This week’s Home Wall of the Week is another Covid build, with another bright and fun paint job. This one lives in a backyard in La Mesa, California. It’s owner Thomas C.’s second homewall, he seems to be getting the hang of it!
When did you build your wall?
I started this build around mid April after realizing that it would be a while before I could return to my home gym.
How long did it take you to build?
This build took me about two weeks to complete. I enjoyed taking my time on the entire build.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
This build cost me between 350-400 dollars.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
This would be my second homewall build. My first was done in the garage of my previous residence. After moving to where I live now I was lucky enough to have a backyard that offered more space to truly express my interest in building a bigger and better homewall.
This wall design was most definitely inspired by a Facebook group designated towards homewall builds. After months of looking at all the different builds that were going up, I knew I had to build a new wall for myself.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
The most difficult aspect of building this wall had to be deciding if it was going to be a freestanding wall or a permanent climbing wall. In the end, I decided to go with a permanent structure and I couldn’t be happier!
What would you do differently?
If I were to do anything differently I would have made the wall adjustable to different degrees of overhang.
What is your favorite aspect?
My favorite aspect of this wall has to be the paint job. I wasn’t quite set on any particular design. One day I decided to just start taping the plywood and paint, it worked out great!
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
If you are inspired, GO FOR IT! You won’t regret it.
Want us to consider your woodie for a future Homewall of the Week? Submit your homewall here to be considered. If yours is chosen you’ll win a prize pack like this (varied prizes each week):
Both the Youth and Collegiate series had new lines drawn for the 2020-2021 competition season. The Youth series, shown here, will increase from 16 to 18 regions and 8 to 9 divisions. All photos courtesy of USA Climbing
USA Climbing’s (USAC) Board of Directors has confirmed the realignment of the regions and divisions for its Youth and Collegiate competition series. The approved recommendations came from USAC’s Realignment Task Force (RTF), which was formed in 2018 to review the organizations’ geographic structure for better “inclusiveness, athlete well-being, growth, and international success,” according to USAC’s press release. The changes will take effect in October for the 2020-2021 season and will be in place for four years.
“A big thank you to the RTF who spent considerable time gathering feedback from numerous constituents including significant input from our Regional Coordinators. The RTF conducted a thorough review of climbing gyms capabilities to host events and member geographic locations in an effort to balance competitor numbers across regions and address growing participation numbers,” said Marc Norman, CEO of USAC. “Again, I can’t thank the RTF enough for their tremendous work in ensuring our sport is well-positioned for future growth.”
Leveling the Playing Field
The Youth and Collegiate realignment documents of the RTF identified several reasons for the changes. Mainly, the regions and divisions were believed to be becoming too imbalanced. The redrawn lines were designed to spread out the average number of competitors per division, as well as even out the estimated strength of the fields. Another consideration was keeping travel burdens on competitors and their families at a minimum, both to promote economic inclusion and acknowledge ongoing COVID-19 challenges.
“As our sport continues to grow, one of the challenges our Regions face is the large and uneven growth of competitive members on an annual basis”, said John Muse, Vice President of Sport at USAC. “The goal every four years is to redraw the regional boundaries to maintain a fair and balanced competitive structure and we support and believe the RTF recommendations will do just that.”
The new realignment of the Collegiate series, which consolidated from 13 to 7 divisions.
Divisions Expand for Youth, Consolidate at Collegiate Level
In the Youth series, notable changes included the expansion from 16 to 18 regions and 8 to 9 divisions. Regionally, Colorado will be divided North to South instead of East to West (with Denver split along I70), the Desert region was divided into two, and an entirely new region was added between the Midwest and Southeast areas. In terms of divisions, major changes occurred in the West, with the Mountain West joining Northern California, Southern California pairing with Arizona, and the majority of Texas combining with the new region previously mentioned.
At the Collegiate level, 13 regions consolidated to 7 divisions: West Coast, Rockies, South Central, Heartland, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In addition to balancing the distribution of athletes, the shift to 7 divisions was also done to increase the number of potential host sites for National Qualifying Events and local competitions. Now, all but one division are expected to have over 200 athletes competing, instead of only four regions before.
Last year CBJ reported that climbing is thriving at the Collegiate level—a fact that was bolstered by the hiring of Rachel Owens in October to work towards climbing’s NCAA sanctioning. Stay tuned to CBJ for more news about USA Climbing’s efforts at the Youth and Collegiate levels.
Dr. Constance “Connie” Lightner will join USA Climbing’s Board of Directors in September. All images courtesy of USA Climbing
USA Climbing recently announced that Dr. Constance “Connie” Lightner will join its Board of Directors. Lightner, the mother of decorated American competitor Kai Lightner, will begin her term on September 1 following current and longtime member Patti Rube’s completion of term.
Dr. Lightner is a professor in the department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She has previously been part of various USA Climbing endeavors and initiatives, including the development of the 2024 Strategic Plan. Dr. Lightner is also a member of USA Climbing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.
