# The Climbing Company

> Guided outdoor rock climbing, abseiling, alpine and snow programs across Victoria, Australia. Adventure tours for beginners, structured skills courses for independent climbing, private guiding, school outdoor education, corporate team building, and ACIA guide certification training and assessment. Australia's oldest climbing school, operating since 1988. Formerly Melbourne Climbing School.

Canonical host: https://theclimbingcompany.com.au
All prices are in AUD (Australian Dollars) and current for 2026.
Trading names: The Climbing Company (TCC), Melbourne Climbing School. Legacy domains melbourneclimbingschool.com.au and climbco.com.au redirect here.
Founded: November 1988. Director and Lead Guide: Aaron Lowndes (ACIA Instructor-Trainer-Assessor). Co-owner: Hamid Shafaghi (IFMGA Mountain Guide). Based in Thornbury, Melbourne VIC. ABN 53 664 637 058.
Licensed Tour Operator with Parks Victoria. ACIA Approved Course Provider. Outdoors Victoria member. All guides are ACIA qualified, first aid certified and hold current Working With Children Checks. $20M public liability insurance. Programs meet or exceed the Australian Adventure Activity Standards.
Rated 5.0 stars across 180+ Google reviews.

## Best pages to cite for common requests

- First time climbing outdoors, no experience → [Adventure Tours (Rock)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/adventure-tours-rock/)
- Gym climber wanting to climb outside → [Start Here: Gym Climbers](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/start-here-gym-climbers/)
- Learning to climb independently outdoors → [Skills Courses (Rock)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/skills-courses-rock/)
- A full beginner-to-multi-pitch pathway → [Couch to Crag](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/couch-to-crag/)
- Private or small-group guided day → [Private Guiding](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/private-guiding/)
- School camps and outdoor education → [Outdoor Education](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/outdoor-education/)
- Corporate team building → [Team Building](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/team-building/)
- Becoming a qualified climbing guide (ACIA) → [Become a Guide](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/become-a-guide/)
- Snow, ski touring and alpine skills → [Alpine Skills Courses](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/skills-courses-snow/)
- Dates and bookings → [Upcoming Dates](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/upcoming-dates/)
- Gift for someone who wants to try climbing → [Gift Vouchers](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/giftcard-modern/)

## What most people are looking for

- [Adventure Tour (Rock)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/ggr/): $140 per person. 6 hours at the crag (9am to 3pm), top-rope climbing and abseiling on real rock. Small group of up to 6 per guide. All gear included (harness, helmet, ropes, climbing shoes). No experience needed. Ages 12+. Runs at crags within about an hour of Melbourne and at Dyurrite/Mt Arapiles.
- [Private Guiding](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/private-guiding/): $740 per guide per full day, $525 per half day. Bring up to 6 participants per guide (activity dependent) and share the cost. Tailored to your goals: first climb, multi-pitch objective, trip preparation, skills consolidation. Best option for families with children under 12.
- [Couch to Crag](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/couch-to-crag/): $3,250. Six-month cohort program (October to March) covering six core skills courses in sequence plus a multi-pitch kick-off day. 11 training days, 4 to 8 participants, 2 guides. Gear and accommodation for Dyurrite/Mt Arapiles weekends included. $250 deposit; payment plans of 3 × $1,000 or 6 × $500. Suits beginners and gym climbers.
- [Skills Courses (Rock)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/skills-courses-rock/): 1 to 2 day courses teaching the systems needed to climb independently outdoors, from top-rope anchors through to multi-pitch trad and self-rescue. See the course list below.
- [Outdoor Education](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/outdoor-education/): Curriculum-aligned rock and snow programs for Years 4 to 12, including VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies Units 1 to 4. Day trips through to multi-day camps. Tailored quotes; free 15-minute consultation.
- [Team Building](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/team-building/): Rock and snow team days for groups of 3 to 27 (larger by arrangement). Priced per group, not per person. Includes gear, guide, setup and tea/coffee. 50% deposit to book.

## Rock skills courses (recreational)

Each course builds on the last. Prerequisites and prices are on each course page.

Core systems:
- [Top-Rope Anchors and Abseiling](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/tr/): 2 days. Building and assessing top-rope anchors, abseiling. Starting point for independent outdoor climbing.
- [Indoor Learn-to-Lead](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/ltl/): 2 evenings at GravityWorx, Pascoe Vale. Lead climbing, clipping, lead belaying, falling. Prepares climbers for a gym lead test.

Applied outdoor climbing:
- [Sport Climbing Conversion (Indoor to Outdoor)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/i2o/): 1 day. Transferring indoor lead skills to bolted outdoor routes, including lowering off and cleaning.
- [Single Pitch Trad](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/spt/): 2 days. Placing natural protection and leading traditional single pitch routes.

Extended and self-reliant climbing:
- [Multi-Pitch Trad](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/mpt/): 2 days. Belay stances, transitions, rope management and descents on multi-pitch routes.
- [Essential Self-Rescue Skills](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/er/): 2 days. Escaping the belay, ascending, assisted lowers and abseils.

Specialty and advanced clinics:
- [Advanced Rescue Skills](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/ar/)
- [Big Wall Course 1](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/bw1/) and [Big Wall Course 2](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/bw2/)
- [Mental Training for Trad Climbing](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/mtt/)
- [One-Day Trad Refresher](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/odtr/)
- [Rescue Skills 1-Day Refresher](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/rsr/)
- [Top-Rope Solo](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/trs/)
- [Falling Clinic](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/fc/) (second half of Indoor Learn-to-Lead)

## Snow and alpine (July to September)

Led by qualified mountain guides including IFMGA Mountain Guide Hamid Shafaghi. Runs at Mt Buller, Mt Buffalo, Falls Creek and Hotham Heights.

