Really nice owners and staff. Great and affordable gym for learning how to climb / boulder with a good vibe to boot.

Olivia and the rest of the staff are so kind and welcoming! My partner and I have gone three weeks in a row now as beginner climbers. I wish I could add extra stars for the cute doggos running around. Highly recommend going! read more

We had our daughter birthday party here and everyone had a great time! They are very attentive and make sure everyone has what they need and is having a good time! The private space at the top is a perfect place to enjoy your snacks or lunch and cake! read more

Petra Cliffs is a great place for climbers of all levels! The staff is phenomenal, so welcoming and helpful. They are very diligent about ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all and take Covid precautions seriously. My daughter has done a few of the camps and she really loves it. I highly recommend Petra Cliffs! read more

Awesome experience! Evan was very knowledgeable and catered to our wants and needs for the day. He offered a good balance of teaching and climbing and picked routes that were good for our skill level! read more

Purchased and anchor building clinic with Tim Farr, amazing. Been out climbing and building anchors for a few years now, but Tim's clinic taught me so much more than I was ever going to pick up from friends or Google. I feel safer, more competent than ever at the Crag! Highly recommended him and Petra Cliffs. read more

Simply the best guides in VT. I had the most incredible adventure with today with Zack ice climbing even though the weather was a bit rough in the morning with some cold rain. I already told 3 friends what a great time I had and can't wait to review the video and photos once I thaw out. As I told Zack it was tough for me to be expressively grateful on the mountain cause I was trying to focus on all of the technique and safety tips/protocols but I finally got a chance to process the trip and reflect on it. The older I get the more I realize the experiences are what matter in life and this adventure of being guided/lead by Petra will always be remembered. I feel extremely fortunate to be supported by him and your organization. His expertise, character, focus on safety, chill demeanor, patience, and leadership make adventures like today totally magical. He is extremely efficient at all of the administrative safety work (ropes, anchors, etc.) allowing me to spend much more time climbing and less standing around waiting. Even when we were waiting he was talking about the knots he was tying, explaining the rock structures, or history of alpinism techniques with crampons. Thank you again! read more

Petra Cliffs Climbing Center - Climbing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I had my first experience with Rock Climbing two weeks ago at Petra Cliffs. I showed up on a Monday afternoon and asked for the super basic info session that they have listed on their website for $25. I couldn't believe how patient Andrea was with me (a not very athletic 43 year old woman with WAY too many questions) and how much I learned in such a short time. It was AMAZING to climb up my first wall and terrifying to let go and trust the equipment to bring me back to earth safely. I enjoyed it so much that I booked a group climb for my son and his friends the next week. He is just as hooked and I am looking forward to going with him and getting to belay him on the rock walls - it seems like a really great way to bond with an insanely active little boy. I'll be back many times. Thank you Andrea for helping me do something that scared the bejesus out of me and that will make my life just a little more interesting and fun. read more

Petra Cliffs was my first home gym. I loved climbing there. The air filtration system is a big negative (it's super chalky-- especially during the winter when all the windows are closed). But it's a great first place to climb. The staff is helpful and not snobby. The women's climbing class is great. Not only did I learn to climb there but I met a great core group of 20-something women who became not only a great climbing support team, but also some of my best post-collegiate friends. Ara, if she's still there, is the best instructor I've had. She knows when to push and when to be lenient. Through her instruction I accomplished much more than I thought I was capable of. read more

This is only a review of the indoor climbing facilities at Petra Cliffs -- I've never used any of their other services. It's a solidly 3-star place: it's quite big and has a lot of routes, some more fun than others. However, my climbing partner noticed that some of the routes are really height un-agnostic -- I'm 5'2", and moves that should have been reasonable for typically taller Vermont locals were far trickier for me. The features of this place's walls are kinda blah, though -- only a couple of straight overhangs and a few more interesting set-ups. I've been really into practicing my chimney-ing skills lately (I've been climbing for a year but only JUST did a bunch of fun chimney-ing routes at MetroRock in Boston...!), but there wasn't really a place for me to do that on the wall that I noticed. Note that there's also a fairly large bouldering cave here. I'm not into bouldering, though, so I can't review it. I suspect this place would be more awesome if it weren't in Burlington -- but HELLO, it's Vermont, there's a ton of mountains to climb. So the indoors place probably pales in comparison to the real thing because people who are really demanding are probably climbing outside. I know, however, that this place would DEFINITELY be more awesome if they opened up the challenge course that's suspended from the ceiling to adults instead of limiting it to under-12s. It would be so fun! Oh yeah, this place is really kid-friendly, so go ahead and bring your kids. It's set up to be very accessible for beginners -- they use Gri-Gris as belay devices, and you can just hook the climbing knots into your belay loop. read more

Did a half-day, private, guided outdoor climb with Petra Cliffs with my partner and it was a highlight of our summer in Burlington. Owner/guide Andrea is a super-knowledgeable guide and climber, and just a pleasure to hang out with on the rocks. We hadn't been to the rock gym in over a year so we were quite out of practice (and a little out of shape) and Andrea made sure we had a blast with climbs that were the right challenge for our skill level. It was also neat learning a little about the climbing culture in the area - the history of the cliffs she took us to and the work the Vermont climbing association does to support climbing in the state. We had a bit of a hard time initially getting the trip scheduled because it's a small business and with COVID everything's kind of in flux, so if you reach out to schedule something and don't hear back, persevere! You'll be glad you did :-) read more

Evan is an outstanding guide. Professional, personable and prioritizes safety. If you're looking to get into climbing or need a guide for the day do not hesitate to book a trip with Evan. read more

