Green Mountain Outlook

Rutland — Rock climbing is a sport that seems to be a natural fit for Vermont’s rugged outback. However, for a growing number of climbing enthusiasts—the sport has been increasing in popularity since the late 1990s—outlets for supplies and instruction are in short supply. Thankfully, the greater Rutland area—blessed with two mountain ranges, the Greens and the Taconics, a short distance apart—has Vermont’s best climbing center.

Located at 223 Woodstock Ave. in Rutland, with another center on Woodstock Road in Hartland, the Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center boasts Vermont's best indoor climbing experiences, offering rope stations, lead climbing, bouldering, private instruction and rental equipment including shoes and harnesses.

The indoor facility climbing walls stand 25-feet tall and includes 30 top rope stations spreading out over 8,000 square-feet of space. All surfaces are painted with a variety of natural scenery, and the GMRCC staff offers professional, skilled instruction, which ranges from first-time, beginning climbers to specialized climbing clinics.

GMRCC also offers several programs and activities including an adult climbing league, as well as an "extreme team" and a "’tween team".

The adult league consists of climbers of all levels, and handicapped scoring gives "equal footing" to both beginner and expert climbers. The league gives climbers an opportunity to not only compete, but also socialize with other climbers in a fitness-orientated atmosphere.

The GMRCC extreme team is for climbers ages 8-and-up, and train with other like-minded climbers to compete in USA Climbing sanctioned competitions and other local climbing camps. The team works with the GMRCC staff instructors to increase personal climbing ability through endurance and a variety of climbing techniques.

GMRCC also offers a variety of climbing clinics including an introduction level to learn the basic objectives and rules, then four other levels as a climber learns and improves. Students learn all phases of climbing including muscular strength, endurance and flexibility, as well as techniques, balance, climbing safety and respect and responsibility both indoors and outdoors.

The owners have started a school rock-climbing league where the schools come and practice and then compete against one another once a month.