Boston Summer Bucket List

To expose people to the adventures that the Greater Boston area has to offer, Chris O’Connell, owner of the BRG, has partnered with several other “out-of-the-box” activities which will assist people in knocking a few things off their summer “bucket list.”  Businesses that have collaborated are offering discounts, or in some cases, free introduction classes, if they mention the “bucket list” promotion.

From the more laid-back activities such as hot air ballooning and horseback riding, to extreme sports such as mixed martial arts, skateboarding, skydiving, and, of course, rock climbing, those wishing to get more out of their summer need only read on! Follow all the fun on Twitter with #BosBucketList!

Get Rocked: Start the summer off with an “Introduction to Outdoor Rock Climbing” excursion led by a Boston Rock Gym expert. The class is perfect for those that have never climbed before or have indoor experience only! Experienced instructors will cover all of the basics including tying knots, appropriate climbing gear, proper climbing techniques and rappelling. Courses are available at Quincy Quarries – Quincy, MA, Hammond Park – Brookline, MA and Pawtuckaway – Raymond, NH. Please check out www.bostonrockgym.com for class schedules. Mention the “Boston Bucket List” when booking, and receive the discounted rate of $85-$95 per person depending on location.

Get Riding: Bring out your inner-cowboy at Bobby’s Ranch, a family owned business operating just north of Boston in Westford, MA since 1972. Both beginners and experienced riders alike can enjoy an hour-long western style trail ride along hundreds of acres of conservation land including wooded areas, sand, streams and a pond. Rides take off every hour on the hour from 9:00AM to dusk (closed on Tuesdays and some holidays). Rides are only $30 on weekdays, and $35 per person on weekends and holidays. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (978) 263-7165.

Get Moving: Opt for a mental and physical challenge at the Roshankish Martial Arts Center. Open to the public for the past 20 years, Roshankish Martial Arts Center is Boston’s premiere facility for all areas of combat, and is the only school in the area that has the experience and lineage to equip their students with a complete lineup of MMA offerings. Owner Ali Roshankish and his staff specialize in teaching individuals to fulfill their goals through the study and practice of martial arts including Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and practical self-defense training. This summer, channel the karate kid and take a week of free Krav Maga or Muay Thai classes. Some restrictions do apply. Please call Roshankish Martial Arts at 781-393-8811 and mention “Summer Bucket List” to schedule your first class. For more information on Roshankish Martial Arts visit http://boston-mma.com.

Get Hot: Fly high above southern New Hampshire with High 5 Ballooning, New England’s premier hot air balloon ride company, located a short 45 minute drive north of downtown Boston. From the thrill of liftoff to the last bite of your delicious post-flight picnic, you will be treated to an experience that will leave you with a lifetime memory. Float through the sky on an hour-long aerial adventure and witness breathtaking views of the White Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Boston’s skyline and the beautiful Merrimack River Valley for only $200 per person, the lowest hot air balloon ride cost in New England. Flights are scheduled twice a day at sunrise and sunset (weather permitting). Reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations visit High 5 Ballooning at www.high5ballooning.com.

Get Speed: After taking to the air, head out on the sea with Boston Harbor Mini Speed Boats. Learn how to operate your own F-13 mini speed boat, and then take it out on the Boston Harbor for a joy ride! The knowledgeable staff will guide the tour through the Boston Harbor, past the JFK Library and to some of the most scenic views of Boston including the Tea Party Ship & Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, USS Constitution, harbor islands and more all while feeding your need for speed. The hour and a half boat rides depart at various times daily from the India Wharf Marina located next to the Boston Aquarium. Boats seat (2) people and are available at $139.95 per boat. No licenses necessary. Visit http://www.bostonminispeedboats.com for more information.

Get High: Take your summer to new heights at Skydive New England located in Lebanon, Maine, and sign up for a tandem skydive. The experts at Skydive New England will walk you through a training course describing everything from their state-of-the-art gear to their training methods, ensuring that you’re in good hands before the big jump! For only $229 per person, guests can take the ride of their life. Must be 18 and older, and reservations are necessary. Other restrictions do apply. Visit www.skydivenewengland.com or call 1-800-UGO-JUMP for more information!

