Everything was great from booking the half day to the climbing. Clay was our instructor and was…read moregreat. He is a great guide and coach. I would recommend Ground Up for anyone who is new to climbing and wants a fun day outdoors. I took my 11 year old son and he had a blast. If we come back to Mammoth I will be booking another climbing adventure with Ground Up.

Just had an Amazing weekend in Alabama Hills, Lone Pine CA!! Ground Up programs are a great way to…read moreget outside & climb. Clay is very knowledgeable & experienced (not to mention easy going guy). He made our weekend sooo much fun & educational. I can't wait to climb w/ Ground Up(Clay) this summer in Mammoth!!!

Amazing. Climb…read more Probably one of the best multi-pitch rock climbs I have ever done. We started very late and ended up going down in the dark. I don't recommend this for one main reason: The descent is not straight-forward by headlamp. I found the description from SuperTopo to be a bit confusing, so here's my description (in case you don't heed my advice and try to roll this sucker late in the day): You are going to want to down-climb the last 10-15 ft of the summit pinnacle. The section you JUST climbed up to reach the tiny summit. Down-lead this (or better yet, just leave your pro in from the ascent) and build an anchor at the base. (I know this seems like a stupidly short "pitch" to build an anchor for, but, TRUST ME. The rope drag is heinous if you try to go around the corner and then anchor-in.) Then do a running belay/simul-climb around the corner (you are now going AWAY from the face you just climbed up). Once around the corner, go slightly right (skier's right). Once you've done this, just keep going left and down, gradually, on easy 3rd class terrain (we took the rope off at this point). When it starts to look easy to go right, traverse right until you pop out on the other side of the mountain. You'll probably do some minor bush-whacking, just try to keep hopping on those big granite boulders! The SuperTopo seems to say that you hook back right a lot sooner (after going down-left), the terrain there looked like very run-out/, 5th class slab (read: skeery), so we did not do this. OK, now that we've talked about the boring part (getting down), let's talk about the FUN part: climbing up. It's 5 pitches of 5.6-5.7 on glorious granite with ample spots for pro. You can run it out with ease, knowing there is always going to be a place to get your nuts in. This is the complete opposite of "Snake Dike" on Half Dome in that regard. We did the far-left (climber's left) variation. I think it's variation "A" in the guide book. We decided to simul-climb the first two pitches, this was a good call. The beginning of pitch 1 is very easy (low-5th and even 4th class) by the time it gets more difficult, the leader will already be at the 2nd anchor and the second can be belayed up. If you're a strong climber you could even keep going and link all three of the first pitches! Every pitch is fun, with great moves and great positioning. I'd make sure you are not wearing a pack or gear sling for the start of pitch 4, as the chimney is kinda tight in the beginning. Or maybe I'm just getting fat? I lead the last two pitches by headlamp, a new experience, and shockingly more fun that scary. If you do this, I'd start either insanely early or insanely late, in order to avoid the crowds. Have fun!

Cathedral Peak is arguably the most beautiful peak in Yosemite National Park. Despite its beauty,…read moreand despite the fact that the trailhead is at the edge of Tioga Road and easy to find, there are no crowds. During my hike on this 7 mile round-trip trail, I encountered, at most, only twenty other hikers. The trail is an easy hike for adults and for little kids. There are no cliffs near this trail. This means that, unlike some of the trails leading to or from Hawkins Peak at Pinnacles National Park and unlike the fabled Kalalau Trail in Kauai, there is no danger rocks falling from above, and no need to worry about tumbling over the edge of any cliff. Once you have reached the 3 1/2 mile mark, you will be rewarded with a splendid view of Cathedral Peak, which is photogenic from any angle, and which provides a variety of photogenic rewards at different times of day. Near Cathedral Peak is a meadow with little streams, and orange-colored bedrock near one of the streams. Also in this area, is an exposed granite dome, similar to nearby Lambert Dome. My photographs show: (1) Me posing on a granite dome located next to a meadow. This meadow is just to the south of Cathedral Peak, (2) The trail marker sign next to Tioga Road, (3) The orange-colored exposed bedrock, and (4) Two photographs of a little stream that winds its way through a meadow, with Cathedral Peak in the distance.

