With its abundance of enjoyable beginner routes, Mount Erie is an excellent outdoor environment for novice climbers and the ideal location for our Washington Climbing & Yoga Retreat! Located just south of Anacortes, Mount Erie is more than just a beginner-friendly climbing spot—it also offers 50 miles of hiking trails and stunning views of the Olympics and Puget Sound.
And when we're not out climbing some of the best beginner routes in Washington? We'll be camping and getting into some yoga in Bay View State Park, situated on Padilla Bay and overlooking the San Juan Islands (translation: we'll be enjoying some magnificent views of the archipelago).
Save your spot now, and join us for some unforgettable climbing and yoga in Washington state!
Washington Climbing & Yoga Retreat - Beginner
- Regular price
- $1,695.00 USD
- Sale price
- $1,695.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- All rock climbing gear.
- Three 7-hour climbing sessions.
- Afternoon yoga classes.
- All meals Friday breakfast - Sunday lunch.
- 3 nights' accommodation.
Not Included:
- Gratuities to guides. We recommend between 15-25% depending on your experience.
- Trip protection. We will host this retreat rain or shine. If the weather is poor we will propose alternative activities such as technical skills lessons (anchor building, self-rescue, multi-pitch) or hiking.
Optional to Rent:
- Camping equipment.
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
We have a very strict cancellation policy. We recommend purchasing trip protection to protect your investment.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Camping & Cabins
Choose between sleeping in a bed in one of the cabins or camping. We provide tents, sleeping bags, and a camping mattress for a small fee. We do ask that participants bring their own pillows.
The cabins are quite basic and small (12 x 12 ft). Inside you will find a double bed, and one bunk bed. The cabins are heated and come with a nightstand, lamp, and small table. The cabins do not have their own restroom but are about a two minute walk from a restroom with sinks, toilets, and showers.
Mindfulness & Yoga
Yoga is one of the most accessible ways to improve at rock climbing. It increases flexibility, builds strength, promotes balance, and helps calm the mind. We will be offering an hour and a half yoga class after climbing on Friday and Saturday. All yoga instructors we partner with are familiar with climbing and will focus on a practice designed to restore and bring balance to the body after a full day on the rock.
Climbing
This retreat is geared toward beginners, those who have only climbed in a gym, OR those who have never tried rock climbing at all. Advanced climbers are welcome to join, but we will be sticking to the 5.4-5.9 range.
Guiding will be available for a variety of skill levels, taught by instructors trained through either the AMGA or PCGI.
Meals
We love to eat! And we love supporting local businesses. At each retreat we work with local restaurants to offer the best tasting food Anacortes has to offer. We will either order individual meals from restaurants to bring back to camp, or go out to one of the restaurants together. Whatever we end up with we will make sure you're well fed with tasty options. And don't worry, we can accommodate those with food restrictions.*
We provide a simple breakfast of bagels and cream cheese (GF and vegan options provided), eggs, grain free granola, yogurt, fruit, and nuts.
For lunch we will be providing sandwiches and a variety of snacks and bars.
Example Schedule
Day 1
Happy hour check-ins, mingling, and introductions.
Day 2
Enjoy a healthy breakfast before leaving our campsite to spend the day climbing at Mt. Erie. Stretch out the body and mind with some yoga, then relax into dinner and a campfire
Day 3
Similar to day two, we'll enjoy a nice breakfast before heading out for another beautiful day of climbing. We'll cap things off with another yoga session and a healthy dinner around the campfire.
Day 4
Our last day together includes yet another healthy breakfast and a full day of sweet Mt. Erie climbing. Before saying goodbye, we'll finish the day with some group photos atop the summit of Mt. Erie.
FAQs
Age & Physical Requirements
- Ability to hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack.
- Ability to do 20 squats.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
Travel Information
- WA: We recommend flying into the Bellingham airport. Optional airport transfer to/from Bellingham Airport.
- The property we will be staying at is located in Anacortes, Washington - approximately 1.5 hours north of Seattle.
- If not flying into Bellingham, we will provide one airport transfer at 4pm from the SeaTac airport.
- We will provide detailed directions in the sign up packet.
How many participants come by themselves?
The majority of women come to our clinics alone - somewhere around 95%. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves, seeking community.
I'm an advanced climber. Will I be able to lead climb?
Due to the nature of this event and climbing in the mountains, we do not allow participants to lead on this trip. As a company policy, we do not permit climbers to lead without a guide on a rope next to them which is not possible while we are in the mountains.
During our crag days will spend our time focusing on learning and building multi-pitch skills and clients will not have the opportunity to lead climb.
What is the average age of the women who attend?
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall anywhere between the ages of 26 to 45. But we have had quite a few women in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
I've never climbed before, can I come?
ABSOLUTELY. We will have at least 4 instructors at the retreat so that we can accommodate a wide range of abilities. In fact, teaching people the basics of rock climbing is what we do best. The entire ethos of She Moves Mountains guiding is to remember what it felt like to try climbing for the first time. It's intimidating, but we will be with you ever step of the way.
What happens if it rains or the weather is poor?
All of our retreats are rain or snow or smoke or shine. We do our best to choose dates where this won't be an issue, but it's always a possibility. Even more so with the changing climate. If poor weather occurs we will propose alternative activities such as movement skills at the climbing gym, technical skills lessons such as anchor building or multi-pitch clinics, or hiking.
If poor weather will ruin your experience we suggest that you purchase "cancel for any reason" trip protection as we will not be providing any refunds due to weather related issues.
Can I bring my pet?
We know you love your fur babies, but unfortunately we cannot allow pets on any of our group trips or clinics.
Can people with food allergies join?
People with food allergies are absolutely welcome to join us at our program! We have food options that are vegan, gluten free, lactose free. Of course, if it would make you more comfortable, you are also welcome to pack your own meals.
I am plus sized. Am I able to climb?
We aren't experts in this area as this is not the lived experience of our current instructor team. But we want you here and we are committed to making your experience a positive one.
If you can:
• Hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack
• Do 20 squats
• Have good balance
• And maintain a positive attitude
CLIMBING IS FOR YOU!
Currently the most limiting factor is the ability to fit into a harness. We have harnesses that can accommodate up to a 56inch waist. We are looking into getting a fleet of fully adjustable harnesses before next season starts.
If you want to learn more from plus sized climbers I highly recommend looking into Climb Big. Climb Big is an organization with a mission to "Make climbing more accessible for fat folx."
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have 2 types of payment options: Please visit our Payment Plans page for more information.
More Adventures