Guinness World Records has certified that the 163-foot 6.5-inch climbing wall that looms over downtown Reno, Nevada is officially the tallest artificial climbing wall in the world. The climbing wall was built in 2011 by Entre-Prises for Basecamp Climbing which operates out of the Whitney Peak Hotel.
Basecamp received the sealed certificate on Oct. 26, 2016, after years of submissions. It has taken so long for the recognition because Guinness had maintained that the record should be for a free-standing wall. The Basecamp wall is anchored to the outside of the hotel and is not free-standing.
Brian Sweeney, manager of Basecamp, told a local news station that since opening in 2011, they had submitted a request that included a structural drawing and a third-party surveyor’s verification of the height.
The wall is open to the public and can be top roped with an employee belay or climbers can get certified to lead the wall.
The tallest free-standing climbing wall is unofficially, Excaliber which stands at 121 feet tall and operated by Bjoeks in Groningen, Netherlands.
2016 is shaping up to be another big year for the indoor climbing industry. As we roll into fall here is a quick a round up of the gyms opening their doors.
Sender One LAX
Testing the routes at the new Sender One. Photo: Sender One
Los Angeles, CA
California is a notoriously difficult place to start a business and the city of LA doesn’t make it any easier. That’s why it’s taken a long time for Sender One to get approval for their second facility in SoCal. Raising the roof on the 30,000 square foot facility, which is located just down the road from LA Airport, to accommodate the 60 foot climbing walls triggered the need for FAA approval, which added to the complexity and delays. The team persevered and after many, many months of hard work they are very close to opening their doors to the public.
Highpoint Climbing and Fitness
Birmingham, AL
The Tennessee-based gym operator is moving south with its new Birmingham location. Highpoint went big with a massive ground-up expansion to an existing building, bringing the total footprint to 35,000 square feet. Just last week the gym opened the bouldering area and the kids fun-climbing zone, while the rope areas are being built. When completed, the full-service gym will feature 25,000 square feet of climbing surface.
We finally let the route setting crew loose in the new bouldering area. Needless to say there is no longer a shortage of top notch boulder problems thanks to their hard work…
We're psyched to have this monster bouldering area ready to rock and roll for our soft opening! Come out and join us as we open the doors to the Kid Zone, Fitness areas, and of course these sick new boulders on November 10th!
Also opening in Birmingham is the second gym for First Avenue Rocks (which opened their first in 2009 and was the original climbing gym in the city). BB brings 12,000 square feet of pure bouldering to the 212,000 people of Birmingham making the city one of the more climber-friendly places in the south.
Getting ready for the rush at Birmingham Boulders. Photo: BB
Ascent Studio
Fort Collins, CO
This brand new, 18,000 square foot ground-up building is Fort Collins’ first full-service climbing gym since 1993 (when Inner Strength opened). With 14,000 square feet of climbing and all the amenities you would expect out of a modern climbing facility, Ascent Studio will be a welcome addition for the climbers of the front range.
Owned and operated by first-time gym owners Jon Lachelt (who is the tech genius behind CBJ’s Gym Map), Brandon McPhail and George Rehm, Ascent has many of the elements that make for a stand-out facility like a 35-foot long ramped bouldering wall for those enduro sessions.
Opening day at Ascent Studio. Photo: Ascent Studio
Upper Limits
Chesterfield, MO
This is the fourth for the long-time gym operator Upper Limits, which now includes three facilities in St. Louis as well as their original Bloomington, Illinois gym housed inside a repurposed grain elevator, which clocks in at 110 feet.
The new facility may only have 8,500 square feet of climbing but the location is a strategic move by the company to surround the St. Louis metro area. The gym features extensive bouldering and a kids fun-climbing zone. So shiny and new at Upper Limits in Chesterfield. Photo: Upper Limits
Cliff Hangers
Mooresville, NC
A mere 25 miles north of Charlotte, NC, Cliff Hangers opened the doors on their beautiful, ground-up climbing facility making it the only commercial climbing gym in the area. Known for the 60 NASACAR teams that call it home, Mooresvile now boasts an 18,000 square foot climbing gym with 20,000 SF of climbable surface. A couple notable elements of the $4 million gym are its sizeable outdoor, covered rope climbing area which is reminiscent of some European gyms, and a stand-alone cafe and lounge area complete with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.