I came to MetalMark Climb & Fitness last week during a week long trip in Fresno and had an absolute…read moreblast! I haven't climbed since 2014 but was luckily was able to shake off the rust fairly quickly. It was a Wednesday so there wasn't much of a crowd at all. It almost felt like we had the place entirely to ourselves! I'd like to take a moment to shoutout their amazing staff. I'm currently drawing a blank on her name and since she kindly wore a mask for the safety of her customers, I'm having a hard time deciphering between two staff members from their website. So Sienna or Caroline, you absolutely rock (no pun intended)!!! My fingers were starting to become very sensitive as I didn't bring my own chalk. When I requested to purchase some, she handed me a pouch that was well, chalk full of chalk, for no charge! It saved my hands and allowed me to climb for at least another hour and change. If the people in my group weren't getting hangry, I could have spent the entire day there!

Some of the people who work at the front desk tend to be on the younger side and lack basic social…read moreskills when interacting with people who come into the gym. It can feel like people are just there to hang out and do not give a welcoming experience in the gym. Juun in particular is pretty standoffish.

16-17 pitches of Granite?…read more 5 minutes from your car? Right next to a hotel with plumbing and food (and coffee, and beer)? No one pitch on this route is great, but the route in its entirety is really something special. It's a great line to work out your multi-pitch skills. Despite looking like a convoluted route in all the topos, it's surprisingly intuitive while you're climbing it. The rappels going down though. Ugh. So much rap. So tired. Want beer at car.

Overall, It was a great experience. Very comforting to have everything sorted and just focus on the…read moremovement. The weather was great. Almost too hot but better than too much snow. Our guide, Dave was EXCELLENT. Social, made great food, and paced us very well. We all had a wonderful time!

What a fantastic trip put together for us by the Sierra Mountain Center. From the start Emma was…read morefantastic and professional in the coordination efforts for our Palisade Traverse trip. My son and I had a 1:1 guide ratio and the guides, Dave Stimson and Tyler Logan, were exceptional. Exceptional in their knowledge of the route, their efficiency with rope craft and their trailside manner - despite the exhausting climb we had such a fun time. We are already planning next year's outing with SMC. You can see a video of the trip here: https://theearthbeneathyourfeet.com/Hikes/HikeDetails/5574743739453848794f31484538675743512b3472513d3d

Glacial erratic boulders for the win. We had no idea how gigantic and mind-blowing these boulders…read morewould be before heading out on an unpaved road to see the sights in Buttermilk Country in the East Sierras (so named because there was a dairy in this location many decades ago). The boulders are scattered as if a giant had thrown down his marbles and left them where they lay. Glacial activity, however, is responsible for leaving these most scenic reminders of the Ice Age. Now I had never heard of the sport of "bouldering" before visiting here (I am so old we called it climbing on rocks) but apparently it is all the rage. We came across small groups of "boulderers" who bring out chalk and crash pads to help them "send" (short for ascend) to the top. (I was going to say peak but most boulders really can't be said to have a peak, unless they split in two as you can see in the pictures.) Apparently bouldering is all the rage but this is also the perfect spot for hiking and photography. Free parking on the side of the road. Four-wheel drive suggested as the unpaved road can be rough.

If you're a boulderer, then this is definitely a place to check out. Road tripped out here w/ my…read moreman and a couple friends. It was HOT out there but all worth it. If you're bold, you can go up some high balls! Very scenic & beautiful. Bring tons of water & be ready to climb some boulders. Loved it!

I recently returned from a 7-day IAG backpacking trip to summit Mount Whitney in the High Sierra in…read moreCalifornia, my first trip with this company. The scenery was beautiful and our guide was very good. That said, based on my experience, I personally would not choose to use this company again. I am an avid backpacker and trekker and have had very positive experiences with other backpacking and trekking companies over many years, so my expectations were based on those past experiences. On this trip, I noticed a few issues, including some around food and sanitation that I also saw mentioned in other reviews. For me, the most significant concern had to do with how health, safety, and communication were handled. These were matters that left me feeling uncomfortable. I raised my concerns directly with the company's owners and we had lengthy discussions by phone and email. Ultimately, we had different perspectives and did not come to agreement. I'm sharing this review to reflect my own experience and in case it may be helpful to others considering a trip with this company.

