My very first outdoor climbing adventure happened through Stoked Adventures... in Joshua Tree! Talk about a world-class experience... climbing in this landscape was truly transformative.
I've climbed at a gym only twice before my time with Stoked Adv., and those two times were spread over the course of two-three years. Since then, I'd been curious about climbing, but never pursued it.
With my lack experience going into JTree to meet my Stoked Adv. guide, Jake, I put my entire trust in learning "the ropes" through his instruction. I was a totally fresh, inexperienced, and uneducated climber when we met, but by the end of my three-day course with Jake, I not only gained a wealth of knowledge in climbing technique, gear, and safety, but I also embraced a love and intrigue in the sport!
I was beyond STOKED. (pun absolutely intended)
I'd always preferred the mountains over the desert as a destination for the outdoors; my appreciation for the desert changed INSTANTLY because of my time spent climbing with Jake's guidance in JTree. He helped me connect with the land in a truly unique way, with views of the Park from the tops of rocks I'd otherwise never seen before.
Since my experience with Stoked Adventures, I've taken on climbing regularly, it added to the ways I play outside, and began building a new community that enriched my quality of life. Jake and I now remain friends from that first meeting, and for that, I'm sincerely and eternally grateful. read more