Climbing and the Pub: A vertical social adventure with 🥑food and 🍻drink

🧗Climbing, onwards and upwards to the Pub: A Vertical Social Adventure
Eat Drink Dance Melbourne – Social Rock Climbing Night
Hardrock Climbing, Swanston St (CBD)
Thursday 8 January 2026 – Subject to venue timetables (stay tuned!)

Venue information inc costs.
Hard Rock Climbing
You will need to purchase entry and at a minimum also a rock climbing harness, you also have the option to hire climbing shoes (for a better experience) and chalk although these are not exactly necessary if you are new to the sport.

Ready to swap the dance floor for a climbing wall and flirt with gravity for a couple of hours? Join us for Climbing to Pub, a fun, social, slightly chaotic vertical adventure right in the heart of Melbourne.

We’ll spend around 2 hours at Hardrock Melbourne (CBD) scaling colourful walls, cheering each other on, and discovering which muscles we forgot existed. Afterwards, for those who want to keep the good vibes rolling, we’ll wander over to Captain Melville for dinner and drinks from 9pm—because nothing says “I conquered a wall” like a cold beverage and a hearty feed.

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What to Bring

• Water (hydration = happiness)
• Comfortable, stretchy clothes
• Runners (or hire climbing shoes for a much better grip-and-zip experience)
• A big carbohydrate snack to keep the energy flowing
• Your best “I swear I’m not afraid of heights” attitude

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For First‑Timers & New Gym Climbers
If you’ve never climbed before—or you’re new to Hardrock—you’ll need to complete a compulsory safety induction. The friendly staff will outfit you with a harness and teach you how to belay safely (aka: how to hold your climbing partner’s life in your hands with confidence and charm). We’ll be doing roped climbing, so teamwork is part of the fun.

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A Note from Your (Very Rusty) Host
Once upon a time I was a climbing and mountaineering instructor… and then came lockdowns, injuries, hand surgeries, and a long break from the vertical arts. So I’ll be right there with you on the baby beginner climbs, laughing, wobbling, and rediscovering my forearms. No pressure, no ego—just a group of friendly humans having a go.

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What to Expect

• A fun, flirty, low‑stakes social atmosphere
• Lots of cheering, laughing, and “wait, how do I get down?” moments
• A guaranteed dose of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) if you haven’t exercised in a while
• A perfect warm‑up for the group’s cycling rides if you want to get those muscles activated

Climbing is one of the best social sports around—shared challenge, shared triumph, and plenty of opportunities to chat between climbs. Whether you’re a seasoned wall‑scrambler or a total newbie, you’re welcome.

Stay tuned for final confirmation once Hardrock releases their summer timetable.
If we can't get a good time, I'll rebook the event for when they have late night opening again.

Let’s climb, laugh, flirt with gravity… and then wander to the pub.

If you do not get there on time ask at reception for the Meetup group run by Mark

Pleaee Note:Please ensure that you remove yourself from the RSVP list if you can't make it, and let other people on the waitlist, if there is one, onto the event. I tend to remove no shows and flakes from the group for special events like this