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Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School
4.8 ★★★★★ 290 Google reviews · Climbing gym in Burlington, Vermont
Climbing gym, bouldering spot, and mountaineering school, with kid-friendly instructors and programs.
Plan your visit
- Gear rental nearly every climbing gym rents shoes (~$5–8 typical) and chalk; harness rental is often bundled with a ropes pass
- Waiver always required at climbing gyms — sign it online before you go to skip the front-desk line
- First timer? bouldering needs zero experience — rent shoes and walk in; staff will point you at the easiest problems
- Auto-belays mentioned here — clip in and climb ropes solo, no partner needed
- Kids programs classes, camps, or youth teams mentioned — check the current schedule
- Memberships available — worth asking about if you'd climb more than a few times a month
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (802) 657-3872
- Website petracliffs.com
Hours
| Monday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM–6 PM |
What's inside
“I didn't have my normal partner being from SC, but everything on the Auto Belays was great!”
“Our son works with Nieve for adaptive climbing lessons and there aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful he is with our child.”
What climbers say again and again
“We just celebrated our son's 9th birthday at Petra Cliffs, and it was the best birthday party we've hosted yet.”
“The staff were so welcoming and kind, and made them feel confident trying out rock climbing for the first time.”
“The staff were so welcoming and kind, and made them feel confident trying out rock climbing for the first time.”
“Truly phenomenal staff that are not only quite capable and knowledgeable with climbing, gear, and safety but they are also very welcoming, friendly, inclusive, and professional.”
“Our son works with Nieve for adaptive climbing lessons and there aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful he is with our child.”
From the reviews
Awesome gym. One of the best for bouldering. On their google profile it looked like it wouldn't be good for bouldering. I'm glad I went. Not only was the staff so nice and everyone friendly but the setting was crazy good. Such diverse boulders with plenty of technique. Really well done.
We’re visiting from out of town and the weather was mucky so we brought our kids here for some climbing. The staff was wonderful and welcoming and there were lots of routes/walls. Prices were much more reasonable than climbing gyms near us in Detroit. Honestly, it made me think about moving to Burlington!
We hosted our 6 year old’s birthday party, he’s never climbed before, and it was a total blast! The instructor was excellent. We had a group of 13 kids and every single one of them blew my socks off. We’ll definitely be back.
Fantastic experience here, deserving of a thorough review! We paid for a 2-hour private lesson for our son, which we recently completed. We ended up splitting the lesson into two, 1-hour sessions, a week apart, which worked out really well for him.
Birthday parties at Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School
Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School hosts birthday parties, going by their listing and visitor reviews. Climbing parties come with staff who handle the harnesses and belaying, so parents can mostly watch. One thing that's different here: every guest needs a signed waiver — send the gym's waiver link to the other parents when you send invites, or check-in day gets slow. Packages, party rooms, and pricing change often, so check the current options and book ahead — weekend slots go fast at popular gyms.
Kids classes & camps at Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School
Reviews and the gym's own info mention kids programs at Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School — climbing classes, school-break camps, or a youth team where kids learn technique from coaches instead of just scrambling around. Program schedules and age groups change each season, so check the current lineup before you plan around one.
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