Hoofer Mountaineering Club Climbing Team

Join the Club

You must be a member of Hoofer Mountaineering to join the Hoofer Mountaineering Club Climbing Team.

Click here for more information!

We are a group of UW-Madison student climbers that trains at Summit Strength and Fitness twice per week during the semester. At this private space with our coach who specializes in training climbers, we work on improving our climbing technique, our physical strength, and our mental game. We compete regularly in a variety of competitions both locally and out-of-state. Gear ownership is not necessary to join. We do have a capacity limit and membership is on a semester basis, so be sure to reach out at the beginning of the semester if you're interested! Please contact the directors at team@hoofermountaineering.org for more information on dues and practice schedule.

Team dues are $200 per semester. Team dues cover practices (including facility and coaching costs) and a team t-shirt! If cost is an issue, make sure to contact the team directors at team@hoofermountaineering.org. Full climbing team scholarships are offered most semesters.

Practices are held twice per week at Summit Strength and Fitness (3118 Kingsley Way, Madison, WI 53713). The team directors organize a carpooling system to transport members to/from the gym.

Practice times: Wednesdays from 7:15-9:15pm and Sundays from 1:00-3:00pm

Fall semester season: September 27-December 13

Spring semester season: February 7-May 1

How do I get to practice? Summit Strength and Fitness is located approximately 4 miles from campus. A few team members have cars and most practices have organized carpools to and from Union South with enough spots to accommodate everyone. You can also drive or bike there yourself, and there are public buses that will drop you off nearby.

Do I need climbing experience and equipment to join? No! Team is open to climbers of all levels and each semester we welcome a handful of team members who are new to climbing. Summit has climbing shoes you can rent if you don’t have your own. Team is a great opportunity to learn basic climbing skills or fine-tune advanced technique. We are proud of our welcoming and inclusive atmosphere and would love to have you join us regardless of your level of indoor bouldering experience!

Are there tryouts? We do not have tryouts. However, team capacity is capped at 30 members + 2 directors per semester due to space constraints. At the beginning of each semester we host two trial practices where everyone (regardless of whether or not you are a member of Hoofer Mountaineering) who is interested in joining the team can get a feel for what our practices are like.

How do I get a spot on team? After the two trial practices are over, everyone who attended will be emailed a link to sign-up for team. Sign-up is first-come, first-served until all 30 spots are filled. Drivers of the carpool and returning members have priority and will receive the link before new members. Unfortunately, due to capacity restrictions we cannot guarantee everyone a spot on team, but if you did not sign-up in time please try again next semester!

Please reach out to team@hoofermountaineering.org with any questions!

We compete regularly in a variety of competitions both locally and out-of-state. Competing is not required but is strongly encouraged. We also travel to Adventure Rock MKE as a team a few times per semester to practice rope climbing!