A brief biography of Dr. Lightner on USA Climbing’s website noted, “Connie Lightner played an instrumental role in guiding her son’s success domestically and internationally; she possesses a unique understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented to climbing families.”
Patti Rube, who is the current President of the Board of Directors, said, “As a university professor and faculty department chair with expertise in statistics, management science, operations management, and quality control, Dr. Lightner brings business management and leadership skills to our Board, and as a parent of an elite climber she also brings a deep knowledge of our sport. We are thrilled to welcome Connie and look forward to her continuing contributions for years to come.”
Other current members of USA Climbing’s Board of Directors (in addition to Rube) are: Bruce Mitchell (Vice President), Matthew Roberts (Treasurer), Kate Felsen Di Pietro, Avery Cook, Brett Rogers, Joel Litvin, Dustin Skinner, and athletes Kyra Condie and Jesse Grupper. The full press release about Dr. Lightner’s joining of the Board of Directors can be found here.
Welcome to the second “monthly wrap” in cooperation with Climbing Hold News Reviews where we will bring you the latest in climbing holds, macros and volumes. We hope you love this as much as we do!
It’s been a challenging month here in America with social change and important issues occurring everywhere. As Covid-19 appears to be here to stay, commercial climbing gyms grapple with adopting protective standards and coming up with ways to keep climbers safe. Nevertheless, climbers are returning to the gyms in droves with even a few new gyms poised to open up with brand news holds, macros and volumes. Here’s hoping we can continue this forward momentum in gyms and the return of an increase in new releases. There’s some hot stuff in the pipeline and can’t wait to keep sharing it with you.
// NEW DEVELOPMENTS //
Menagerie
Menagerie Climbing’s website was updated this month with a preview of things to come including their sister company Formik Climbing as well as the release of the German-made Blocz Torso and Voidbringer fiberglass macros. The Torso macros are high-profile stalactites, while the Voidbringer macros are more subtle, sloping and bulbous. menagerieclimb.com
Thrillseeker
Thrillseeker has released the Titans which are dual texture competition holds shaped by Dario Stefanou of Ibex. They are a natural progression from the debut Obsidian line which are also dual texture. These dual texture holds feature angular pinches, edges and are a combination of small to titan sized bolt on and screw on holds. They are poured by Composite-X in Dannomond polyurethane and distributed by Mark Bradley through Compass Climbing in the U.S. and Canada. thrillseekerholds.com
Flathold
Flathold has officially released their new unique Lucha Libre line which is a dual texture line representing “holds with a thousand masks.” This was the brainchild of shaper Manuel Hassler in pursuing new expressions of dual texture after collaborating in 2018 with Laurent Laporte of Cheeta Holds. The result is a combination of seemingly simple shapes with texture that will keep you paying attention. Flathold has also released the Golden Leaves and Borderline macros and describes them respectively as “the duality between two shapers” which has created half egg shapes and “simple and fundamentally functional” ledges respectively. Check out the newly redesigned website to see all the shapes. flathold.com
Bluepill
Bluepill Climbing is releasing a set of 8 huge wooden multi-plane volumes which have a left and right mirror image of one another. They are named the Good Wings and the Bad Wings and their namesake comes from the Good set having more positive angles and the Bad set less positive angles for grabbing. Bluepill Climbing macros and volumes are distributed exclusively by Blocz Distribution in the U.S. bluepill-climbing.com
Rock City
Rock City is based out of the UK but has recently begun distribution through Blocz in the U.S. Rock City is also an official supplier of climbing holds, macros and volumes for IFSC Climbing as well as the postponed Tokyo Olympics. Recently they have announced the Basic series which include the Basic Edge Pairs shown above. These are holds which can be used to block or create seams with shiny dual texture on the outside surface. rockcity.co.uk/climbing-holds
Ibex
Ibex has released several sets of new Composite-X polyurethane crack-like holds which are expansions of their new Alpha range shaped by Dario Stefanou. The Alpha Crack Positive is a set of 4 screw-on jugs and the Alpha Crack Negative is a series of 4 puzzle-piece bolt-on blockers, and they are designed to fit together. Ibex Climbing Holds is distributed Mark Bradley through Compass Climbing in the U.S. and Canada. ibexholds.com
Satellite
Satellite, based out of Japan, recently confirmed North American distribution by Enrico Baistrocchi’s new Solostile Climbing Lab. They have just released an expansion to the Toron line which features jugs, pinches, dishes, slopers and huecos. satelliteclimbing.com
Atomik
Atomik recently released the individual, 3-pack or 5-pack Leaves which are jugs designed for kid and feature the following leaves – Maple, Oak, Poplar, Birch and Aspen. They also released the 10-pack Rounders, which are rounded crimps, as well as an arrow-shaped down climb jug. atomikclimbingholds.com
Robinhood
Robinhood is a newer company based out of Ohio which has released 3 new sets. The Waves (shown in black) are a series of plate-like positive ridged edges which feature 10 small and 10 medium size shapes by Heywood BD (formerly of Pur Climbing). Jugs for Jugs is a set of 5 varied round jugs and a ribbon hold which were shaped by Andy Nelson, owner of Method Grips. The profits of this set are will be donated initially to a family in need and then after 6 months to the Susan G. Komen foundation. robinhoodclimbing.com