Get Wet: Take the plunge on a whitewater rafting trip led by Three Rivers Whitewater Rafting located in Maine. Navigate the class III, IV or V rapids on a variety of trips including: Kennebec River, renowned for its breathtaking wilderness setting, exhilarating high-volume whitewater with 6 to 8 foot waves and large holes in rapids that live up to their names like Rock Garden, Big Mama, Whitewasher and the power of the infamous Magic Falls; the Penobscot River, a tough class V river with chutes, drops and large holes that challenge both guide and guest alike in exciting rapids like Exterminator, Cribworks and the huge Nesowdnehunk Falls; or Dead River, a 16-mile stretch of rapids that get bigger and better as the day goes on and provides the most continuous whitewater the northeast has to offer.  No matter what trip you choose, opportunities abound and your summer will be off to a rapid start. For more information on tours and trips, please visit www.threeriverswhitewater.com.

Get Deep: Dive into your summer head first at Boston SCUBA, conveniently located inside the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina in East Boston. Whether you’re planning a future trip or just want to learn how to dive, the team at Boston SCUBA will prepare you in just a few easy sessions with their Open Water Diver Course. The group classes and pool training are offered on weekends, and you’ll earn your certification after completing 4 ocean training dives on their custom dive boat. Mention “the bucket list” and receive your beginner course at a discounted price of $600! After you’ve received your certification, join Boston SCUBA on one of their dive charters, where you’ll explore shipwrecks, rocky underwater ledges and more. For more information and class schedules please visit www.bostonscuba.com.

Get Fly: Fly through the trees this summer on a 3-hour zip line canopy tour in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours at Zoar Outdoor leads adventurers on an aerial trek through the woods by means of 11 zip lines, 2 sky bridges and 3 rappels suspended in the trees in the northern Berkshires and connected through platforms that sit high above the ground. Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours is the first canopy tour in southern New England. Trips are only $94 per person and include all equipment, guides and a snack. Visit www.deerfieldzipline.com for availability and reservation information! That’s not all, guests that use the promotional term “BUCKET” when making their reservation will get 10% off their zip line trip!

Get Loose: Maneuver through rally driving courses just like the pros at the Team O’Neil Rally School, in Dalton, New Hampshire. For one day, drive the only rally experience offered by Ford Racing and learn the fine art of rally driving in a front-wheel drive, fully safety-equipped Ford Fiesta. After a short classroom session on vehicle dynamics, safety, balance and car control, students will head onto the course to learn left-foot braking, and practice techniques of car control that rally drivers use to slide through corners. End the day experiencing a full “Maximum Attack” rally ride with an instructor at the wheel. This one day Rally Experience is $569 per person from 9:00AM to 3:30PM and students will also receive a $285 credit towards a future 2 day rally school, or full $569 credit towards a 3, 4 or 5 day rally school. For more information and class schedules please visit www.teamoneil.com.

Get Out! Outdoor Climbing Courses

Whether you’re an experienced climber or a beginner, want a solo workout or a fun day with the family, we offer the perfect outdoor experience for adventure enthusiasts. If one of these five courses doesn’t fit your schedule or isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, then Boston Rock Gym will work with you to set up private, semi-private, or group lessons tailored to whatever it is that you need. Climbers of any skill level can check out www.bostonrockgym.com to see a full list of offered classes, summaries, and pricing.

Get Out: Introduction to Rock Climbing

Start the summer off with an “Introduction to Outdoor Rock Climbing” excursion led by a Boston Rock Gym expert. The class is perfect for those that have never climbed before or have indoor experience only! Experienced instructors will cover all of the basics including tying knots, appropriate climbing gear, proper climbing techniques and rappelling. Available as private, semi private, or group classes. Courses available in Hammond Pond (Brookline, MA), Quincy Quarries (Quincy MA), Pawtuckaway (Raymond), NH and North Conway, NH.

