Ground Up Climbing Guides — Local services in Mammoth Lakes

We went climbing in Mammoth with Clay in August, and it was definitely the highlight of our trip. My family (2 adults, 2 big kids, 1 toddler) has been climbing indoors for about 1.5 years, but never outdoors. We're also not super outdoorsy. I reached out to Clay, and he set up the perfect morning for us - An early start time (best for our family), not too big of a hike in, and he even picked a place with lots of shade cover so that we could manage our toddler while others were climbing.

The kids and grown-ups all climbed things that were way outside our normal comfort zone, but still felt 100% safe. Even my middle kid, who never climbs past the middle point of the indoor top-rope walls because they are "too high" finished all the routes we did, all the way to the top, which was waaay higher than what he normally does. When we got back and climbed indoors again, his confidence was through the roof and he did not get scared about how tall the walls were anymore.

Clay was so easy to work with, and so kind and fun to talk to. He also had lots of good tips for us, and helped us feel more confident while we were trying new things. We would definitely reach out to climb with him again and recommend him to anyone who wants a climbing guide, especially if you are new to outdoor climbing or are...

This was my wife's and my 1st time climbing on real rock (outside of a climbing gym) and our experience was nothing short of perfect. We're both in our 40's which is a bit late in life to start rock climbing, but the team at Ground Up totally took care of us. Initial communication with Clay was great and he was very responsive. I really like the fact that we wants to talk to potential new clients live over the phone to get to know them better. With a quick call he was able to assess what we're looking for and was able to craft the right adventure for us.

Forrest was our guide for the day and he took care of everything expertly and professionally. Safety briefing, tutorial, demonstration and then lots of encouragement along the way! We booked a 1/2 day which was enough time for us to explore 4 different crags of increasing difficulty. By the end our fingers and toes were sore and we were elated with self-accomplishment.

In short, I highly recommend. We will definitely book another adventure through Ground Up next time we're in the area.

Attached are some photos of my wife. Please note that she is afraid...

You can look at the mountain from your car, or you can put your hands on the granite wall and feel its strength as you scramble up.

We would 100% recommend this as a must do activity in the Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite area. Amazing way to connect with the earth and get to climb the Sierra Nevada range a little bit.

If you are at all interested in rock climbing, do not hesitate to book an outing with Ground Up Climbing Guides. Clay is a natural climber and teacher.

My husband & I went climbing with Clay at Horseshoe Lake on our honeymoon. His instructions were easy to follow and we had so much fun learning how to climb. We felt safe at all times, yet he also kept upping the difficulty when we were ready for it.

I can tell he would be awesome with kids as well. If you’re looking for an activity to wear out your children, I’m sure this will do it! I hope to take my nieces out for a...