Endure
Endure, a small batch hold company based out of Richmond, VA, has released an expansion to the Meddler series, bringing the line to 32 holds. The series now includes new jugs and edges shaped by Stephen Chafee. climbendure.com
Capital
Capital just popped out the new screw-on Swoops, shaped by owner Christopher Neal, which are sloping jibs. capitalclimbing.com
Post Holds
Post Holds, a Canadian company distributed by Hold Emporium, has released many new screw-on sets shaped by professional climbing coach Matt Chapman and Ethan Salvo. These include the Block Heads blocking edges, the Credit Crimps thin smooth crimps, the Real Rocks thin crimps with rock-like texture, and the Hatchlings jibs. holdemporium.com
Holdz
Holdz is a UK-based company that has been around for 20 years and are shaped by Steve Goodair. They are releasing 300 new shapes poured by Composite-X in Dannomond. holdz.co.uk
Bleaustone
Bleaustone recently redesigned their Fontainebleau Nano Jugs to fit in the hand more comfortably and also include setscrew holes. climb-holds.com
Max Holds
Max Holds, based in Iran, recently expanded their dual texture Stumps Family into a larger size. maxholds.co
Behind the Desk… is an ongoing series that profiles people influencing and advancing the industry in gyms around North America. But this time, CBJ decided to head south—way south—to talk about how gyms in South America are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and what the gym scene is like in Argentina.
Fernando Cicconi giving an instructional class at Realization Escalada in Argentina. All photos courtesy of Realization Escalada
Name: Fernando Cicconi Title: Chief Routesetter, Realization Escalada Gym Instagram: @realizationescalada
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
CBJ: Tell me a little bit about your gym, Realization Escalada, and how it has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis?
Cicconi: Realization was started in 1999 by original owners Ariel Martorello and Andrés Puertas. It was rather small, but it enlarged over time even though there wasn’t much information available here about artificial climbing walls. The climbing holds were mostly self-made. In 2016, Ariel Martorello went to live in Bariloche, which left Andrés Puertas as the sole owner.
We tried to improve the facility, as well as the quality of the attention to the climbers, and improve the routesetting with weekly route turnover. I started to work as chief routesetter together with another routesetter named Daniel Fontan, and eventually we invited other routesetters to work with us. We organized climbing festivals at the gym. And in the year 2015 we moved to a new location that provided greater comfort and more of a commercial profile—which generated a greater influx of climbers. Then, in 2019, we started to work with some European companies like Euroholds and Entre-Prises. We even organized the first commercial setting courses in Argentina. And we continue to work on improving training and are always coming up with new ideas.
The pandemic—and temporary closure—forced us to focus on income from merchandise sales and donations. We are still closed, but we have implemented an app for booking two-hour shifts (with half-hour time slots allotted for disinfection between shifts). Currently in the city of Buenos Aires, climbing gyms have not been allowed to reopen, but we have repainted our walls and established some mitigation protocols.
Cicconi and the crew at Realization Escalada have been hard at work during the gym’s temporary closure—repainting, routesetting, and getting ready to implement various mitigation protocols.
CBJ: This pandemic has actually brought the climbing industry in the United States and Canada together in a lot of ways. Many gyms have all been forthcoming in sharing information and strategies. Are you seeing the same sort of climbing industry camaraderie in Argentina and South America?
Cicconi: Great question, but not so easy to answer. In South America there is not a developed climbing industry like there is in the United States or Europe—mostly because of the costs, and in many cases because of a lack of organization. But yes, there is a lot of initiative to improve the sport and many concrete initiatives here.
There are some great climbing gyms in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina, and those have high standards in terms of infrastructure—but they are not the majority. Most climbing gyms are small and need to embrace more commercial strategies in order to grow. But it is still difficult to introduce any commercial vision to climbing gyms, at least in Argentina; yet a good commercial structure—in terms of management—is what will eventually lead climbing gyms in South America to greater profitability and growth. In that respect, I believe that initiatives such as commercial routesetting courses can contribute to gradually changing things.
The positive side is that the pandemic has generated an opening of information. It has encouraged an acceleration of the modernization processes for many climbing gyms. The negative side is that some gyms have suffered the consequences of the quarantine—and have not been able to survive, partly because of the lack of economic income and lack of commercial vision for their business, in my opinion.
Luckily, in some places in our country, since the beginning of June, some of the restrictions have been lifted and little by little climbing gyms have been able to start working again. The gyms with the most innovative commercial vision have found new commercial outlets. These outlets have allowed them to sustain some income while closed and encouraged them to invest in commercial alternatives. This includes, like I said, the incorporation of merchandising as an alternative source of income or, say, the manufacture of climbing holds.
