Virginia Outdoor Center climbing instructors are also BSA Merit badge counselors. We have taken the BSA Merit badge requirements and put them in a format that we teach safely and effectively. Spend one night and two days learning the basics of rock climbing and rappelling with the trained guides and earn your way toward the BSA climbing merit badge. Camp at our facility, just down river from the climbing site. Daytime will be spent on the rocks and the evening will be time for classroom learning.

Our course will last for fifteen hours over two days. Two sessions will be outside on the Rappahannock Rocks, and an evening session will last for two hours in the classroom. During the two days, the scouts will be taught the Boy Scout merit badge curriculum. However, first aid will not be covered during our two-day course.

All participants should dress appropriately for the weather and for climbing. Below is a list of recommended equipment for the climbers to bring:

Equipment List

1. Comfortable Clothes: Your clothes should be comfortable enough to do a lot of moving in. Pants should be loose; sweats or tights or something that will allow you to step up high. Shorts should have long inseams so that they will stay under your harness. Lose fitting shirts or tank tops should be worn as well. All Clothing Will Get Dirty!
2. Shoes: Your shoes will have an affect on your climbing performance. For climbing, try to pick a pair that fits very tight. Running shoes are bad because they have such a wide foot platform for stability. A pair that has a snug fit and are able to get dirty are the best choice. You may want to bring an extra pair, more hiking boot style, to wear for the approach to the crag.
3. Food: Bring a lunch that you can hike in and eat at the crag, and a minimum of one quart of water - no glass please.
4. Personal Gear: Camera, Lip balm, Sun screen, Insect repellent, Sun glasses, or anything else you may want to have in your pack for a day out.
5. Warm Clothing: We do not teach climbing in the rain, but we do teach in the cool weather, so bring appropriate warm clothes In the event that the climate turns cold.

Session One: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

This day will be on the rocks learning about equipment and its care, knots, belaying technique, and climbing routes of varying difficulty. Lunch will be at the rocks and should be brought in a daypack.

Night Session: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (times flexible)

The classroom session will be spent learning how to coil, care for and store ropes and the Yosemite Decimal System of classifying climbing difficulty.

Session Two: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Session two will begin at the artificial rock wall at the Virginia Outdoor Center. We will use the artificial surface to review skills from the day before. We will then return to the Rappahannock Rocks to rappel and climb.

Class size: Minimum 8, Maximum 12

Cost:

$110 per person Weekend
$95 per person Weekdays