These folks may provide a great service when everything goes as planned, but don't count on IAG to…read moretreat you fairly or follow through on their promises if something goes wrong. I had a medical emergency two days before I was scheduled with IAG. I knew the contract I signed had a strict no-cancelation policy, so I prepared to attend while in recovery from emergency surgery. But I got lucky: when I contacted IAG about my physical discomfort, I learned someone wanted to take my spot! Two different employees at IAG informed me (one in writing, one via voicemail) that because they had someone lined up to replace me they would be able to issue me a refund that day. Several days later, when the refund still hadn't cleared my bank, I reached out to follow up. Only then did IAG inform me that they had decided to stick with the contract and deny me a refund. They made this decision without informing me--and without giving me an opportunity to adapt my plans and receive the service I paid for. I've sent several polite emails to IAG to seek resolution. IAG has taken every possible path (explaining how their business model works, reminding me of their service to the outdoors community, recommending I purchase travel insurance next time, telling me I'm ruining the possibility they will assist future clients in similar circumstances) except the ethical one, which is simply to give me the refund they said they would. Last week (5/30), I sent IAG my voicemail transcripts and documentation of their agreement in writing to refund me in full. I made it clear I intend to contest these charges with my bank and the BBB. Today (6/4), IAG agreed to issue me a partial refund ($117 out of roughly $375), but state they will not refund me fully unless THEY get reimbursed from a third party. I'm disheartened that a local, outdoors-focused business would rather fight, gaslight, and stall than do the right thing. Bottom line: Based on my experience, I would not trust this company to treat you well if your adventure includes an accident, injury, or any other unforeseen circumstances. Expect them to communicate poorly, protect themselves first, use loopholes to duck responsibility for their actions, and shame/blame you for self-advocating. Proceed with caution. UPDATE: As of 6/10, IAG is agreeing to refund me in full provided I cancel the chargeback I made through my bank (IAG states that their credit card processor will not allow them to refund me as long as the chargeback remains open). My bank has rightly pointed out that if/when I cancel the chargeback I will lose the ability to self-advocate if there are further complications with the refund. It's a catch-22 that could have been avoided if IAG simply issued the refund on 5/16, when they said they would! At present, I am still working toward resolution with IAG. - P.S. IAG may respond to this review. I won't engage with them here, but I recommend potential customers read through IAG's responses on other low reviews and note the patterns of outright denial and blaming their clients. If you choose to work with this business, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

Aaron was an awesome and patient teacher. My kids had a great time learning the ropes (ha). Aaron…read morestarted and ended the day with the same excitement and enthusiasm

Quite simply, the best. While I know the focus may be more on climbing, Aaron taught me the…read morerequisite skills for self-arrest/glissading as well as crampon usage/techniques. Personable, patient and engaging, best guide I've seen in any field. Played a big part in helping me successfully summit Whitney the following day. Thanks!

Amazing experience with knowledge instructors. Great climbing location! Friendly and helpful…read morestaff during the booking process. Even helped us get accommodations nearby. Would totally do it again!!

Spent three days climbing with guides from Yosemite Mountaineering School. I'm sure all the guides…read moreare spectacular, but I can personally recommend Chase and Jake. Highly professional, impressively safe, and personable, not to mentioned astonishingly strong climbers. Chase and I spent a day cragging gearing up for a run up Half Dome's southwest face via Snake Dike. The end of our 12 hours together had much less talking, but Chase helped make the 6+ mile hike in much more enjoyable (as much as it could be of course) passing the time with fun stories and fun facts. We told some jokes, saw some nature, passed some hikers, and were first on the crag, setting us up for an awesome day! Jake and I climbed the 1100-foot East Buttress of Middle Cathedral and when my foot slipped while scaling a lie back crack and my life flashed before my eyes, I felt the rope tighten and stopped safely (only falling 6 or 8 feet of the 800 feet we had climbed thus far). Awesome day with Jake! Both Chase and Jake were excellent on meeting me where I was in my climbing ability, being a confident 5.10 leader, able to climb middle 5.11 but without much experience on Yosemite's granite I had a few tricks to learn to be successful. I highly highly highly recommend YMS to anyone new to the valley or wanting to safely experience what Yosemite has to offer!

Highly reccommend! Hired Robert to get from Independence CA to a Mammoth Lakes Trailhead, so I…read morecould complete my John Muir Trail hike last August. Traveling as a solo woman. Good clear communication. On time. Clean car. Great guy. I'll be scheduling with him for future one-way hikes in the Eastern Sierra as needed!

I highly recommend Robert's Sierra Shuttle Service. Easy to communicate with; easy payment;…read morehelpful, friendly and professional. He arrived on time-even early, and got me safely to my backpack start location.