Incredible experience, everything I had hoped for and more. Cory is the absolute best. I did a 4 hour trip with my 6 yr old. Cory made it super fun and challenging for both of us. Cory was patient and supportive and made it such a fun day. read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

We had a wonderful experience with Cory. He was incredibly patient and kind to our three daughters (ages 5, 8, and 11). They all got to climb (as did we!) and we loved our four hours with him. Highly recommend - it was a highlight of our trip. read more

Highly recommend The Climbing Life Guides! First time visiting Joshua Tree, and spent 3 days with Nelson ... only wish we had 3 more! Nelson is professional and a master at teaching and instructing. It doesn't matter what you want to do in Joshua Tree; climb, hike, learn a new skill - he can help you conquer it, and make it a memorable experience. read more

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Highly recommended!! Our guide Zack was outstanding. Can't mention this enough. If your taking kids ... ask for Zack! We didn't know what to expect as this was our first time and having two 6 year olds we didn't know how they would do. Zack was SO patient with them and the kids really trusted him that they began to build confidence as the day transpired. We were so proud of our kids as you will see in the photos...well worth it and we will do this again. Thanks Zack for the positive experience for our family! read more

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We booked a trip with Nelson for our family and another family we were traveling with. Nelson was accommodating, welcoming, organized, and knowledgeable. He customized the trip to our group's needs and went out of his way to educate us on rock climbing and Joshua Tree. He had endless patience for some of the nervous climbers in our group and went out of his way to make them feel comfortable and have fun. We had an amazing experience, and I highly recommend The Climbing Life Guides! read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Nelson guiding a young climber - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Greg was the best guide ever! He was super cool and very encouraging to everyone in our group. Our group of friends had a range of different levels, from those of us with experience to a newbie with a fear of heights. He knew all about Joshua Tree--a true insider who knows the best spots in the park. The company's prices were very reasonable, online booking was easy, and the owner, Nelson, was responsive (unlike another guide company in So Cal that we used one time). They had gear for the people in our group who didn't have their own gear. If you want to climb outdoors, do it in Joshua Tree, and do it with these guys!! read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Our family of four wanted to try something new, specifically to help our boys ages 6 and 4 have new experiences. Matt was incredible with them, super patient and coached them through their fears. He was very calm and had a way of getting them to calm down. They all climbed higher than any of us would have expected. Even for the adults he was super helpful and coached us through our fears. I can't say enough about our experience. Thank you very much for a great adventure and experience. read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

You can't do better than a climbing session with Nelson. He's an excellent guide, teacher and host. Highly recommended to anyone looking to have a fun day climbing or learn some new skills. Would definitely hire him again and will be recommending him to my friends. I hired Nelson to teach me sport lead climbing (I was a gym climber, with little outdoor experience). I went from knowing zero about sport lead to confidently leading my own routes in one session with him. He was a patient, efficient teacher but also pushed me to get the most out of the sessions. Nelson really impressed me by going the extra mile .... bringing extra food (and beer) for me to eat while we camped, providing some introductory background on the climbing destination, and even gifting me some anchor gear at the end. Also importantly, Nelson is a funny, chill dude and great to hang out with. Those times in between climbs are just as enjoyable as the actual climbing. Message me if you want to hear more. Happy to give a reference. Phil read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Rappelling in New Jack City. New skill learned from Nelson - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

We had such a great trip. Our kids were completely new to rock climbing and Cezanne, our guide was just the perfect person we could ask for. He had lot of patience and really helped the kids climb. Their first rock climbing experience was just great. My appointment booking experience with Nelson over the phone was also great. I called him the day before on the busy long weekend wondering if he had any availability and he could accommodate us. We got delayed a bit to the appointment but they again were flexible. Overall, they deserved a five star. read more

