and grades, protection, ropework, belays, and rappelling, as well as climbing movement and technique. Learn to lead climb with confidence on our local crags.
Prerequisite: Intro to Lead Climbing (Indoor) or equivalent lead experience

View offerings and register for Lead Climbing Intro

This 2-day course introduces fundamental trad climbing skills including equipment options, gear placement, anchors, and leading strategies. Plenty of practice with top-rope and supervised leads will help you develop the skills to safely lead single-pitch trad climbs of your own. The content taught in this course carries over to sport, crack, alpine, and ice climbing for future growth.
Prerequisite: Lead Climbing Intro (Outdoor) or equivalent lead rock climbing experience

View offerings and register for Intro to Trad Weekend

climber on indoor wall

Indoor (Wall) Climbing

Learn to climb on our 13m concrete wall - perfect for building skills that transfer to the outdoors. Start with our Indoor Intro and then continue to learn lead climbing skills and more.

Get hooked on climbing in this 2.5-hour lesson that teaches all the skills required to pass a top-rope belay test at any facility in the city. 
Prerequisite: none

View offerings and register for Indoor Climbing Intro

Building on your strong foundation of top-roping climbing and belaying skills, take your climbing to the next level by learning the skills and knowledge required to pass a lead belay test at city gyms. This 2.5-hour course is a great intro to indoor lead climbing to change up your gym time, and a good base for an outdoor lead course.
Prerequisite: strong top-rope climbing (5.10-) and belaying skills

View offerings and register for Intro Lead Climbing

child climbing on indoor wall

Youth Climbing

Let your kids climb our walls!
Our experienced climbing instructors offer progressive skill-building series to children aged 4-17 on our climbing and bouldering walls. No experience required.
Multi-week series are offered Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings.

This play-based program introduces young climbers to the vertical world, focusing on confidence-building and physical literacy. Participants will develop essential skills through bouldering activities and games in a safe and fun environment as well as some excursions to the roped wall with instructors belaying.

View offerings and register for Geckos

This beginner climbing series is designed to ignite excitement for being active and discovering new heights. The program introduces bouldering and top-rope climbing skills in a supportive, play-based environment for children aged 7-11. Participants will learn to climb, belay, and explore their limits in a safe and structured setting.

View offerings and register for Mountain Kids

This exciting, progressive series for youth aged 12-17 will teach fundamental climbing skills and belaying techniques with lots of practice. Develop body awareness, coordination, and strength while having a blast in these weekly session. No previous experience required.

View offerings and register for Youth Climbing Club

Ready to climb on your own? Check out the facility information page for indoor climbing and bouldering walls

Questions? Contact:

Rock Climbing

Brad Cooke
Mountain Program Coordinator
ocprograms@ucalgary.ca

Wall Climbing

Sam Mazerolle
Climbing Program Coordinator
ocprograms@ucalgary.ca

Youth Climbing

Lauren Chown
Youth Program Coordinator
outkids@ucalgary.ca