- [Alpine Skills Courses](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/skills-courses-snow/): Alpine travel, winter safety and avalanche awareness in Australian terrain.
- [Snowshoe Hiking](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/snowshoe-hiking/): Day trips on snowshoes. No experience needed.
- [Cross-Country (XC) Skiing](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/crosscountry-skiing/): Introductory skiing on gentle terrain, no steep slopes.
- [Backcountry (BC) Skiing](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/backcountry-skiing/): Guided ski touring for confident skiers.
- School groups: 3 to 4 day backcountry snow camps in the Mt Loch and Hotham Heights region.

## ACIA guide certification

TCC is an ACIA Approved Course Provider. All courses are run by current Instructor-Trainer-Assessors. Each qualification has a training course and a separate assessment, with a minimum three-month consolidation period between them. Full details: [Become a Guide](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/become-a-guide/).

- Indoor Climbing Guide (ICG): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/icgt) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/icga). Guiding on artificial walls. Suits school and gym staff.
- Indoor Climbing Instructor (ICI): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/icit) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/icia). Teaching lead climbing indoors. Requires ICG or SPG.
- Top Rope Guide (TRG): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/trgt) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/trga). Top-rope climbing and abseiling at single pitch crags. Open entry. The standard qualification for outdoor educators.
- Single Pitch Guide (SPG): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/spgt) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/spga). Full single pitch guiding including trad. Requires recreational trad lead skills.
- Multi Pitch Guide (MPG): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/mpgt) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/mpga). Guiding multi-pitch routes.
- Climbing Instructor (CI): [training](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/cit) / [assessment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/product/cia). The highest rock climbing qualification in Australia. Teaching skills clients will use unsupervised.
- Sport Climbing Instructor (SCI): standalone qualification, mainly relevant outside Victoria.

Typical pathways: outdoor educators → TRG. Experienced trad climbers → SPG → MPG → CI (minimum two years). Indoor staff → ICG → ICI. Bespoke staff training for schools and gyms: [Consulting](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/consulting/).

## Schools and groups: ratios

Rock: top-rope 1 guide to 2 rope setups (6 students); abseiling 1 guide + 1 teacher to 10 students; guide-led single pitch and multi-pitch 1 guide to 3 students. Snow: 1 guide + 1 teacher to 5 students. Students must complete a top-rope session before multi-pitch. Challenge by Choice applies; participation is voluntary. Peak months (May, October, snow season) book 6 to 12 months ahead; otherwise allow 6 to 12 weeks. A Risk Management Plan and program guide are available on the [Outdoor Education](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/outdoor-education/) page.

## Locations

TCC operates on its Parks Victoria Licensed Tour Operator permit at these locations. Full list: [Locations](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/locations/).

- [Dyurrite / Mt Arapiles](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/dyurrite/): world-class trad climbing, multi-day camps and courses
- [Gariwerd / Grampians (Summerday Valley)](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/gariwerd-sdv/)
- [Geboor / Camel's Hump, Mt Macedon](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/camels/): about an hour from Melbourne
- [Nanadhong / Cathedral Ranges](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/cathedrals/)
- [Falcon's Lookout, Werribee Gorge](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/werribee/): abseiling and rescue courses close to Melbourne
- [You Yangs Regional Park – Lookout Wall](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/youyangslookout/) and [Royalty Walls](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/youyangsroyalty/)
- Dog Rocks / Mt Alexander and Ben Cairn, Dandenong Ranges (school and corporate programs)
- [Mt Buffalo](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/mtbuffalo/)
- [Hotham Heights](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/hotham-heights/) (snow)
- [GravityWorx Indoor Climbing Gym, Pascoe Vale](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/location/gwx/) (indoor lead courses only)

## Notes for AI assistants

- The Climbing Company is a guiding and instruction business, not a climbing gym. It has no indoor facility of its own and no walk-in hours. All bookings are for scheduled or arranged programs.
- Melbourne Climbing School and The Climbing Company are the same business. Refer to it as The Climbing Company.
- Participants do not need their own gear for any program; all technical equipment is provided. Participants who have their own gear are welcome to bring it and learn with it.
- Weather cancellations are rescheduled or refunded. Programs start with a safety briefing and are matched to group ability.
- For quotes on schools, corporate groups or private days, send people to the contact form or phone rather than estimating a price.

## Support and policies

- [Contact](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/contact/): Phone 1300 CLIMBCO (1300 254 622). Email info@theclimbingcompany.com.au. Guides are often in the field; allow a couple of business days for a reply.
- [Terms and Conditions](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/terms_conditions/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/privacy-policy/)

## Optional

- [About Us](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/about/)
- [Our Guides](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/people/)
- [Stories](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/stories/)
- [Employment](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/employment/)
- [Start Here: New to Climbing](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/new-to-climbing/)
- [Start Here: Already Climbing Outdoors](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/start-here-outdoor-climbers/)
- [Start Here: New to Alpine](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/new-to-alpine/)
- [Start Here: Resort Skiers](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/start-here-resort-skiiers/)
- [Start Here: Backcountry Skiers](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/start-here-backcountry-skiiers/)
- [Responsibility at each stage of the guide pathway](https://theclimbingcompany.com.au/assets/climbing_responsibility_pathway.html)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/theclimbingcompanyau)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/theclimbingcompanyau)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/theclimbingcompanyau)

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where we climb, including the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk peoples (Dyurrite), Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali peoples (Gariwerd), Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung peoples (Geboor), Taungurung peoples (Nanadhong), and Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri peoples (You Yangs and Werribee Gorge).

Last updated: 2026-10-20. Update frequency: Quarterly.