Nelson is a great guide. First of all, his house is stocked like a climbing store and all his gear is new and very nice quality... I felt very safe using it. This was my first time climbing outside. I got a wild hair and decided to try climbing outdoors even though I couldn't get past three pegs at an indoor climbing wall (wish I was kidding). We drove into the park together and did a short walk to where we would be climbing. We stopped at the base and Nelson scurried up the rock and I stood there and thought to myself, "what the hell was I thinking? There is no way I can do this... I can't even get up a damn rock wall at a gym". There were three of us climbing that day and I let them go first to save myself the embarrassment as long as I could of not getting a quarter of the way up before I had to give up. It was my turn and I got on the belay and Nelson had the other end and told me not to worry and that he had me. He encouraged me and told me I'd be surprised of what I'll be able to do. I was very nervous, but he was very nice and very patient. I started and he gave me some helpful hints about hand and foot placement and was there coaching me and cheering me on the whole way... And guess what? I actually made it! All the way to the top! :D This is such an accomplishment for me I cannot even tell you how good it felt- I had to do my happy dance! Then we went to a great repel spot and as I dandled off a cliff I thought " I should be wayyyy more nervous about this than I am right now" I think it was because it was very obvious nelson knew what he was doing and made me feel very safe... I trusted him, which is very important when you are hanging off a cliff or wall. So in summary, Nelson made it so I felt safe, he felt more like a friend or coach and we all had a great time. I had such a great time that I am already itching to go back and climb again- words I never thought I'd say :) read more

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Our family of four had a fantastic outing with Nelson. This was our first time climbing outdoors, after only 2 or 3 times climbing in a gym. Nelson was super friendly, very professional and knowledgeable, and made our boys (11 & 14) feel very comfortable. He pushed them just enough to push themselves and was a great coach for harder moves. Nelson was patient with our zillions of questions about climbing and Joshua Tree. We highly recommend an outing with Climbing Life. read more

Nelson really knows his stuff when it comes to rappeling. He goes on his own for fun 5days/week all year and has a lot of knowledge of the park and tips for each point in Joshua tree. Our group was looking into learning how to rappel for future hikes and he catered exactly to what we needed to know. We learned how to set up a harness safely, tie autoblock knots, how to set up ATC descenders, anchor off of bolts, and how to safely descend. We originally had a group of 8 people and one person dropped out at 2 am the day of so we were concerned about how that would effect our cost, but Nelson was completely understanding and just removed it from our total cost. We also had bad weather that day and Nelson gave us a discount for that as well since it wasn't optimal climbing conditions. Highly recommend this! read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Crew after the climb! - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

Nelson is a amazing guide. We (my wife and I) had our first outdoor rock climbing outing and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. He's just a super down-to-earth guy and we felt like hanging out with a good buddy the entire time. We plan to have another session with Nelson soon. read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

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Nelson and Tyler were great. They took my 9 yr old son, 17 yr old son and my husband and myself on a 6 hour trip. We climbed tons within that time! My 9 yr old went from being hesitant and fearful to fearless and accomplished. They gave us great direction and were patient but pushed us as well. They were very professional and helpful. I did my research first and found they are also the most affordable...but with great reviews. I would highly recommend them. read more

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My wife and I took an impromptu trip to Joshua Tree and I wanted to climb there of course. I called Nelson at The Climbing Life with just a few days notice and he luckily had an opening. He took us on a route that was the perfect fit for my requested skill level and type of climbing. He has a great location to meet and gear up. His skill at guiding is extremely polished. He is friendly and very willing to teach tips, tricks, and beta. We had a fantastic day thanks to Nelson and would wholeheartedly recommend his services to anyone. read more

It was so much Fun climbing with Nelson! He is so experienced. Rock climbing is such an adventurous experience and it's even more fun when you have a climbing guide that picks out awesome spots to climb and takes adequate time to explain how to go about climbing the rock. Thank you, Nelson for such great experience! read more

The Climbing Life Guides - It's such an amazing experience getting to the top of the Rock! - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

