In 1987 Thomas Wendell started Hard Rock Climbing Services, which was the first established commercial climbing guiding service in the New River Gorge area. All of our guides are certified by the American Mountain Guide Association and have been providing instruction for beginning to advanced rock climbing, rappelling and vertical rope rescue in the New River Gorge and the Summersville Lake areas for over 23 years. Hard Rock has taken out thousands of people that have traveled to the New River Gorge area to experience rock climbing and rappelling as well as other outdoor adventures. Rock climbing is all we do and we have remained independently owned and operated after all these years.