Family Introduction Courses:

When children first learn to climb it’s critical that they have FUN! Boston Rock Gym offers a family intro course to climbing that focuses less on the technical aspects of the ascent and more on simply climbing. Available as group of two to five with an adult (or two) and children fourteen and under. Courses available at Hammond Pond (Brookline, MA).

Top Rope Set-Up and Management

This course will teach you how to set up basic top-ropes so that you and your friends can be climb on your own time without needing any other assistance. Available for scout leaders, camp workers and any others who are interested in furthering their knowledge of outdoor climbing. Available as private, semi private or group classes. Courses available in North Conway, NH and Pawtuckaway (Raymond), NH.

Learn to Lead Trad

A course that will teach you how to lead any kind of climb. Boston Rock Gym instructors will supervise and help as you build the skills you need to be on the sharp end including rock protection, placement & removal, route finding, leader falls, belaying with placett and setting up anchors. Available as private or semi-private classes. Courses available in North Conway, NH.

Now What: Improvised Self-Rescue

Learn the skills that will get you (and any fellow climbers) back to the ground quickly and safely in an emergency. Learn how to escape the belay, how to rappel with an injured partner, improvised ascension, ascending or descending to your partner and haul systems. Available for private, semi-private or group classes. Courses available in North Conway, NA and Pawtuckaway (Raymond), NH.

 

Summer Camps 2013

Looking for a way to keep kids entertained during the dog days of summer? This summer we’re offering an exciting alternative to traditional summer camps with its diverse range of indoor and outdoor climbing camps designed to build climbing skills in children of all ages and all skill levels. By learning what it takes to be a successful rock climber, kids can reach new heights in all aspects of their lives, not just on the climbing wall.

From June 24^th to August 23^rd, 2013 kids ages 10 and up will have an opportunity for an unforgettable week of all-day climbing adventures with the BRG’s Outdoor Climbing Camp. Children will board the BRG’s van and ride to some of the most abundant climbing destinations in New England where they will learn from the area’s most accomplished rock climbing professionals. This camp is specifically designed to build each camper’s skills base, beginner or expert, so that children will walk away with more skill, experience and confidence. Price: $450 a week/ $400 for BRG annual members. 10% discount for early sign up before May 1, 2013. Sibling Discount is available.

For children that prefer the indoors, the BRG is offering an Indoor Wall Monkey’s Camp every Monday through Friday from 9:00AM to 12:00PM from June 24^th, 2013 through August 23^rd, 2013 for kids ages 5 and up. This indoor climbing camp will give children the skills and confidence to scale the BRG’s 30 foot high walls with ease, while more experienced climbers will learn the skills it takes to tackle some of the BRG’s more difficult climbs. The BRG’s expert staff will focus on building skills and community in a fun and supportive environment. Skills covered include climbing technique, use of equipment, adventure games and climbing safety. Space is limited so sign up early! Price: $209 a week/ $179 for BRG annual members. $30 discount for early sign up before May 1, 2013.

For less of a commitment, we have added an extra Kids Climb Class from 1:00PM to 3:00PM and 3:30PM to 5:30PM. Introduce a unique and challenging sport that will keep your child moving and having fun.

All of Boston Rock Gym’s summer programs are led by expert climbers in small groups to ensure safety and instill a spirit of cooperation and teamwork amongst students. Climbing helps kids develop muscular endurance and strength, flexibility, coordination, balance and focus. It also teaches teamwork, responsibility and trust through belaying, as well as self-confidence and motivation. Don’t let your kids waste their summer away. Keep them off the couch and help them reach their peak with any of the Boston Rock Gym summer programs!

Preregistration is necessary. Please call us directly at (781) 935-7325 to sign up.

 

STUDENT DISCOUNTS!