This was our first trip to Joshua Tree and our friend who we like to call our event coordinator planned it. 3 out of the 4 people in our group have been indoor rock climbing and bouldering. She decided to schedule a rock climbing trip with Climbing Life Guides. Our guide Nelson was AMAZING!!! He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and fun! 1. he was very responsive in his emails and messages 2. double checked everyone to make sure all our gear was on properly 3. went through safety instructions constantly through the whole experience 4. gave us facts on joshua tree and climbing 5. guided us up 100ft climbs after assessing all of our comfort and skill levels 6. made sure we were all comfortable with the climb and never pushed us on anything 7. went over climbing techniques in a ways that even the non-climber could understand I highly, highly recommend this company and especially our guide Nelson. Because of him, we plan on coming back again soon with a few more friends just to climb and enjoy Joshua Tree. read more

My 11-year old son and I did a 4-hour session with Nelson. This was the highlight of our weekend in Joshua Tree! Neither of us had any climbing experience, so we were compete newbies. We meet Nelson at his home/The Climbing Life Guides main office, and he equipped us with all the necessary gear. He has plenty of kid-sized equipment all the way through adult sizes. He was careful to safety check all of our equipment, and give us enough information so we could double-check out our equipment on our own. It was about a 30-minute drive from the office to get in to the park (including getting through the pay station entrance) and to the boulder we were going to climb, though I understand that sometimes the line is longer to get in, so this could impact the amount of time you have to climb. But his office is very close to the West park entrance, so any delay is just the unavoidable delay associated with getting into the park. Nelson clearly knows the park well, and took us to an excellent beginner spot that offered 3 relatively easy climbs and at least one more challenging one. Being a novice and scared of heights, I appreciated Nelson's careful instruction around safety inspections, and felt secure that we were in good and capable hands throughout. We did two "easy​" climbs (not sure my sore muscles agree with that easy categorization!), and Nelson instructed us on different climbing techniques, demonstrated them, and offered encouraging coaching while we were climbing. Especially with my 11-year old son, Nelson was particularly encouraging, and my son was engaged the whole time. We then did a more challenging climb, which was pretty tough, but gave a nice picture of the challenges of more real rock climbing. After the challenging climb, we were pretty tired, so Nelson set up a rappel for us - backing down the side of the boulder from the top was scary, but fun, and again, Nelson made us confident that we were safe. And we ended with an easier climb that made us feel successful. Nelson is a total pro, obviously knowledgeable, encouraging to the novice, and skilled enough for probably the most technical climbers, too. Definitely check him out! read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climb on! - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

This was our first trip to Joshua tree and I wanted to do something super fun. I'm so glad I booked with The Climb Life Guides because Nelson was amazing on 4 hour guide. Couldn't have asked for a more pleasant, educated, and enthusiastic instructor/guide to ease my worries about climbing for the first time. Thank you for making our first trip to Joshua Tree something to remember. read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

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My husband and I went climbing with Nelson for a 4 hour and 8 hour session. It was awesome. We have enough climbing experience to know just how risky it can be so finding an experienced guide that emphasized safety was the most important thing to us. Nelson has really set the standard incredibly high for any of the guides we hire in future climbing trips in other places. He double and triple checks everything and puts safety first. I am so glad our first real climbing experience was with Nelson because now we know what to look for in other guides. He's also a great teacher, very encouraging and just loves to share his passion with his clients. He showed us a variety of climbs that were fitting for our levels while still challenging us. We also did some skill work at the end which was very helpful. There is no doubt that Nelson is the first person we will call the next time we return to jtree! read more

Steven guided my family of 6 (ages 5-38) for the most memorable activity in ages. He was both calm and informative, really flexible with seeing where we were and creating more challenges as we developed. We were in a private area so didn't feel the crowds of the surrounding park, but also felt very much in nature. We will CERTAINLY return for a longer climb next time. Highly recommend do not miss this opportunity. read more

Zack is awesome! Friendly, knowledgeable and easy going. Had a fantastic session, thanks again Zack!