A little outdoor climbing at Cliff Hangers. Photo: Cliff Hangers
Steve Matous, New CEO of Entre Prises Climbing Walls
By Alex Beld
The long-time climbing wall builder, Entre Prises Climbing Walls, better known as EP, has been through some rough times over the last few years. Though they’ve recently built some high profile walls — at gyms like Movement Climbing in Colorado, Mesa Rim’s new facility in San Diego and USA Climbing’s competition bouldering wall — the company has struggled to keep up with their competition. Steve Matous hopes to change all that.
Matous stepped into the role of CEO at Entre Prises USA in June of this year, a position that has technically been empty for two years while EP has suffered through a number of leadership changes.
This role had previously been filled by Antoine Richard, who was CEO of Entre Prises International in France, and acted as CEO for EP USA from 2010-2012. Jason Stollenwerk was then promoted from within to become EP USA’s Managing Director. He served in that role until 2015, when he moved on to become Vice President of Sales and Marketing (he has since left the company). Dave Slavensky was subsequently hired to take over as the General Manager of EP USA and remained in the position for about a year; there was about a four-month gap between Slavensky leaving and Matous taking the reins.
The EP-built Ascent Studio in Fort Collins.
Taking on the role was not something Matous had sought out. “I was recruited,” Matous said. “I had no idea it was even available,” adding he isn’t sure why there have been three leaders of the company in just a few years.
Over at EP International, Richard also left the company just as the search for EP USA’s new leader began. Richard is now the President and founder of Hapik, a “funclimbing” company based in Grenoble, France. Hapik is a partner of Clip ‘n Climb, of which Entre Prises International has a 50 percent stake. After Richard’s departure, Eric Surdej took over at EP International and managed the recruitment for EP USA’s new leadership.
Surdej hired a headhunter to look for promising candidates from a variety of backgrounds, particularly those with experience in either the climbing or amusement industries. While EP remains focused on indoor climbing, the Clip ‘n Climb side of the company was expanding quickly and the company’s leadership thought it was necessary to look at candidates with either background to determine what would work better for the company’s current direction.
The Climber and The Businessman
“We needed someone with that climbing background,” said Todd Chester, Sales and Marketing Director for EP USA, about opting for Matous. “In my opinion that’s the best fit for the company.”
Having the right climbing credentials were an easy checkbox for Matous. “I’ve been in the climbing industry for a very long time,” Matous said.
He started out as a skier, and like many people from his era, he learned to climb outdoors and has at times been paid to climb. He has also been an AMGA Certified Rock and Alpine guide for more than 25 years, spending time in Chamonix, the Canadian Rockies and Nepal, which has given him and an intimate knowledge of the world of hardcore climbers.
Matous offers a similar level of expertise in the business world, having spent the last four years as the Executive Director for Outward Bound USA. His resume also boasts Interim CFO and Membership Director at the American Alpine Club and COO of LC Vision Inc., a high tech R&D Company.
The three letter business titles didn’t come right away. Matous started out teaching and guiding, eventually founding his own adventure travel company, Great Escapes USA, Inc. It provided staff, equipment and logistics, and in-country operations for North American adventure travel companies in Nepal, Tibet and India.
After nine years of running his own business he moved into the non-profit industry spending about five years at Outdoor Alliance and another five at Access Fund. Though the focus has generally been on mountaineering and climbing, his path to Entre Prises has been diverse.
Global Challenges
A global outlook and a diverse set of business skills will be crucial for Matous to be successful in his new role at EP USA. Slavensky, his predecessor to the role, advised that for the company to succeed both the US and International branches need to be aligned on their business strategies.
