OUR ANNUAL CUSTER STATE PARK CLIMBING FESTIVAL IS HERE!
Join us at Pumpfest, A Black Hills Climbing Festival hosted by the Black Hills Climbers Coalition!
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Black Hills, this event brings together climbers of all skill levels for a weekend of vertical crystal pinching. Whether you’re a seasoned climber or beginner, Pumpfest offers a variety of climbing routes and challenges.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant community of climbers, enjoy expert-led workshops and clinics, and discover the breathtaking beauty of the Black Hills while climbing among the beautiful landscape of Custer State Park.
This years festival will be held behind Sylvan Lake in the Inner Outlet Climbing Area. We are setting up ropes along the formations of Inner Outlet, Vertigo View, Inner Course, Practice Rock, Paydirt Pinnacle & Nora’s Wall, giving you dozens of options to climb some of CSP’s most classic routes. To learn more about the climbing route demographics proceed down this page.
(Refer to map layout below for exact location)
Festival Schedule
Friday, July 26th
1-4PM: Set up Top Ropes in Outlets Area (Volunteers Needed - Sign up below)
5PM: Arrive at Old Pine Social for Guest Speakers
5:30PM: Logan Grosz Climbing Presentation (Read more about Logan below)
6:15PM: Mike and Rusty Lewis Climbing Presentation (Read more about Mike and Rusty below)
7-9PM: Book Signing, BHCC Booth, Food Truck, & More
Saturday, July 27th
8 AM: Mobility Clinic with Upward Mobility Fitness (Sign up below)
8:30AM: Meet at the Outlet Parking lot for climbers coffee.
9AM - 11AM: Sylvan Rocks Climbing Clinic. (Sign up and clinic information below)
9:30AM - 3:00PM: CLIMB! (Please sign waiver below)
3:30-4PM: Begin Removing top ropes.
4-4:30PM: Arrive at South Dakota Outdoor Shop.
5-7PM: Games, Booths, Food Truck, & Gear Giveaways
Sunday, July 28th
8 AM: Sylvan Rocks Multi Pitch Clinic (6 People Max-sign up below)
8 AM: Sylvan Rocks Self & Partner Rescue Skills (8 People Max - sign up below)
Additional Information for Pumpfest
All of our participants are required to fill our our waiver to participate in the climbing event. You can fill that form out here, or the day of at our booth.
Map Overview of Climbing Area
Sylvan Rocks Climbing Clinics
To sign up for any of the Sylvan Rocks Clinics please call this number: (605) 484-7585
Introduction to Rock Climbing
During this two-hour long course, you will learn the very basics of top rope rock climbing. Your instructors will teach you how to move effectively on the rocks, tie in with a figure eight follow through, top rope belay, and more! This course covers the foundational skills necessary to minimize risk while climbing in a single pitch, top rope setting.
Saturday July 27, 2024 9:00am (Meet at Pumpfest check in)
$20 per person – 12 people max
Equipment provided (Bring your own if you have it)
Instructors:
Matt Scherer: AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
https://www.sylvanrocks.com/matt-scherer
Brandon Emery: AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
Introduction to Multi-Pitch Sport Climbing
This four-hour long course is designed for those interested in multi-pitch sport climbing. This clinic will cover the basics of moving from sport climbing in a single pitch environment to entering the realm of beginner multi-pitch climbing. We will focus on efficiency, anchor building, and mitigating risk in the multi-pitch environment. Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate; but participants should have an understanding and comfortability with climbing in a single pitch environment.
Sunday July 28, 2024 8:00am (Meet at Sylvan Lake General Store)
$40 per person – 6 people max
Equipment NOT provided (Please bring your harness, helmet, shoes, anchor building materials (A variety of slings of different lengths, locking carabiners, non-locking carabiners, cordelette (18ft or more), belay device(s), etc.) Bring any gear you would normally carry while single or multi-pitch sport climbing. Participants will receive 10% off their entire purchase at the South Dakota Outdoor Shop if you need to purchase required materials for the course.