What has also happened is that, as a consequence of the pandemic, some climbers have started building climbing walls in their homes. In terms of communication between gyms in Argentina, there are several climbing associations that have suggested post-COVID-19 protocols, but there is no joint effort between gyms, in terms of strategies. The management has been rather individual for each gym, and I do not see that as a positive. If we look at this more broadly, in terms of South American gyms, there is no structure on the whole. I think channels of communication should be established in this regard, but they do not yet exist.
Realization Escalada is planning to reopen and utilize a reservation system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBJ: When you say that there is less of a structure connecting South American gyms—can you explain to me a bit about the history of climbing gyms in Argentina and South America?
Cicconi: As in other places in the world, climbing gyms here emerged due to a need for training, to take rock climbing to a higher level. Gyms were a means to an end. But as time went on, climbing gyms attracted climbers who not only used them as a means to train, but also climbers who were interested in urban climbing—in other words, there were climbers who were only climbing in gyms. This development began to take place in Argentina in the 1990s, when the first artificial climbing gyms were built here. But the first entrée into sport climbing in Argentina was perhaps an artificial concrete and stone climbing wall—which still exists today—in an area of the National Secretariat of Sports. It was built by the Centro Andino Buenos Aires in 1982.
In that same place, in 1993, the first artificial climbing gym was built and a climbing clinic was given by Jean Pierre Fourniol and Alain Renaud from France. This was also the year of the first “artificial climbing” championship in Argentina.
But I think a turning point in the history of artificial wall climbing in Argentina was when several other parts of the country constructed their own climbing gyms; facilities were built in Pacheco and late El Rocodromo La Plata, a Buenos Aires province, in Cordoba (Polideportivo de Cordoba), in Mendoza, and later in San Juan. A concrete climbing wall was also built in General Alvear (in Mendoza province), in Bariloche, at the Club Andino Bariloche, and at Río Negro Province. It was these initiatives that led to the first national championships for Difficulty and gave rise to the first sport climbers in Argentina.
That was a starting point, and years later bouldering gyms appeared in several cities and in people’s houses. Stylistically, these gyms were very old-school, as the builders would frequently cut costs or be very DIY. Things began to change around 2010, when climbing gyms began to be thought of more as elaborate sports centers—for example, there is an Olympic wall in Buenos Aires. There have been some very good gym projects lately, but as I said before, between the pandemic and the economic reality, we will see what happens in the future.
Realization Escalada was founded in 1999, but a move in 2015 gave the gym more space and ultimately led to more customers.
CBJ: You mentioned importing some equipment from Europe. But are there some good companies in Argentina that make climbing holds and climbing walls?
Cicconi: Although there are many manufacturers of climbing holds in Argentina and South America, there is not much of an industry, per se—partly because of the high costs of creating and producing climbing holds at an industry level (high cost of materials, etc.) Depending on the country, it is often more convenient to just buy holds from abroad, in terms of a price/quality ratio. In the case of Argentina, it also depends on the import laws of our country—which vary due to fluctuating government policies.
However, what has grown here a great deal is the market of more artisanal holds—which have boomed during the pandemic. There are some really creative shapers making wooden holds by hand. There has also been a lot of progress regarding volumes made of wood. And there are climbing hold manufacturers who are working with resin and fiberglass; they have improved a lot, but there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of design. The best gyms therefore usually buy holds from the United States and Europe.
Cicconi sees opportunities for the Argentina gym scene to continue to grow—and adopt a similar kind of standardization in place at many gyms in North America and Europe.
CBJ: You are the chief routesetter at your gym. What is the routesetting scene like in Bueno Aires and Argentina?
Cicconi: I’m a chief routesetter certified by the F.A.S.A. (Federación Argentina de Ski y Andinismo), the institution that governs climbing in Argentina. I’m a national-certified routesetter, and nationally certified to instruct routesetters too. I also taught the first three courses on commercial routesetting in Argentina, although those did not have any official certification. But I hope such courses will soon be made available with the federation’s certification. Since 2016, the federation has been openly promoting routesetting courses.
In Buenos Aires, climbing has grown a lot recently, and therefore the gyms have had to adapt to the demand. I believe that this trend will increase exponentially as the quality of the gyms increases along with the professionalization of certified instructors (there are currently around 150 in Argentina), the investment in climbing holds, the development of more infrastructure, etc.
I’m an optimist. For example, I remember one graph from Vertical-Life that indicated an incredible increase in the number of climbers in Brazil in the last seven or eight years. I believe that this trend will be replicated in Argentina and the rest of South America. Currently, the federation here is planning some new routesetter education programs. We are working both on the level of routesetting in competitions and on the level of commercial/gym routesetting (which is particularly what interests me most for the greater diffusion of the craft). We are already working with some youth teams for a Dakar 2022 [Summer Youth Olympics] program, along with coaches and national routesetters with the support of the E.N.A.R.D. (Ente Nacional de Alto Rendimiento Deportivo) in coordination with the F.A.S.A.