We had an awesome experience with Nelson at The Climbing Life Guides. We had no experience before we booked our time with Nelson, but by the end of our few hours together we felt like we had learned so much and enjoyed the time learning immensely. Nelson was patient, friendly, and explained everything well. We couldn't have enjoyed our experience more, and highly recommend The Climbing Life Guides. read more

The Climbing Life Guides - Nelson getting Aj ready to go up for the first time - Climbing Near Me - Joshua Tree, California

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Booked an 8 hour climb with Stephen for my first climb and it was truly an amazing experience! Stephen made us feel safe the whole time and we trusted his expertise. He also helped answer all the technical questions we had with ease which really showed his climbing knowledge. He was also fun and accommodating. Overall, it was an outstanding experience that I'd highly recommend, and I'll definitely be asking for Stephen the next time I climb :) read more

I am honored to offer my recommendation for Nelson and The Climbing Life Guides. Just a short while ago, I flew across the country from NYC for a weekend excursion in Joshua Tree CA with a dear friend from high school. Both of us, like minded in nature... decided to retain The Climbing Life Guides to assist us in a rock climbing excursion and help facilitate an experience we would never forget. Here I am a year later counting down the days till we meet again. Ive already booked airfare from NYC and I cant wait to see Nelson and his team again in December. While professional and family obligations remain pressing, I have made it a priority to find time in recent years to connect and invest in my passion for the outdoors. I can advise unequivocally that Nelson, and his team's character is of the highest possible quality. Genuinely kind, compassionate individuals who command an astute eye for detail to both safety and making beginners (like me) feel comfortable. Their generosity is unparalleled in my experience, and the investments I continue to make in my passion for the outdoors are easily justified because of the quality experience I receive from Nelson and his team. A++ read more

My wife and I went on a half day climbing trip with Nelson. He was a fantastic guide and took us to an awesome multi-pitch route that was both challenging and super fun. Nelson walked us through new techniques and wasn't just a great climbing guide but also a fun guy to spend four hours with! read more

Zack was an amazing guide! He has incredible knowledge of the park and was able to show us some of the classic routes in Joshua Tree. I was also able to learn some of the basics of anchor building and trad climbing with Zack. He was a great teacher and had seemingly endless knowledge about all facets of climbing. Zack was also really safety cautious which made me comfortable to push my limits climbing. 10/10 would recommend Zack and The Climbing Life Guides to anyone who is looking to have a great time climbing and learning in Joshua Tree. read more

Just spent a full day climbing with Stephen after my 23 year hiatus from climbing! Simply put - it was spectacular and I could not have asked for a more safe, calm, expert, and fun guide. We did a range of climbs from warming up with single pitch climbs at Dairy Queen, a more challenging Headstone tower, and then finished the day with a multi-pitch climb up Saddle Rocks with an epic chimney section - Right On! (literally the name of the last climb). The Climbing Life Guides is the real deal and once the kids are old enough, I will certainly call upon them to have the experience of a lifetime as I did with Steven! read more

How do you give a great experience to a seven year old boy, two teenage girls AND their parents? Nelson knows how. We went to a rock NOT overrun by tourists where Nelson taught us the basics of rock climbing, communication, techniques for climbing using balance and core strength. He was encouraging and supportive, and shared in depth information about the history of the Joshua Tree area. Then he took us the the Cavern of Doom. A great place to face any claustrophobia fears and have fun bouldering. Overall a fantastic experience. Can't wait to come back!!! read more

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Spent a great day climbing with Stephen. He was an excellent teacher and did an amazing job tailoring the day to our capabilities so that we were challenged but not overwhelmed and felt safe the whole time. With his support we ended up being able to complete our first multi pitch climb which felt amazing. Oh and the Joshua Tree views weren't shabby either! read more

I was heading down to Joshua tree for a weekend and I wanted to hire a guide to introduce me to the area since I had limited time and have a refresher of the basics. I arranged a guide through the website and he booking process could not have been easier. In a few minutes, I had a 6-hour privately guided day with Stephen booked. My goals for the day were to get better acquainted with anchor building techniques, lead climbing, and repelling. Stephen started the day with a couple hours of thorough and concise instruction. It was EXCELLENT! We then did a few routes of mock leading and practiced repelling, which was also awesome. Then, we finished the day by putting everything together by doing a multi pitch route and repelling off the top. This route was definitely challenging for me and forced me to try a style of climbing I wasn't familiar with but Stephen's instruction was outstanding. I got a little banged up but had a suuuuppper fun time! I couldn't have had a better experience and I cannot recommend Stephen enough. 10 out of 10 day for sure and can't wait to book Climbing Life Guides again for some more fun in J Tree!!! read more

