Getting Started

Q: My child is interested in learning to climb. Where should they start?

A: We recommend new climbers start with one of our camps—either a Summer Camp or After School Camp. Our camps are for kids who have no climbing experience or are looking to return to climbing. Campers will learn the fundamentals of climbing, including climbing safety, etiquette, how to belay (rope gyms only), bouldering, and much more.

Maybe your child is looking for a smaller taste of climbing? We also offer one-hour private lessons for all ages and ICC for those 14+. Parents are encouraged to take an ICC to belay kids on their own time before signing up for any of our programs. (Camp ages, days, and time vary per gym.)

This program does not include a gym membership.

 

Camps

Q: What is the difference between your Summer Camps and After School Camps?

A: The main difference between our camps is how often they meet! Otherwise, campers will learn the same material.** 

  • Summer Camps (June – August)
    • Athletes meet M-F for 3 or 4 hours a day (hours vary per gym) in the morning starting at 9am
    • ** BIW is the only gym that provides an outdoor day (at Indian Rock)
  • After School Camps (August – May)
    • Athletes meet once a week, 2 hours a session for a total of 8 weeks
    • Our after school sessions start around 3:30 – 4:30pm (hours and days vary per gym)s

Q: How do we sign up for your Climbing Camps?

A: You can sign up for our camps on our Youth Programs page. Our camps fill up on a first come first serve basis, so make sure you check when the camp you’re interested in goes live (also on the Youth Programs page). The best way to be in the know on all things climbing camps is to join our mailing list. 

Q: Can we sign up for multiple camp sessions?

A: Our programs are extremely popular. To provide a fair opportunity for all, we kindly ask that you refrain from signing up for multiple sessions. Our camp curriculum repeats itself, so signing up for multiple sessions may also feel repetitive for your camper.

 

 Climbing Club Team

Q: My child has already completed a Touchstone camp session and/or has prior climbing experience. What’s the next step?

A: Our Climbing Club Team program! Our Climbing Club Team is designed for athletes who are excited about training and improving their climbing skills through structured practice, but whose focus may not be entirely about competitions. Athletes will continue to develop a love for the sport while learning more about climbing technique, being introduced to group dynamics and competitive climbing, and becoming more well-rounded climbers. Athletes are expected to participate in both on- and off-the-wall workouts, which include climbing drills, core workouts, bodyweight workouts, etc.

Everyone who is interested in clubs MUST have prior climbing/belay experience and ideally have taken one of our climbing camps. Ability to pass our belay test is preferred. Everyone who is interested in our Club Teams must fill out the Youth Programs Form. This helps us learn more about your climber so we can schedule a tryout. (Club Team days and time vary per gym.)

This program includes a gym membership and all regular membership perks.

Pricing: $50 initiation + $150/month (at MM – $125/month)

Q: Why does my child have to try out for the Club Team? What does a tryout entail?

A: Though we call them tryouts, it’s really a chance for our athletes to get a feel for the program and see whether they enjoy the format and training that comes with it. Our Club Teams are a little bit more intense than our camps (i.e. more climbing drills, off the wall workouts, etc.), so we want to make sure that our athletes understand that and are okay with it. This is also where athletes get the chance to meet their coaches and potential future teammates. At tryouts, coaches are mainly looking to see if athletes have the motivation to climb, the desire to improve as climbers, and overall comfort on the wall.

Note: Climbers aren’t required to have specific climbing skills/levels, but we do ask that all athletes come into our club program with knowledge on how to belay and some climbing experience. 

Q: I’ve been on the waitlist for “x amount of time.” How much longer do I have to wait?

A: Our youth programs are extremely popular and movement through the waitlist only occurs when athletes either leave our program to pursue other interests or move up to the competition team. Waitlist times vary greatly, but most athletes are on the waitlist for about 6 months from the time they join to the time they move up. 

 

 Team Touchstone

Q: What is Team Touchstone?

A: Team Touchstone is our competitive program. This program is for climbers who are dedicated to competition climbing and want a serious training environment. Climbers on this team attend USA Climbing competitions and compete at both the local and national level. This team focuses on comp-specific technique development, rigorous strength training, and competition strategy. Athletes practice 3x a week for 3 hours a day. (Practice days and times vary per gym.)

Our program currently has 7 different teams. These are our teams and where they mainly practice:

NorCal (USAC – Region 21): 

  • San Francisco (DB and MC)
  • East Bay (Training Center and PP)
  • San Jose (The Studio)
  • Sacramento (SP)
  • Fresno (MM)

SoCal (USAC – Region 31): 

  • LA – Eastside (The Post and LAB)
  • LA – Westside (Cliffs of Id)
  • Coming Soon: LA – Southside (Class 5)

Q: How much is Team Touchstone?

A: See pricing on our Youth Programs Page.

Q: My child is ready to join Team Touchstone, the competitive team. When are tryouts?

A: Tryouts are held once a year at the beginning of each season (around August or September). Throughout the year, we also host invitational tryouts for athletes we feel are a good fit for our competitive program. If you’re interested in doing an invitational tryout, please contact our Youth Programs Director at [email protected].

Everyone who is interested in Team Touchstone must fill out the Youth Programs Form. This will add you to our mailing list with updates when tryouts are scheduled. 

 

 Tryouts

Q: My kid just completed a tryout (for Club Teams/Team Touchstone). When will we find out the results?

A: Our coaches will get back to you once they’ve made a decision. If your child is invited to join, you’ll receive an email with next steps which include a special membership sign up link as well as a Club/Team Agreement. Please make sure you fill out both. 

 

 More Information

Q: Who can I contact to get more info on your youth programs?

A: If you have any questions about practice updates, scheduling conflicts, absence notices, etc., you can email your child’s coaches directly via their climbing club email. Otherwise, please reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

Q: How old does my climber have to be to join one of your youth programs?

A: 7! We’ve found that athletes younger than 7 have yet to develop the necessary spacial awareness and attention span to practice safe etiquette in the gym. For athletes younger than 7 years old, we recommend inquiring about our private lessons or getting acquainted with our gym safety etiquette on your own time with day passes or a membership. In addition, anyone 14+ can take our ICC to learn the necessary belay skills to belay those 6 and under.