In addition to the daily work of routesetting, I try to participate in all the online routesetting forums and discussions on social media. I read information as much as possible from other places around the world. I think that there are some very good routesetters, many of whom have set at the national, continental, and Pan-American championship level.
I believe that routesetter training is fundamental to being able to provide greater quality in all the gyms, so routesetters here need training at an international level. Sometimes it is very difficult, though, because of the economic costs. However, there have been some exceptional training activities done by IFSC-level routesetters like Tonde Katiyo in the Master of Chile 2019. That type of knowledge has been very valuable to us.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period? Or, do you work in the industry and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
Members of the Montrose High School climbing team, part of the American Scholastic Climbing League in Colorado. All photos courtesy of Aaron Wilcox
[Branded Content]
By Aaron Wilcox
When I moved my family from Missouri to Colorado to begin my teaching career, I was completely astonished to find that Montrose High School had a climbing team. When I told people about it, I got similar reactions to telling someone about competitive bocce ball. It seemed like a weird niche sport in a mountain town. However, I immediately began sending emails to find the coach and get myself involved. I wanted to see how the team began and how it worked. Climbing has given me so much, and I wanted to start giving back to the community.
I expected to find mutant tendons pulling on invisible crimps, and wirey youths sending everything in sight. What I didn’t expect was how much these students needed climbing. It was not just a matter of letting off steam after school or competing against schools across the state. These climbers were almost all new to the sport and addicted to something bigger than pulling on plastic. There was an atmosphere around this team that didn’t exist in my classroom. Climbers were jumping around with excitement, stoked out of their minds, and I wanted to know why.
The Power of Encouragement
“I spend most of my time playing video games. I don’t have a lot of confidence in myself. Then I heard from a cute girl that the climbing team is fun, maybe it’s worth a try.”
Alongside the evolution of its competitions, climbing has come to be known to many as a sport which builds connections. Part of what originally brought me into the sport was the awesome group of people doing it. I enjoyed hearing people cheer me on as I attempted my project. It didn’t matter they had already sent it. I knew they were just stoked to see me pushing myself. My accomplishments did not diminish theirs, so they were free to cheer on the newcomer.
This feeling of positive peer encouragement was intoxicating because it seems so rare to me. How often do you hear someone tell you something positive? A simple compliment can feel inappropriate in the workplace or at school, but climbing? Climbing can take down this societal barrier and allow us to give positive feedback to each other.
For developing teens who compare themselves with social media influencers and fake online personas, hearing “good job” can go a long way. I often ask my classes, “When was the last time someone told you something you needed to improve?” I usually hear students say, “Last hour.” Then I ask, “When was the last time someone complimented something you did without any ulterior motive?” Crickets…
“At tryouts I was mostly comparing myself to other people. I saw that they were way better than me and I kinda gave up.”
Failure is ever present in climbing. In school, failure means alienation. At its best, climbing creates a place where failure is a starting point, not an end. Learning that pushing your limits requires failure is second nature to many climbers (unless you are onsighting 5.15). I believe failing requires confidence. To me, confidence is very different from arrogance, yet many teenagers only have one of those traits. Confidence is knowing that your value is not related to what you have done, but who you are.
How many of us “adults” measure ourselves by how hard we send, what destinations we have climbed, or how lux our sprinter van is? How much of that leads us to true happiness? I teach students who are no different, they just don’t mask their true motives behind false maturity in the same way. Failing and the confidence learned through those failures is invaluable as a high school student heads off to higher education or the workforce. Without that confidence, I believe we will be constantly searching for the next thing to tick off our list that will give us value.
The Power of Camaraderie
“I was so surprised I made the team, I didn’t think I was good enough. I was thinking, ‘At least no one will know that I didn’t make it.’ Then I saw my name on that list! I didn’t know what alternate meant, but it was the best word I had ever read.”
I asked several of the newest team members why they joined the team and what they have enjoyed about climbing. Overwhelmingly, I had students shouting that they didn’t expect it to be this fun. They compared it to other sports where the competition is the “enemy” and how the camaraderie they have found in climbing can actually push you harder than the win or die mentality.
Some were surprised with how strong they got; others were just pleased to be doing something hands-on instead of online. But all of them could not hide the fact that they were…simply happy. They had found a true community of peers supporting them as they laughed together and struggled side by side.
Bouldering at Eagle Climbing + Fitness.
The Power of Inclusion
“I was surprised at all the social groups represented on the climbing team. I have made a lot of friends because there are so many different groups here.”
High schoolers are facing an uphill battle. The teen suicide rate in Colorado has increased by 58% in three years. Teens can lack a sense of identity, need community, struggle with failure and have every one of their flaws permanently published online.