“I believe that the reason for the turnover [at EP USA] is that our ownership from France did not understand the dynamics of the US market and felt that we were not running the business to achieve the results they wanted,” Slavensky said.
Slavensky said Matous’ biggest challenge will be crafting a business model that can overcome the challenges he faced.
During Slavensky’s tenure competition from the Bulgarian-based climbing wall company Walltopia proved the most challenging aspect of his job. Slavnsky argued that using Bulgarian workers to design, fabricate and even install Walltopia’s climbing walls allowed them to provide their products at a cheaper price. Walltopia has also been more effective at marketing their product and providing new market innovations; in 2007 they were the first company to produce the flat, panelized-style of climbing walls that have now come to dominate the US market.
Slavensky said Walltopia outpaced EP about 2-1 in the U.S. commercial market during the years between Richard leaving and Matous taking the helm. Despite this slide, Slavensky said the leadership in France was not as aware of the difficult competition because Walltopia hasn’t been as effective at breaking into the European market. After a year of long hours Slavensky left in what he said was a mutual parting.
Though he left the company, Slavensky still backs up the EP brand, saying their walls are of a slightly higher quality than the competition.
Matous believes his new role requires looking into the future, strategizing and laying the groundwork for the years to come. As CEO, Matous will take the reins for the North American portion of the company, which accounts for 25-30 percent of EP sales.
Alaska Rock Gym saw a major upgrade with their new EP-built gym.
History of The North American Branch
EP USA is a division of EP International, which was founded in France in 1985. The USA division was added to the brand in 1988 after EP’s founder, Francois Savigny, visited Bend, Oregon to climb at Smith Rock. He and a number of prominent American climbers, including Eric Meade, teamed up and EP USA was born.
Meade led and owned EP USA as the business boomed through the 1990s and early 2000’s. EP USA initially found success with university climbing gyms and recreation centers, and eventually found a foothold with commercial climbing gyms. Then in 2008 he sold his stake in the company to EP International, but continued to act as CEO until 2010. During his nearly 16 years as CEO, Meade grew the company to more than 70 employees strong and increased annual revenues to about $7 million. By the time he sold the company, both he and his in-house investment partners earned themselves a 3,000 percent return on their initial investment.
EP International is now owned by a French group called ABEO. The group focuses on indoor climbing, gymnastics equipment, team sports like basketball, and locker room and bathrooms. They can fully outfit a gym for basketball or even wrestling and provide full layouts for locker rooms. Each of the brands under ABEO is given autonomy by being allowed to design, produce, market and install their own products.
The Longview
Though Matous’ focus is on the future of EP USA, it’s obvious he has delved into the past to help him understand where he wants to take things.
Matous said when he first came to the industry Entre Prises was a widely known brand, but now it does not have the same name recognition. For example, while at the Access Fund’s 25th anniversary event Matous told others in attendance about his new position at EP USA. Some congratualted him on the new role, but others had to ask him what Entre Prises was — there was about a 50/50 split between the 100 in attendance he knew.
“This is a room full of hardcore climbers,” Matous lamented.
His goal for the future in its most general terms is to turn Entre Prises back into a household name for the climbing industry by getting the brand in front of the community.
“We haven’t done as good a job of letting people know what we’ve done,” Matous said. He added that it’s important to highlight the quality of the product and the innovations Entre Prises has been a leader in developing, but it’s also important to share more basic things like services. The wall company also manufactures holds and offers on-site inspections and maintenance service for the walls they’ve installed.
One big opportunity ahead for Entre Prises to gain exposure within the climbing industry and beyond is the 2020 Olympics, when climbing will be included as a sport for the first time. For many viewers this will likely be the first opportunity for them to see a climbing competition on TV. As a partner with the International Federation of Sport Climbing, it is possible that these viewers will be watching athletes from around the world competing on an Entre Prises climbing wall.
“We know that our owners are interested in the Olympics,” Matous said. “We’re going to be as supportive as we can.”
