Guided Big Wall

quick details

Spend the night on the side of a cliff!

Imagine greeting the sunrise from a cliffside perch, coffee in hand, as dawn light fills the sky and stretches across the landscape below.

Our Guided Big Wall adventures are available at iconic locations like Calaveras Dome, with options on routes like Sands of Time and Wall of the Worlds. We also guide overnight trips on Utah’s famed formations, including the Finger of Fate on the Titan, Castleton Tower, and more. Each journey is uniquely crafted to match the experience you’re looking for. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to learn Big Wall climbing techniques like aid climbing and rope ascension, or simply enjoy a night on the wall with fun, free climbing up to 5.9.

Ready to have your mind blown? Reach out, and together we’ll design a Guided Big Wall that’s as unique as you are.

Home for the night on Wall of the Worlds.

High on the Titan.

Awesome freeclimbing alongside the haul bag on Wall of the Worlds.

Enjoying the morning on Pillar of Insanity.

Big loads and brotherly love at Calaveras Dome!

Learning rope ascension skills.

Calaveras Dome

Calaveras Dome is a hidden gem in the Sierra backcountry, offering climbers an unforgettable experience on nearly 2,000 feet of perfect granite. The area boasts striking splitter cracks, smooth slabs with ample knobs, and dikes that stretch for hundreds of feet. Despite its grandeur, Calaveras Dome remains off the beaten path, with secluded camping nearby, providing a serene escape reminiscent of Yosemite in the 1960s.

Overnight Routes:

Sands of Time (5.9), Calaveras Dome
Wall of the Worlds (5.10c), Calaveras Dome

Sample Itinerary:

Day 0: Arrive in the evening, meet your guide and prepare/pack equipment for the climb.

Day 1: Hike up to the dome with all your gear and climb a handful of pitches up to your home for the night, a comfortable ledge hundreds of feet off the ground. You’ll arrive at the ledge with plenty of time to enjoy your evening meal and watch the sun go down.

Day 2: Depending on what type of experience you’ve planned with us you may continue climbing to the top of the dome or begin your descent after a nice morning watching the swifts dance and dive through the air while sipping a cup of coffee. You’ll make a series of rappels to the ground and hike back to the cars feeling full of life!

Moab, Utah

Moab, Utah is a climber’s playground, surrounded by a landscape like no other—towering sandstone cliffs, sheer walls, and iconic desert towers that have captivated climbers for decades. The area’s red rock walls and sweeping desert views create an unforgettable backdrop, especially at sunrise and sunset when the cliffs blaze with color.

Overnight Ascent Routes:

The Finger of Fate, The Titan (5.8, C2+, 900ft)
North Chimney, Castelton Tower (5.9+, 500ft)
Pillar of Insanity, Long Canyon (C1, 400ft)

Sample Itinerary:

The Titan
Day 1 | Prep Day: Climbing the Titan is no small feat and requires aid climbing skills such as rope ascension. You will spend a day learning these skills and packing your equipment for your ascent.
Day 2: You will hike your equipment into the tower and climb a handful of pitches to your bivy site for the night, a precarious perch in a Martian landscape. You will sleep in a portaledge after a long day.
Day 3: You will finish your ascent of the tower with a few more pitches of climbing before rappelling back to your bivy equipment and continuing your descent and egress to the cars. These are some big days and you’ve earned that sense of accomplishment!

Castleton Tower
Day 1: You’ll meet your guide in the morning and prepare your equipment for the ascent before hiking up to the tower and climbing a high-quality, classic free-climb to the summit where you will spend the night.
Day 2: You’ll watch the sunrise and enjoy your morning in a magical place before rappelling down the sheer North Face and hiking down to the vehicles.

Pillar of Insanity
This route is often climbed when sharing leads as part of private big-wall training.
Day 1 | Skills Day: This will be a full day of skills training and preparation for your ascent beginning on Day 2. Depending on your goals you may learn to lead aid pitches so that you can do so on the wall.
Day 2: You’ll finish up any training from Day 1 and then head up the cliff aid climbing and ascending every pitch to the spacious bivy ledge where you will watch the desert go to sleep.
Day 3: You’ll climb the last pitch to the rim after enjoying your morning on the ledge and then begin your descent rappelling down the route you climbed. Your new skills will serve you well for you own big wall climbing adventures!

Other Locations

We can offer this style of outing at many of our other locations including at much smaller venues that require less experience and preparation to enjoy an overnight climb. These locations include; El Potrero Chico Mexico, Pine Creek Canyon, Donner Summit, and more!

Just contact us and we’ll be able to determine the best choice for what you are seeking!