I feel strongly that our climbing team is an oasis for young people seeking positive mentoring and real connections. The only time I see a phone out is when someone is connecting to the Moonboard. I cannot think of any analogy that would describe just how shocking that statement is.
Climbing is probably not going to solve an entire mental health crisis. For many, it’s just a fun hobby. But maybe that’s exactly what we need. A hobby that promotes inclusion, celebrates challenge, allows for struggle, and creates an environment of peer support. Don’t all of us want that?
The Power of High School Climbing
“Now I don’t compare myself to others. I just push myself and I have more motivation. I gained a lot of muscle and have gained confidence in my physical ability. Before I had none.”
If you are lucky enough to live in a town with a youth climbing team, I encourage you to get involved. For me, the thing about community is it becomes what the people make it. I was lucky to start climbing in Arkansas where the climbing scene can be very friendly to beginning climbers.
Not every youth team is guaranteed to have the success that we have enjoyed. I give credit to all the coaches and climbers that have created the amazing environment that I am now part of. This team is like family to me. I also want to thank Black Diamond and Trango for supporting our team. Climbing gear is expensive, and each competition charges the competitors to register. Imagine a football game where each player is charged 15 dollars just to take the field!
The American Scholastic Climbing League works to keep these costs reasonable, and helps keep the rules simple and concise. But we still need financial help to make this sport available to everyone, not just the privileged. It is easy to post political opinions. Making an actual impact can take time. But it might be easier than you think. It might be as easy as slipping on those climbing shoes and hanging out with some kids that might show you a thing or two.
About the Author: Aaron Wilcox is a Spanish teacher in the small town of Olathe, Colorado, where he lives with his wife and three daughters. When he is not busy coaching the Montrose climbing team, he spends most of his free time climbing, camping, and taking pictures in the San Juans. You can follow him @aaronwilcoxphoto on Instagram.
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This story was paid for and produced by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
HiClimb will be located in one of Honolulu’s most popular neighborhoods. All photos courtesy of HiClimb
HiClimb
Honolulu, Hawaii
Specs: Located in the heart of Honolulu’s trendy Kaka’ako neighborhood, the 17,350-square-foot facility from co-owners Devin Tryan and Steven Dauck will feature top rope, bouldering, and lead climbing. The tallest walls will measure 33.5 feet.
The gym will also include cardio equipment, a yoga studio, a multi-purpose event space, as well as an additional area for pilates and TRX. One section of the gym will be designated for kids, and there are plans for a cafe as well. The gym’s opening is tentatively scheduled for March 2021.
The interior of the HiClimb facility, which co-owners Tryan and Dauck will fill with climbing walls and padded flooring in the months to come.
In Their Words: “Climbing gyms tend to become integral parts of communities. From youth programs to conservation efforts, we hope to become a pillar of our community.” —Devin Tryan, co-owner
Bouldering at a televised USA Climbing competition. Photo courtesy of USA Climbing
USA Climbing (USAC)―the governing body for competition climbing in the U.S.―is looking for new partners in its Hold/Macro/Volume Supplier category for the 2020-2021 season and calling for proposals from interested brands. The Supplier level includes up to 15 brands from around the industry and requires a commitment of $2,500 in cash and $4,000 in value-in-kind (holds, macros, volumes, etc.) which will be used on USAC competitions.
A selection committee comprised of active Level 5 USAC Certified Routesetters, the National Team Head Coach and USAC staff will decide the new suppliers. Commitment to USAC’s mission, quantity and quality of shapes for comps specifically, and history with USAC comp hosts were cited as determining factors. Current hold suppliers will have the chance to be grandfathered in for the 2020-2021 season. Hold brands currently listed as partners on USAC’s website include Blue Pill, Blocz, Cheeta, eGrips, Flathold, Kilter, Squadra and Teknik, among others.
The request for proposals (RFP) comes a week after USAC opened the bidding process to host key 2021 competitions. At the start of the year, USAC also signed a multi-year partnership with Yeti, which became a new Title Sponsor and its Official Sustainability Partner. Other USAC partners include The North Face, Butora, Clif Bar & Company, Entre-Prises, Petzl and others.
All hold supplier proposals must include a completed application and may be submitted to Zachary Brinchi, USAC Marketing & Communications Manager, and Mike Bockino, USAC Routsetting Program Manager. The deadline for submission is July 15, 2020, and more information can be found on USAC’s web page for RFPs.
This week’s Home Wall of the Week lives in Seattle, Washington. This coronavirus build took three weekends and many trips to Lowe’s. Owner Clarissa C. brought the mountains to her garage with a personalized paint job.
When did you build your wall?
I built the wall over a few weekends in May during the coronavirus lock-down. Working on it over the weekends was somewhat challenging, as I’d have to figure out where I left off each time and it would take a bit to get back into the context. Each day would inevitably be broken up by a trip to Lowes to get supplies I forgot or couldn’t fit into the car on the previous visit. Each day usually started around 10a and ended by 4 or 5p. The hardest part about doing it only on weekends was the building anticipation of having it completed and being able to climb!