Petra Cliffs is great. I go here several times a week. It's one of the larger climbing gyms I've seen with lots of space for top-roping and a separate boulder area. Routes are changed pretty frequently, so even if you climb here a lot it stays interesting. Day passes are slightly pricey, but if you get a 10-punch card it's a decent amount cheaper. They have student discounts too. And they offer monthly, semi-annual and annual memberships, which make it even cheaper. When to go: Avoid coming between 5 and 8 on weekdays. That's the most crowded it gets. Other than that pretty much any time is good. Happy Climbing! read more

Great place for the complete beginner (such as myself) to advanced climbers looking for a great workout! Friendly knowledgeable staff! read more

Petra Cliffs Climbing Center - Petra Cliffs Climbing Gym - Climbing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Ice climbing. Check. Had a great time learning to ice climb this past winter with Petra Cliffs. The instructor was so knowledgeable and shared his experiences/stories with us, felt like a buddy and we fully trusted him. As for the ice climbing itself, it's terrifying, challenging and fun at the same time. What a rush. You definitely need some core muscles and strength for this activity, just to kick your crampons into the ice was a huge challenge. I knew I had no forearm muscles, but this experience confirmed it. Towards the end of the day, I couldn't even lift up the axe to drive it into the ice. Remember to wear goggles/sunglasses to protect your eyes because the ice chips off and splatters everywhere! Loved the one time experience and am in awe of those who do this professionally and recreationally. Thanks Petra Cliffs. read more

Took Ice Climbing I & II this past weekend. I signed up alone and they only had one other climber but Petra Cliffs still took us up and we had a great weekend. Saturday was more focused on learning technique and climbing 2 basic walls (30ft and 60ft). Sunday was a much more rewarding climb (~250 or 300ft I was told). As a beginner I always felt safe and comfortable while at the same time being pushed to max of my ability. Andrea was our guide and she was both extremely professional and a pleasure to hangout with over the weekend. I will be calling them next winter when I hope to try Ice Climbing again. read more

My kids love summer camp and Friday night kids club. My son has attended summer camp when he was age 7 and 9 and has decided that he is going to become a camp counselor when he is older. My daughter, age 5, has attended a summer mini-session and Friday night kids club. She received one on one attention, made friends, climbed to her hearts content and came home happy. read more

The staff was super nice and climbing was great! There seem to be a lot of pretty advanced regulars, but I also didn't feel too out of place going for fun with a friend as an inexperienced climber read more

Took the family for a few hours of fun out of the cold. Was really surprised that you do all of the climbing on your own! Don't get me wrong, we received a good amount of instruction prior to our starting to climb, but didn't think they would have so much faith in a bunch of rank amateurs like us. Needless to say everything went fine,. This place is fun for all ages. Whatever you wear, make sure it's comfortable and don't mind it getting dirty as the place really is very dusty, gritty, etc. Don't think the floors ever get washed. I would go back. read more

Took our 6.5 year old twins there on a rainy day. It was awesome. The staff was super helpful. Taught us how to use all the ropes and harnesses. We had a blast and the boys were super tired at the end. Great place. Can't wait to visit again soon!! read more

Not sure why this review was filtered last time: Great atmosphere, very friendly crowd of climbers, staff is helpful and nice, but the climbing is well...okay. It's a fairly small gym (8500 sq/ft) with a couple cool features and a long traversing roof (with usually only one route on it). Most of the routes are sub5.11, it's definitely targeted to more of a beginner crowd. Really the biggest turnoff is the price of a membership ($73/month) which makes it the most expensive commercial gym I have ever been too (and the smallest). So why is it popular, why do I go there? Well simply because the only other gym in Vermont is over an hour away, so chances are you are going to have to go here anyway. read more

We take a group of 30-40 adults to Petra Cliffs every year (scheduling it very far in advance of course). They have always been very prepared, welcoming and helpful to our group. I feel very safe with my group under their instruction. We come with our group back year after year and it is always a big hit! read more

Had my first experience at Petra Cliffs last week. I decided to jump in and get a beginner's lesson to learn some basics and see if climbing is something I would take to. I loved it! Wish I started sooner. Lauren was a great instructor, and coached me through all of the routes. I even got to try bouldering. It was a blast and I will definitely be back. read more

Took a couple colleagues to Petra for the first time and had a blast. Great instruction and a great way to be active!

Petra is a great spot to learn to climb and make friends. I started going with about 3 or 4 friends and we all quickly branched out and started talking to anybody giving and taking advice with climbers of all skill levels. The facility is large but parking is limited. Really fun and the prices don't hurt too much - especially if you get a month or find a deal on livingsocial.com or vermontopia.com. I can't say enough good things about the people there - that's really what it's all about. Beginners won't feel intimidated at all as long as you're really trying. fun fun fun! read more

Great atmosphere, very friendly crowd of climbers, staff is helpful and nice, but the climbing is well...okay. It's a fairly small gym (8500 sq/ft) with a couple cool features and a long traversing roof (with only one route on it). Most of the routes are sub5.11, it's definitely targeted to more of a beginner crowd. Really the biggest turnoff is the price of a membership ($73/month) which makes it the most expensive commercial gym I have ever been too (and the smallest). So why is it popular, why do I go there? Well simply because the only other gym in Vermont is over an hour away, so chances are you are going to have to go here anyway. read more

Petra clliffa is a pretty good climbing gym. Great prices quite a few walls and big bouldering cave. It's good for groups and kids. The only complaint I have isthat they don't have manual belay device, just confusing auto ones which are hard to control read more