There may be a slight bias in this answer, but… book a trip with one of the listed guides! We recommend searching for a beginner lesson where the guide will teach you the basics of climbing. On top of getting to experience climbing outdoors, you will also likely learn how to belay and how to tie into your harness – necessary skills for climbing in any gym or country.
For a non-biased answer, you can review one of the many, many, many beginner guides online. We still believe, however, the quickest way to begin is to, well, begin. Go to an indoor gym or book a professional guide and see if climbing is for you.
Every trip listed on Climb Onsight lists the gear the guide will provide and the gear you are required to bring. You can review this list at any time after you book your trip. If you have any questions about gear, please chat with your guide or email us at support@climbonsight.ca and we will assist you.
All trips are subject to the cancellation policy found in Climb Onsight’s Terms and Conditions. Please read the policy prior to booking your trip. We have provided a brief summary of the cancellation policy below.
There are a couple of basic rules to the cancellation policy. Firstly, if at any point you need to cancel your trip, you can contact your the guide to see if an arrangement can be made to rebook or refund your trip. Climb Onsight will honor any rebooking or refund arrangement you have reached with your guide. Secondly, if you cannot reach an arrangement with your guide, you will be refunded on a progressive scale depending on when you cancel compared to when the trip begins. However, you will not be entitled to a refund if you cancel six or less calendar days prior to your booked trip.
No! Our site lists trips for every skill level from beginner to advanced. There’s no better way to become a skilled climber than to start climbing now.
No! There are loads of climbers of all ages, shapes, and sizes. If you can hike, you can climb.
Each guide on Climb Onsight lists the price for their specific trips. We are aware that booking a climbing guide is expensive. That is why Climb Onsight offers a “Featured Deals” category where you can take advantage of group discounts by joining a trip with other climbers.
When you book a trip, you have the option of making it available to the public under the “Featured Deals” category. If another climber joins your trip, you will be reimbursed the difference between the price you originally paid, and the new lower individual rate based on the group discount.
Yes. Climbing and mountaineering are dangerous activities, and there is the risk of serious injury or even death every time you go on an adventure (even if you are accompanied by a guide).
Many injuries and accidents occur because of user error. It is imperative that you learn skills from reputable and professional guides to maximize your and your partners’ safety. Being a knowledgeable climber not only can prevent accidents and injuries, but also lets you react appropriately if a dangerous condition (i.e., an avalanche or a rock fall) arises.
We select guides who have been guiding for at least five years or who have been certified to guide their listed trips from an accredited organization.
We also select guiding companies who have been guiding for at least five years. The guiding companies, based on their experience and expertise, may hire a guide who has less than five years of experience to lead your trip. Often, when guiding companies hire newer guides, an experienced guide accompanies them on their trips.
On your profile, you can use the chat feature to chat with the guiding company or individual guide to learn more about their experience and/or certifications.
First, you must apply to Climb Onsight by following this link. The application includes, amongst other things, your guiding history, references, and certifications.
Second, we will review your application and set up a call as soon as possible to learn more.
Third, we will decide whether to approve you to be listed on Climb Onsight.
Fourth, if you are approved, you can create a profile, generate trips, control your bookings, set your schedule, and chat with customers.
We have included steps to be listed on Climb Onsight here.
No. Climb Onsight does not currently provide insurance for guides.
Yes. If you are an individual guide, you must be certified by an accredited organization—like ACMG, AMGA, or PCGI—to offer any trip you list on Climb Onsight or have five years of experience professionally guiding those trips. If you are a guiding company, you must have been in operations for at least five years.
Climb Onsight provides many benefits to guides, including:
More bookings: Climb Onsight has simplified the process of online booking and advertises on your behalf, so you focus on guiding rather than obtaining clients.
Marketing: Climb Onsight advertises both in your backyard and elsewhere so more potential customers are exposed to your guiding services.
Document management: Upload any liability forms to be completed by the customers right on to your listing. We ensure the customer completes them prior to booking, and then they are emailed directly to you.
Detailed customer profiles: Before the trip, you can review your customer’s profile and previous experience to customize a trip for them.
Calendar management: Our calendar system allows you to mark your trip availability, and updates when a trip is booked. The calendar also automatically syncs with your google calendar.
Payment: We collect the payment from the clients and deposit it directly into your account. So gone are the days where you need to act as a bill collector.
Analytics: We provide you with in-depth statistics of your bookings, including customer reviews, so you can analyze your performance and modify your listings to improve your booking rate.
Support: We recognize that guides are the key to Climb Onsight. We are here to support you at any time to answer any questions you have including, setting up a listing, updating your profile, or creating an action plan based on the analytics.
If you have any merchandise to list for sale on Climb Onsight’s marketplace, send an email to merchandise@climbonsight.ca and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Climb Onsight is merely a marketplace and does not hold any inventory, so you will be responsible for delivering any sold goods to the customer.
All trips are subject to the cancellation policy found in Climb Onsight’s Terms and Conditions. Please read the policy prior to listing your trip. We have provided a brief summary of the cancellation policy as it applies to you below.
If you need to cancel a trip or the weather forces you to cancel the trip prior to the date, you will work with the customer to arrange an alternate date for the trip. If you cannot find an alternate date, Climb Onsight and the guide will provide a refund to the customer. If the weather causes you to cancel the trip after it begins, no refunds will be provided, but the guide can enter into an alternative arrangement with the customer.
To review the policy if a customer cancels the trip, please review the Terms and Conditions and the climber FAQ page.