How long did it take you to build and what did that time look like?
Three weekends and a couple of long days each weekend with trips to Lowes to grab materials and parts.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
Not including holds and bolts, it cost a little over $400 to build the wall, and another $40 for the paint. I did some budgeting beforehand, but didn’t spend too much time on it as I knew the limited space I was working with in the garage would help prevent costs from getting out of control. I basically used what REI/Metolius recommended to calculate rough costs: multiplying twice the number of full sheets of plywood in the design by the cost per sheet. For this design, I was also planning on using four sheets, and the cost per sheet was almost exactly what they outlined. Where the additional costs came in were buying a proper impact drill and extra impact bits. Also, those #14 x 3-1/2″ screws are pricey, I was surprised by that!
What was your primary incentive for the wall? Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
I knew I wanted varying degrees of overhang to add variety. What really got me inspired was the ability to be creative and paint the wall. Without being able to get outside, I wanted to bring the mountains to my garage.
Had you thought about building a wall prior to the virus? Any particular builds you referenced that helped you DIY?
It was something I had always wanted, however free time was spent either climbing outside or at the local gym, so there wasn’t a pressing need for one. Once lockdown happened, priorities quickly shifted. The thought of not having any climbing for the foreseeable future wasn’t very appealing, so I snapped into action and started my design. I hadn’t really looked at other builds; given the structure/space of the garage, I knew it was going to be a relatively straight forward build without a lot of angles and corners. I have a few friends who have built their own, so I considered their designs, but tried to keep it as simple as possible.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
It was initially difficult to design around the existing structure and odd measurements of studs/joists. I wanted to build up to the roof, but getting the measurements and angles of both header joists proved to be more difficult than originally anticipated. And then, there was also a three-foot concrete slab up the length of the wall . . . The concrete slab was one of those “two steps forward, one step back” moments. I had previously built a crash pad chair, which was set up directly in front of where the slab rose up the wall, so it was completely out of sight, out of mind. Once I discovered my oversight I borrowed a neighbor’s masonry drill and tried to use concrete screws. However, that didn’t work out well, so instead I decided to put the header joist where the 3 ft concrete slab ended, and then add vertical wood from the header to cover the concrete. It wasn’t a huge hit to the design as it added another angle to the mix and I just covered the concrete with plywood for foot holds.
Did you make any mistakes along the way or choose to re-do any aspects? What would you do differently?
Plenty of mistakes were made 🙂 Most of them occurred early in the framing phase. In my haste I miscalculated where two of the joists needed to be attached to the joist hangers, so that led to a bit of a headache and redoing that prep work. Also, it wasn’t necessarily a mistake, but I would definitely make sure to spend extra time being picky about finding joists with zero warping. It takes some extra time, and they can be difficult to find, but it definitely makes life easier in the long run! Learn how to properly measure multiple angles to make cutting the studs to size a bit easier and quicker. I’d also order the holds before finishing the wall because they take a while to arrive.
What is your favorite aspect?
The painting (haha). It gives it a lot of character and now it’s personalized to me. Especially with it being in the garage, it feels much more inviting to spend so much time in there on it. The painting aspect of the wall was the part I was most excited about (other than climbing, of course). Obviously this wasn’t necessary, but if others are looking to paint their wall, you can pretty much use any paint or design you want. I had a bunch of acrylic craft paint and Lowes interior paint laying around. I mixed paint colors together to get the desired color. If you want to paint your wall and don’t have a vision, you could try to look up climbing gyms and see what designs they have chosen and use that as a guide. Any design will work, it just depends on how much time you want to spend creating it, and knowing that it will eventually get scuffed some. To help with the scuffing, I rolled the finished panels with a coat of clear-seal (used for garage floors). Also, paint your panels before you drill holes for the T-nuts, so that you don’t have to paint over holes and some splintered wood.
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
To just go for it. Don’t let the initial sticker price turn you off from building one. It’s an incredibly fun and rewarding process, and the feeling of accomplishment while you set your first problems is totally worth to time investment. Also, have an open mind: be ok with running into roadblocks during the process as it is all part of the experience, especially if it’s your first time building one.
Want us to consider your woodie for a future Homewall of the Week? Submit your homewall here to be considered. If yours is chosen you’ll win a prize pack like this (varied prizes each week):
“Operationally there were always going to be challenges, but we’ve been lucky to have folks on our team who were really thoughtful about cleanliness and safety,” says Climb Oso’s founder, Chris Whittaker. Photo courtesy of Climb Oso
One significant indicator that the gym industry is finding some footing following the profusion of temporary closures from the COVID-19 crisis is this: Not only have many gyms reopened with strategic mitigation protocols, but a number of new gyms have opened recently as well.
