TIME TO CLIMB: Midwest Mountain Guides Offers Guided Rock Climbing Courses
it's never been easier to get into mountain climbing in Wisconsin and Minnesota
If you’ve ever seen someone rock climbing and thought, “That looks fun, but I could never do something like that,” – think again. Midwest Mountain Guides is a locally owned and operated climbing guide service aimed to make rock climbing accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try.
Owner Al Wiberg took over the company eight years ago, wanting to combine his love for climbing with his love for teaching and mentoring. He and his family live in Chippewa Falls, but he travels all over the country teaching others how to climb as well as helping to certify other climbing instructors.
Midwest Mountain Guides offers professional rock climbing instruction from certified guides for people of all abilities. If you’re just getting started, their introduction classes will teach basic knots, equipment understanding, safety, climbing movement, rope handling, and more. Their intermediate courses allow you to build on your beginner skills and takes you on more challenging routes. They also offer courses for ice climbing and anchoring.
“I always hear when I talk to people, ‘Oh, I’m just I’m too old for that,’ or ‘I’m not in shape for that.’ That is not really true, because to be honest, climbing has nothing to do with strength,” Wiberg said. “It’s all about being out there and having fun. It’s about being with your family and being with your friends and trying something new. We custom design all of our programs to meet the goals of the individual, so if someone is brand new to climbing or maybe has some of those fears and anxieties, we set up things so that they’re going to be successful.”
Each climb is about six hours long, from 9-3pm or 10-4pm, and includes the required equipment, though bringing your own equipment is encouraged. Classes mostly take place in Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls and Taylors Falls, MN (both only an hour and a half from Eau Claire), Devils Lake State Park, and Tettegouche State Park.
Most recently, Midwest Mountain Guides has added a course just for kids, split into two age ranges, 10-13 and 14-17. These climbs are broken into four sessions and are only for a half day each session, but allow for the same hands-on educational experience as the adult classes.
“This is another great opportunity for kids who don’t really like a lot of the big team sports,” Wiberg said. “They’re still going to be around other kids and it’s a great way to get into the sport.”
Each guide that works with Midwest Mountain Guides is a wilderness first responder as well as a certified instructor through the Professional Climbing Instructor Association (PCIA). This certification includes 40 hours of instruction, six months to one year of skill practicing, and then taking an all-day assessment which includes leading a group of novice climbers.
Not only are all the guides with Midwest Mountain Guides competent and passionate about climbing, but they also care about knocking down barriers people may have when it comes to getting started. Guides customize each climb to the needs and goals of the person or group, and offer specialized classes for WTF (women, trans, femme) people who may feel more comfortable learning together.
“Seeing that excitement in their eyes when they reach the top of a climb they never thought they could do, I mean I’ve seen people in tears. That’s the most rewarding thing,” Wiberg said.
It’s never been easier to give climbing a try, with guides that not only make the experience educational and safe, but allow for the maximum amount of fun.
You can learn more about Midwest Mountain Guides and see their full course offerings and events calendar at midwestmountainguides.com or by calling 715-226-0723.
Midwest Mountain Guides
Phone: (715) 226-0723
Online: midwestmountainguides.com • Facebook • Instagram
