Frequently Asked Questions

• Comfortable, athletic clothing Typically synthetic clothing is best as it dries quickly after getting wet from sweat or rain! A rain jacket is always a good idea since afternoon thunderstorms are common in the mountains.

• A good pair of hiking shoes is highly recommended. Please make sure your shoes are close-toed and do not hike in open-toed sandals (and yes, that includes chacos!). 

• Plenty of food and water for the day. Typically about 2 liters of water per person is best.

Short answer is, likely not. Check out this link for info on how to poop outside! 

• Leave No Trace

• Extra tips: Confessions of a First Time Cathole Digger

YES! Rock climbing is not all about doing pull ups. Most of it is footwork and pushing yourself up the wall with your legs. Your arms will mostly be just supporting your balance and enhancing your footwork. A lot of the more popular climbing areas in the southeast contain a lot of “slab” climbing, which requires much more foot work than upper body strength.

Pisgah National Forest is considered a Temperate Rain Forest, which basically means it rains a lot around here! Most forecasts in the summertime will predict afternoon thunderstorms, but that doesn’t always mean you will get rained on! The only way to know if it’s actually raining in the forest is to actually go there and see for yourself. Sometimes it’s just a quick shower and sometimes it gets pretty intense. If a storm gets too dangerous, we will end the day early. But if we just get a short rain shower, typically we will keep going. The granite rock is very durable and is still climbable even a little wet!

Since we are considered a part of the service industry, it is customary to tip guides. However, it is not required or expected! Guides take on a lot of risk, as well as commit a lot of time and effort to provide you with the best experience possible. Gratuity is a great way to show them your appreciation! 20-25% is standard in the United States.

We strongly recommend the purchase of trip insurance to protect your climbing trip investment in the event of unusual circumstances, injury, or illness that prevent the start or completion of your climb/course. Trip insurance is available from many insurance providers as well as specialized travel insurance companies such as TravelEx.