Instructor:
Ben Wade: AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
Self & Partner Rescue Skills
This five-hour long course is designed for avid and advanced climbers that wish to learn the foundational skills used during self & partner rescue. This course will cover isolating a compromised rope, passing a knot while lowering & on rappel, load transfers, escaping a belay into a counter balanced rappel, mechanical advantage, a ‘pick off’ (ex: injured lead climber), etc.
This is an ADVANCED level course, and participants should have a strong rock-climbing background. Participants should be familiar with various belay devices (assisted braking and not), extended rappelling, basic friction hitches, basic knot tying (figure eight, clove hitch, flat overhand, etc.) It is recommended that participants attempt to learn the munter hitch and the munter mule overhand prior to this course. While it is not mandatory for participants to be comfortable with the munter, exposure to the munter & munter mule overhand will allow more time to focus on the technical rescue skills covered in this course. The munter mule overhand is a foundational skill utilized in nearly all components of this rescue course.
Equipment NOT provided (Please bring your harness, helmet, shoes, anchor building materials (A variety of slings of different lengths, locking carabiners, non-locking carabiners, cordelette, belay device(s), etc.) Bring any gear you would normally carry while single or multi-pitch sport climbing). A cordelette (18-21ft long) is VERY important to have for this course. It is also recommended that you bring a form of note taking to best retain key points (photos & video taking is appropriate & encouraged). Participants will receive 10% off their entire purchase at the South Dakota Outdoor Shop if you need to purchase required materials for the course.
Sunday July 28, 2024 8:00am (Meet at Sylvan Lake General Store)
$40 per person – 8 people max
Instructor:
Ryan Emery: AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
https://www.sylvanrocks.com/ryan-emery
Chris Lile: AMGA Assistant Rock Guide, AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, AMGA Apprentice Ski Guide, AMGA Ice Instructor Course, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
Upward Mobility Fitness Clinic
Feeling achy, tired, or stiff? The Mobility Class is designed to assist your recovery from long days of climbing and improve your mobility so you can continue to send hard for years to come. During this hour of active recovery, we will be digging into the tightness and stiffness by stretching, improving joint range and motion, and some intentional joint stabilization activities. While providing a laid back, social atmosphere with chill tunes, this class provides a different approach to recovery than yoga. We will focus on learning the joint and muscle care necessary to keep your body happy all season long.
People will need: Comfy clothes to move in and a yoga mat/blanket if they have one.
Saturday July 27, 2024 7:30am
$12 per person - 15 people max
Sign Up Here: http://www.upwardmobilityfitness.com/pumpfest
Instructor: Carissa Schwinghammer
Guest Speakers
Logan Grosz
Photo by Luke Ross
By day, Logan Grosz is a software engineer; by night, he's a dedicated guidebook author. A father of two beautiful girls and a loving husband, Logan has spent the past five years merging his software engineering expertise with his passion for climbing to create the first-ever Black Hills Bouldering Guidebook. Join us to hear Logan share his journey as he took on the monumental task of documenting over 2,000 boulder problems within the Black Hills.
Mike & Rusty Lewis
Mike Lewis on the Back Cover of Vern Phinney’s Mt. Rushmore Guidebook.
If you've been ticking off the classic routes in Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park, you've likely encountered the work of Mike and Rusty Lewis. Join us on Friday night as the Lewis Brothers showcase their journey from their early days in the 1980s as the fearless "Rope-less Runner Raiders" to becoming a dynamic duo whose contributions have significantly shaped Black Hills climbing into what it is today.
Some notable Lewis Brothers routes:
Hydra Crack, | V3 X
Mothra | 5.13-
Bronchial Distress | 5.10+ PG13
Warning | 5.12- PG13
Rockwalk | 5.11 PG13
Birds | 5.12-
Walking the Plankton | 5.12+
Butteryfly | 5.12+