Rendering of the new Climb Tulsa.
Tulsa, Oklahoma local entrepreneur and climbing enthusiast Jason Burks knows firsthand that “climbing makes people better – physically, mentally and spiritually.” He started rock climbing five years ago and in January of this year bought the New Heights Rock Gym, Tulsa’s only commercial climbing facility.
Hey Tulsa, we are continuing our "Why I Climb" series with our owner Jason Burks and some exciting information about our name change to Climb Tulsa and our huge new Facility that will be opening next year. In the meantime come climb at New Heights! All November we are having first timer specials and training to help Tulsa learn how to climb. New Heights Gym is Located at 11th and 169, call us 918-439-4400.
Business took off and he soon realized he needed to expand. Burk also knew that New Heights, which opened in 1997, needed more than a few more walls and some paint. That’s why he’s is thrilled to announce plans to build a new, 17,000 square foot climbing facility and give it a new name, Climb Tulsa.
Burks adds that the Mayor-Elect G.T. Bynum helped motivate him to make this project a reality when he told him “Great cities in the US have something for everybody,” and Burks knew he wanted to help Tulsa be a “Great City” with this top-notch climbing facility.
Groundbreaking is set for early December with plans to open October of 2017.
MetroRock Climbing Centers announced last week that it has signed a long-term contract with FloSports allowing the company’s FloClimbing network to publicize the Dark Horse Bouldering Series events before, during, and after each event. FloClimbing coverage will begin with Dark Horse Season 8 Round 3, taking place on December 17, 2016 in Everett, MA.
FloSports is a direct-to-consumer, subscription-based sports media company based in Austin, Texas. The company recently launched FloClimbing, its rock climbing focused network, and has already begun to build a following within the climbing community with coverage of prominent climbing athletes and events.
“We’re excited to partner with FloSports to get the excitement of Dark Horse events out into the climbing community, right as the action is happening,” said Pat Enright, owner of the MetroRock Climbing Centers, which hosts the Dark Horse Series. “Some of the world’s greatest climbers compete for the title of the Dark Horse. Combining this with the expert route setting that goes into preparing for each competition, we know that the FloClimbing live broadcasts will be exciting to climbers of all abilities and climbing fans.”
The Dark Horse Season 8 Round 3 event will be the first climbing competition to be live streamed by FloClimbing, though the network website already features extensive coverage of recent climbing competitions, other events, and prominent athletes.
“The Dark Horse Series is ideal for FloClimbing to bring to our viewers live because they are truly elite events. In streaming this series, we know that we’ll be offering the kind of coverage that climbing fans have craved, but have not had access to in the past,” said Bryan Raffterty, senior editor at FloClimbing.
“I’ve always had the vision to create competitive climbing’s very own dedicated channel—24/7 extensive coverage 365 days per year,” says Jordan Shipman, senior rights acquisitions and subscription manager of FloClimbing. “Dark Horse Series is one of the most energetic, high-octane competitive events in the country. I can’t think of a better partnership to kick this off.”
Rendering of the new Mesa Rim Reno.
From Press Release:
Reno-Tahoe residents will soon have a new and extraordinary place to get fit and have fun. Mesa Rim Climbing & Fitness Center, which operates three indoor climbing facilities in Southern California, held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new 24,000 square foot Reno location on November 2nd. The 5-story building being constructed on Harvard Way, near downtown Reno, is expected to open doors in the summer of 2017.