Quick Detials

Or call/text us at (916) 299-0711

stoked

Climbers!

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 68 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Simone Kirkevold 
 14 September 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. let me tell you about this one guy erik: PHENOMENAL dude. on his day off, he took time out of his climbing session to help me out with figuring out how to rope-solo, after i (a wee gumby) watched a few youtube videos and figured i should go and try it, and he let me use his gear!!!!!! he made my session so much safer, and also gave insightful comments on why we do things certain ways, and why (what would have been my setup) would bring out the worst in both my safety devices. his encouragement was inspiring, and vibes were through the roof. could not recommend this company enough (and erik)
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Justice Pettigrew 
 14 September 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik was a phenomenal guide. He taught me finger lock and jamming techniques and helped me send my first 5.10B! He was so informative and made me feel secure with my gear. I even took my first trad fall with him. Trad climbing had felt a bit like free soloing in the past, like I wasn’t allowed to fall and had to climb well below my limits, but Erik gave me the confidence and knowledge to see what good placements looked like and how to push my limits with trad climbing! I could not recommend Vertical Pursuits enough and look forward to continuing to work with them!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Nat 
 27 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik is a great instructor, and I felt like I got more than my money's worth taking his Trad Beyond the Basics course. The description says it'll take you from leading 5.low to 5.high and it actually did!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jamie Mackie 
 25 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our experience with Erik was absolutely phenomenal. He met my wife and I at the meet up point with all his gear ready to go. I felt like we learned so much during the time we spent with him. I moved from being very nervous about climbing to feeling comfortable. I don’t feel like I have to ask others to check my work anymore before I feel safe.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Misty Lawrence 
 5 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had taken an intro to trad clinic through another company fairly recently, so I was apprehensive about taking another intro to trad course, but I was still hesitant to lead trad after the first course and a friend recommended Erik so I decided to go for it. I’m super stoked I did! The class was small, only 3 of us, so the course felt very tailor fit to our needs. Erik has a fantastic positive vibe, he’s incredibly supportive, and his instruction was very clear and easy to understand. After a bit of informative ground school much of the course was spent on the wall learning gear placement with his close guidance. By the end of the course all 3 of us led 5.6 and 5.7 routes. I have so much more confidence leading trad now, I highly recommend Vertical Pursuits!!!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   oliver symonds 
 2 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We scheduled an intro to trad course to learn the basics and get familiar with the techniques. Even before the day of the course, Kevin and Erik were super helpful with recommendations and ensuring the day would be dialed in for us. On the day of the course, Erik was an excellent guide covering the basics and quickly getting us on the wall. My son was excitedly putting up trad leads well before the end of the day. It was great having a high level of instruction and mentorship, while feeling less like a guide and more like a coach. We'll be back for sure.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Harvey Clarke 
 20 July 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik is a fantastic guide - he made trad climbing and multipitch super accessible for a full group of 4 climbers at once. Highly recommend these guys!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Shari VanT 
 14 July 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. One of the best, safest, and most fun guides I have climbed with! Highly recommend Vertical Pursuit’s!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Michael Silvester 
 25 June 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik is an outstanding teacher, guide, and all around great guy! I spent the day with him and one other student at School Rock on Donner Summit taking the Intro to Multipitch course and it was stellar! He has a great teaching style—knowledgeable, patient, and easy to learn from. He broke down complex systems into simple, understandable steps and made sure we felt comfortable asking questions along the way.

What really stood out was how invested he was in helping us learn and build confidence. His experience and expertise were obvious, but he never made anything feel intimidating. By the end of the day, I felt much more confident with multi-pitch climbing systems and techniques.

If you’re looking for a guide who is professional, approachable, has done laps on El Cap (including The Nose!) and genuinely passionate about teaching, I highly recommend Erik and Vertical Pursuits.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Olivia Simon 
 10 June 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had a fantastic experience learning from Kevin at the Intro to Sport Climbing class. He is an amazing teacher - super kind and never made me feel dumb for asking really basic questions. The format of the class is awesome. You get time on the ground to learn skills and then get to apply them on the wall. Everything feels super safe and thoughtful. I learned a ton and think it's an insane value for the price. It's a whole day of instruction with no more than 4 people in the course, but my course only had 2 so that meant even more time on the wall and extra mentoring.

Also, the communication with the Vertical Pursuits team was top notch. Kevin was kind enough to chat with me on the phone before I took the class to answer my questions and make sure the class would be a good fit. He was great about communicating location and timing the day of. And, he followed up after class with an email of everything we talked about + videos and resources for review.

If you're on the fence, take the course! It's a great opportunity to learn from real pros and up your knowledge safely!