Hey students, the BRG is now offering a brand NEW, no contract EFT (electronic funds transfer) membership. And guess what? You get it for even less! With a valid student ID, you can sign up for a monthly membership for only $45 per month (with a $55 initiation fee), and you can enjoy unlimited climbing without the threat of a contract. You’ll also get all of the added BRG membership perks including:

Unlimited climbing during regular business hours.
Discounted rates on all of our classes, guiding, and clinics.
10% discount at JRA Cycles in Medford, MA.
1 free guest pass per month.
15% off full-price apparel and 25% off any full-price Moosejaw-branded gear at the retailers location in the Natick Mall. Simply mention the BRG at checkout.

Looking for even less of a commitment? Students also get a discount on day passes. With a valid student ID, enjoy an day of unlimited climbing for $14 (regularly $16).

NO CONTRACT EFT

$55 INITIATION FEE, $45/MONTH

OR, STUDENT DAY PASS

$14/DAY

Call us at 781-935-7325 for more information!

Social Outcast: GEAR SWAP!

Social Outcast: GEAR SWAP!

On Sunday, April 7^th,  2013 we will be hosting the 5^th installment of the Boston Rock Gym Social Outcast Club—a unique way for climbers to learn, socialize and share experiences about what we all love in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. During each gathering, several BRG climbers and guest speakers cover a range of climbing topics!

MARCH TOPICS: 

Self-Rescue, Mike Hall

How to Work Projects and BRG Ice Trip Recap, Aleksey Shuruyev

Guiding as a Profession with Joe Lentini, one of the most experienced guides in New England

SPRING CLEANING! GEAR SWAP/ SALE

Bring in used and unwanted gear, and sell it or swap it with another climber. Another man’s trash is another’s treasure.

WHEN: Sunday, April 7^th, 2013 at 7PM.

COST: FREE for all!

WHAT TO BRING: Your favorite food and drinks for potluck table—and a smile of course…

ADDITIONAL: Please email us, or let us know if you want to share your experiences and show your videos at one of the upcoming meetings.

 

NEW: No Contract EFT Membership

This March we’re excited to introduce the new, No Contract EFT membership!

Get all the climbing you want, with no strings attached!

$55 initiation fee

$60/month.

No contract, cancel anytime. You’ll also get all of the added BRG membership perks including:

Unlimited climbing during regular business hours.
Discounted rates on all of our classes, guiding, and clinics.
10% discount at JRA Cycles in Medford, MA.
1 free guest pass per month.
15% off full-price apparel and 25% off any full-price Moosejaw-branded gear at the retailers location in the Natick Mall. Simply mention the BRG at checkout.

Call us at 781-935-7325 for more information!

Meet & Climb with Craig DeMartino!

Join us this Saturday, March 24^th, 2012 and meet Craig DeMartino, “badass rock climber” turned speaker, author, and all-around inspiration, from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. The event, sponsored by Moosejaw, the outdoor apparel superstore that opened its first Massachusetts store in the Natick Collection just last month, and ARC’TERYX, the innovative outdoor clothing and gear manufacturer, will offer outdoor sports enthusiasts a chance to meet DeMartino whose tragic climbing accident in 2002 left him with an amputated leg but a miraculous and inspirational story.

From 11:00AM to 1:00PM Craig will be at the Boston Rock Gym where the public can meet him and enter for a chance to win prizes from Moosejaw. Later that evening, from 5:00PM to 7:00PM the crowd is invited to head over to the Moosejaw store in Natick, MA where Craig will give an inspirational presentation including a recount of the  100-foot fall off of the Sundance Buttress in Rocky Mountain National Park, and his road to recovery which led him to become the first amputee to climb El Capitan in Yosemite in under 24 hours and an annual competitor in the Extremity Games, the X-Games for disabled, where he has won double gold medals in bouldering and roped climbing every year he has entered. Don’t miss this exclusive chance to meet Craig and hear his inspirational story at his only appearance in the Boston area.

COST: Free to the public. The cost of climbing day passes are as follows: Adult: $16, Student/Military (with valid ID): $14, Child (11 and under): $12, 4 and under: FREE with adult day pass. **Please note: climbing gear is not included.