Mesa Rim is reinventing the idea of a fitness center by bringing together a unique and vibrant combination of climbing, traditional fitness, and social spaces all under one roof. The custom designed facility will feature 30 to 50 foot tall indoor climbing walls designed for beginners and expert climbers alike, with lead climbing, top rope climbing and a large bouldering area. In addition to the diverse climbing terrain, Mesa Rim will feature a dedicated studio-quality yoga studio, a full service fitness area with weights and cardio equipment, spa quality locker rooms, and a sauna. The facility also boasts a spacious lounge and communal workspace that opens to an outdoor deck with views of Mt. Rose. Mesa Rim owners, investors and construction team at the site. Photo: Mesa Rim
The Mesa Rim team, in conjunction with local investors, has been steadily working on this project for almost two years and is pleased to bring Mesa Rim’s unique brand of professionally operated climbing and fitness centers to the climbers and outdoor enthusiasts of Reno. “For years the rock climbers of Reno have been hoping for a facility of this size and quality,” said Ian Mcintosh, President of Mesa Rim. “We couldn’t be more happy to be opening a world class indoor climbing facility in this town, but more importantly we are excited to create a community space that brings friends and family together and inspires individuals to challenge themselves both mentally and physically.”
Climbing gyms can give visitors that nervous feeling in the pit of their stomach, and the sight of a modern day climbing gym’s wall can be adrenaline inducing. For some of us, this fear and excitement is quickly replaced by the respect for the architectural achievement of the very building we’re standing in. It’s easy to appreciate these modern marvels of space and capacity when you consider the amount of activity harbored within their confines. As the acknowledgment settles, a new thought emerges – how did these buildings become so big?
Enter Rooflifters, an American company who will literally raise the roof of a building. In the early nineties, Rooflifters started as a collection of general contractors who found a majority of their work within the industrial and retail construction sectors. Their business model, however, slowly changed as an emerging niche market gained traction. CEO Marty Shiff and his team found themselves with a new business model providing adequate ceiling height for a pioneering generation of entrepreneurs looking to build rock walls, trampoline parks and fitness gyms.
Over time, climbing gyms became a substantial revenue source for Shiff’s company. Originally, a ceiling height of just twenty-five to thirty feet was adequate to house the average climbing gym. As with any developing market, climbing gyms sought to be bigger and better than their competition. Today, the ideal height for a new project is often forty-five feet. Future gym owners also are looking at populated urban areas with a favorable demographic in their target market. Unfortunately, buildings in these desirable locations are ill-suited for climbing gyms due to their low ceiling height.
“For many gym owners, the ideal location for a climbing gym is within the city center,” said Shiff. “But the issue with these buildings is they were originally built for retail purposes with a ceiling height averaging just fourteen to sixteen feet.”
A recent climbing gym roof lift. Photo: Rooflifters.
Climbing gym owners are then left with two options, construct a new building or “popping the top” on an existing structure.
The roof-raising process begins when a gym operator approaches Rooflifters with a specific building in mind for their proposed climbing gym. Usually, they will have found a great location that lacks the necessary ceiling space for a modern climbing wall. At this point, Shiff and his team develop a realistic assessment of the cost to modify the structure into a climbing gym. This can be done with as little as ten images and a short survey of the details and history of the structure.
Once Shiff and his team are officially hired to alter a building’s roof, Rooflifters’ equipment and personnel are brought to the individual job site. The roof of the existing structure is separated from the building and lifted on large hydraulic stilts. Once raised to the ideal height, the team reconstructs and reinforces the roof’s internal membrane. Walls are then added to house the newly created headspace. Finally, technical aspects including air conditioning, sprinklers and lighting are handled by sub-contracted workers who are also challenged to bring their services to new heights.
When to Pop
Gym owners go through the trouble of drastically modifying their desired buildings primarily to gain a competitive advantage. But there’s a financial advantage as well. In most cases, lifting the roof of an existing building can be one-third to half the price of building a completely new structure. Additionally, the speed to market of raising an existing roof is quicker than building a new structure. A newly built climbing gym can take up to a year and a half to complete while, according to Shiff, “The time span to raise the roof of an existing building takes an average of just six weeks.”
Typically, raising the roof of an existing structure is considered a renovation by the municipal Building Department. Climbing gym owners prefer this method because the existing structure has been grandfathered into the various safety codes it received when built. Permits are still required for renovations but come at a lower cost than building an entirely new structure.