Three weeks ago, CBJ reported on the opening of Climberz, a 4,100-square-foot bouldering gym in South Dakota. In an exclusive interview with CBJ at the time, the gym’s owner, Travis Klinghagen, said he did not want any customers visiting the gym if they were uncomfortable with the idea of venturing out amid the pandemic. But Klinghagen added that Climberz would be as clean as possible—a recreational and communal refuge for those who sought it out after being cooped up at home.
As an update, Klinghagen tells CBJ that the South Dakota community has been supportive of the new gym’s opening, although there is still a detectable hesitance from some climbers in the area. “I get phone calls from a large number of people coming through our doors—prior to them coming in—asking where our occupancy is at that moment, which tells me they are still cautious and practicing social distancing,” says Klinghagen. “We haven’t had much backlash with any protocols that we have been using. Liquid chalk has been received very positively. We are in a very open market regarding COVID-19 here in South Dakota, but we can still definitely see that it is affecting our community.”
New Climbing West of the Mississippi
The South Dakota town in which Climberz is located, Tea, has a population of approximately 5,000 people—a fairly modest market for a gym. Yet, new gym openings have occurred in other parts of the country, and in extremely dense markets in some cases.
For example, Climb Oso, a 35,000-square-foot gym located in Dallas, Texas, opened approximately one month ago. Founder Chris Whittaker acknowledges that pandemic-prompted feelings of uncertainty have pervaded the world practically since the beginning of the year; but Whittaker also says that opening a gym has been rewarding. “For many of our community members, we were the first place that they visited after being in relative isolation for months,” Whittaker tells CBJ. “It’s been really amazing to be able to serve as a bright spot for folks.”
When asked to specify what some of the biggest challenges of opening a new gym in a pandemic era have been, Whittaker notes cleanliness and safety, but says that important efforts related to those aspects did not need to be altered much because such concerns “have always been part of [Climb Oso’s] ethos.”
Whittaker says Climb Oso has served as a “bright spot” for people who have been relatively isolated since March. Photo courtesy of Climb Oso
Instead, Whittaker cites the initial uncertainty from local governing bodies, which had to be navigated in order to open the gym. “There was a period where every day we were reading news reports and executive orders, trying to understand how requirements and guidance was evolving,” Whittaker recalls. “We needed to make sure we were not only compliant, but also going above and beyond to ensure the wellness of our community and staff members. At the end of the day, it may be legal to reopen but practically people need to feel safe—that’s a much harder nut to crack, and something we’ll always need to think through.”
Another recently opened new gym is The Front’s South Main location in Millcreek, Utah, just minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. The new gym was originally scheduled to have its unveiling for USA Climbing’s 2020 Open Sport and Speed Nationals in March. That competition was postponed amid the pandemic, but the gym itself is now open. The gym—and all Front locations—have enacted phases that began with active members having exclusive access to the facilities. Tommy Chandler, Marketing Director for The Front, tells CBJ that customers are slowly coming back, and the gym recently had a night where it started to feel “busy”—a true milestone for any gym in this climate.
Canada Sees Development on the Atlantic
The new gym openings have not been limited to the United States. Seven Bays Bouldering, which operates a facility in the North End section of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was scheduled to have a grand opening for its second facility—in the Bayer’s Lake area of that city—in March. That grand opening was postponed until mid-June, but both locations are now operational.
The new, 12,000-square-foot Bayer’s Lake gym features a café, in addition to bouldering and yoga. The Seven Bays Bouldering website offers a booking system for members interested in climbing at either gym. “We recognize that the new policies and health restrictions will take time to adjust to, but please know that we are working towards returning to normal as quickly as we can and we look forward to having you join us once you are ready,” the website notes.
Opening our second gym in Bayers Lake has been a roller coaster of emotions,” reads one Seven Bays Instagram post. “Building a gym during a pandemic is an adventure we’ll never forget.” Photo courtesy of Seven Bays Bouldering
Also in Halifax, East Peak Climbing reopened its new gym in the commercial Quinpool District. Not quite a grand opening, the gym was open just two weeks in March before COVID-19 forced temporary closure. One of the most unique aspects of the gym is that it’s situated in a newly renovated building which formerly housed the Oxford Theatre.
“We reopened on June 12th, as our local government restrictions lifted, and we haven’t had a new local case of COVID in over a week,” confirms Ben Winstanley, Head Routesetter at East Peak. “We’re quickly heading back towards normal operations, with some added precautions for maintaining social distancing and sanitization.”
Share Your Grand Openings and Gym Projects
We love hearing about grand openings and new gym projects. If your gym is opening for the first time or you have a new gym project underway, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us and tell us about it.
About the Author: Aaron Wilcox is a Spanish teacher in the small town of Olathe, Colorado, where he lives with his wife and three daughters. When he is not busy coaching the Montrose climbing team, he spends most of his free time climbing, camping, and taking pictures in the San Juans. You can follow him @aaronwilcoxphoto on Instagram.