It's been three days since we climbed with Nelson and we're still singing his praises. He's a phenomenal guide. My husband and I joined him on a FULL day adventure in Joshua Tree. He planned an ideal tour for us that suited our climbing level and interests. We felt safe and encouraged each step along the way while climbing routes we would never have thought were possible. Nelson breaks down his instructions so they are easy to understand. By the end of the day we got experience and insights on handling ropes for multi-pitch climbs and how to climb cracks, chimneys, mantels and smeary rock faces. He's a fun and interesting guy to spend 10 hours with. read more

Nelson runs a great business and is a very professional guide. As an AMGA certified rock guide (which is a very high level of training and certification), not only is he is very knowledgeable about his craft but also he is clearly passionate about teaching. If you want to have a great day on the rocks either as a beginner or more experienced climber looking to take your climbing to the next level, go with Nelson and his team! read more

Zach (our guide) went above and beyond. My friends and I had such a great time! We each got 3 climbs in (there was 4 of us) and he gave us the option to learn how to belay (for those who were unfamiliar with it). We got to the spot around 10 (met up/booked the trip to start at 9) and Zach gave us the full 4 hours of climbing that we booked. He was friendly, knowledgeable and really made for a great experience. The customer service is really great with this organization too-- they answered my emails about where to meet very promptly. Would definitely recommend and book again! read more

Had the best time with our guide, Matt. We're lightly experienced climbers wanting to learn more, so he took dedicated time to show us the ropes (heh) and teach us even more than we asked. He was patient and encouraging, and it felt like we were going climbing with a friend instead of with a disingenuous tourist company. Felt safe and secure the entire time. Highly recommend! read more

Super friendly, accommodating, patient, interesting and a great teacher! We went to JT on thanksgiving weekend and the park was really busy, knowing the place well he found a great spot that we effectively had for ourselves while many others were sharing walls. My girlfriend and I both improved considerably by the end of the day and can't wait to go back. We will be seeing Nelson again, can't recommend highly enough! read more

Rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park with Nelson (The Climbing Life Guides) as my guide was a sublime experience. Everything was meticulously planned and executed with perfection. I got to rappel from a really cool cliff! I have always wanted to hire a guide and go rock climbing in Joshua Tree and my day couldn't have gone better. Thank you, Nelson for an awesome experience! I will be back. read more

Great Experience / Value! Nelson Day was our guide for the day. we grabbed gear at his home/office and We choose the 4hr / $150 per person package and went rock climbing around Ryan in Joshua Tree. We first went to spot where the climbing spot was on top of boulder formation, very cool spot but the windy started to pick up right as we were setting up. So we decided to try another spot in canyon that was less windy / easier climbs (5.8 / 5.9) Great spot to learn and advance. Nelson was a great guide, took photos and conversationalist. Due to the windy first spot he tacked on an extra hour and provided some killer group rates as we are planning to come back. I would highly recommand him in the future. read more

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My boyfriend and I climbed with Nelson for a day in Joshua Tree. We had an epic time and learned more than we could have hoped for. We are just pushing into leading and Nelson encouraged us further than we had expected to go. We practiced lead falls, became totally solid on cleaning and led our first ever climbs outside. Nelson was a wonderful combination of instructive, relaxed, encouraging and just plain fun. Thanks Nelson! read more

Eventhough I've done indoor bouldering a couple times, this was my first experience with outdoor rock climbing!! Nelson was amazing! He is very knowledgable not only about rock climbing but also about Joshua Tree and the outdoors in general. He taught us so many useful and important techniques and really catered to what our interests were and what suited us best. He is also very meticulous about safety but at the same time realizes each individual's skill level and treats accordingly. All in all I had an amazing time and had fun every minute! Next time it's going to be a longer climb ;) read more