While searching the Los Angeles market for a suitable building in which to create a new climbing gym, Jeffery Bowling, a senior manager of Touchstone Climbing, found that the number of forty to fifty-foot buildings was very limited. Bowling also understood the potentially high price tag of building a completely new structure. In order to house their new Cliffs of Id climbing facility, Bowling chose to raise the roof of a former warehouse in Culver City, CA. The new facility, which features 45-foot-high rope climbing walls — Touchstone’s highest in LA – opened in August of 2016.
Despite these clear advantages, raising the roof on an existing building is not always the best solution. While searching for a location for a New York facility, Brooklyn Boulders contacted Rooflifters for an estimate on a potential roof raise. A project within their namesake Brooklyn location called for an additional three thousand square feet. After an initial analysis, Shiff concluded it would make more sense for BKB to build an entirely new structure.
Another solution for dealing with short buildings is to simply build a taller section onto an existing building. Onsight Rock Gym in Knoxville, TN did just that last year with their new building.
The Power of Big
The market for lifting building roofs exists in many industries, from large wholesale companies, refrigeration, manufacturing, and schools. Businesses considering a roof raise, especially climbing gyms that rely on adequate clear height for their climbing walls, should seek companies who specialize in the craft. Completing a project of this magnitude is no easy task, which is evident in the many companies who provide the service around the nation.
Within the last decade, climbing gym’s have successfully opened in many markets across the nation. This is a testament to the power of the climbing industry and its ability to stay competitive among the many avenues of exercise for fitness fanatics. The challenge for Shiff and his team is to show climbing gym owners how they can be successful with an unorthodox approach to creating their visionary gym. Raising a building’s entire roof can save time and money on a business’s investment.
As the quality of the modern day climbing gyms evolve, it is imperative for the gym staff to operate a competitive and creative facility. Without a high enough roof, climbing facilities are mostly limited to bouldering-height walls and can render themselves undesirable to the large demographic of climbers who enjoy tying into a harness. Jeff Bowling described the trade-off best: “For many locations, the option is to either raise the roof or have a bouldering only gym.”
Connor Mills is an avid climber and a freelance writer from San Diego. This is his first article for CBJ.
David Murray climbing instructor at Climb, Byker the center was broken into and had thousands of pounds worth of clothing stolen. Photo: Chronicle Live
Apparently the Italian climbing brand, E9 is so hot right now that people are going to extreme lengths to get their hands on it. Climb Newcastle, a gym along the north eastern coast of England was recently raided by burglars who made off with the specialist climbing clothing valued at thousands of pounds as well as cash, according to Chronical Live.
The thieves may find it difficult to off load the cloths as Climb Newcastle is the only place in the North East to stock the brand.
Company director Chris Graham said on behalf of the company: “The clothing is very distinctive, with bright colours and big E9 logos.
“We are the only stockist in Tyne and Wear and, in the case of the jackets in particular, there are only a handful in the country.”
He added: “Not only are we devastated but our customers will be disappointed that they cannot kit themselves out in the new range of clothing.”
A proposed rendering for the worlds tallest indoor climbing wall.
The worlds tallest indoor climbing wall is being developed on Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi. According to a press release, the project which is called CLYMB, will feature “walls [that] offer a challenge to beginner, intermediate and expert climbers as they will have the chance to scale 4 walls of varying difficulty. The tallest expert-level wall will tower 43 meters (141 feet) above the ground.”
In Norway, the Norwegian Mountaineering Association open their beatiful new vistitor center. The new Norwegian Mountaineering Center. Photo: Arch Daily.
The architecture firm, Reiulf Ramstad designed the building to be, “anchored in an innovative interpretation of nature’s fantastic dimensions and the dramatic experience of mountaineering.”
The center contains a climbing hall, auditorium, movie theater, restaurant, museum shop, and a mountaineering library. The climbing area features a 21 meters tall (69 feet) lead and top rope climbing wall, bouldering area and a, “bouldering cave where the little ones can romp.”
