Looking Ahead
From Grayson Highlands to two weeks abroad.
Itching to climb on world class rock? The Camp Vertica Expedition is a two-week international climbing trip for high school athletes who've spent a week at camp with us. Nine athletes, three WFR-certified coaches, one trip each summer. Earn your way to world-class rock.
In development. First trip planned for summer 2031.
Where we are now
2026: Pilot season at Grayson Highlands State Park, VA. Six athletes, a 1:3 coach-to-athlete ratio, and a stewardship day with the CACC.
2027: Six sessions, middle school and high school, based at Blue Bear Mountain Camp with climbing at Grayson Highlands and around Boone NC.
Next: Grow the alumni community to the point where we can fill an expedition with athletes we already know.
2031: First Expedition.
What the trip looks like
Who: High school athletes (ages 14–17) who have completed at least one Camp Vertica week
Group: 9 athletes, 3 WFR-certified coaches. Same 1:3 ratio as camp.
Length: 2 weeks, one trip each summer
Destinations: One per year. Fontainebleau, France. Rocklands, South Africa. Squamish, British Columbia.
How you get in: Coaches nominate athletes at the end of each camp season
Where you'll sleep and eat: We'll stay in a shared rental house or campground close to the climbing. Meals are cooked as a group, the same way we do it at camp. Athletes have real jobs every day: cooking, cleaning, packing for the crag.
How nomination works: At the end of each season, our coaches nominate athletes based on climbing ability, maturity, and a willingness to be uncomfortable.
Some say dream big… we say dream bigger.