Castle Rock Climbing School — Attraction in San Jose

A friend and I took the "anchor and rappel class" last week, and the experience exceeded our expectations.

If you want to REALLY learn the skills to be safe outside, at a reasonable price, from a true professional, this is what you need.

The owner, Rick, taught our class, and I still can't believe how much instruction he packed into 8 hours. (Rick claimed that a 3-day course from REI would include about 1/3 of what we covered.)

We learned about types of rock (and why that matters); types of knots (and when to use them); types of gear (and how to place it safely); and then applied all that knowledge with extensive hands-on problem-solving, through building anchors that he assigned us.

It was eye-opening to see other groups of climbers in the park, using poor / unsafe / unethical practices, which made me even more grateful that I was there learning to do it properly from a guide with decades of experience.

Climbing outdoors safely is a HUGE learning curve for a beginner like me, and I know I'll go back to Rick...

My husband and I have been outdoor climbers since the 1990s; however, we haven't done much recently and don't know the area since we are just in San Fran visiting for the long weekend. We thought we'd give the half-day guided climb a try and have some fun in nature. We were not disappointed. Rick was incredibly responsive to the questions I had pre-booking. The booking process was easy, and the post-booking instructions were clear. Steven, the experienced instructor/guide, met us at Castle Rock. He was so friendly and helpful; it was a pleasure to hang out with him for 4 hours. He set up multiple climbs for us at our ability level and guided us (me especially) when we got stuck. There was no pressure, only encouragement. What a fun day! We will find him again to lead us on the rock the next time we are in town. ...

Last Friday, 8/23, I climbed with guide and climbing school owner Rick at Castle Rocks State Park on a 6 hour private guided trip. It was worth every penny. I had a great time with Rick, chatting about our respective climbing backgrounds while Rick set up climbs for me that were just right, not too hard and not too easy. I hadn't climbed outdoors in several months, but with Rick's beta, I managed to get up most climbs with just a few tries. He was a real professional, and a true guide in every sense of the word. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Rick. When I get the chance to be in CA again, I will definitely book another outing with Castle Rock Climbing School. Thanks Rick for a memorable day...