Different from the towers and prefabricated walls often seen at schools around the U.S., Fountain Valley had a modern vision in mind for its scholastic climbing gym design. All photos courtesy of Futurist Climbing Consultants[Branded Content]
In the Fall of 2019, Climbing Business Journal (CBJ) reported that climbing has been thriving at the college level. “The sport of climbing is being offered by more schools every year,” wrote CBJ last August. Later in 2019, USA Climbing (USAC)―the governing body for competition climbing in the U.S.―created a new position with the goal of getting climbing recognized as an NCAA sport. Colleges nationwide have been competing in climbing for over a decade, and most recently over 100 institutions participated in the USAC Collegiate National Championships last year. In July, USAC realigned the divisions of its youth and collegiate competition series to better position the sport for future growth.
Universities are not the only schools where climbing has been blossoming in recent years. In addition to being able to compete on youth teams at local gyms, in multiple regions high school (and sometimes middle school) students can compete on their school teams. There are nearly 600 athletes on last season’s leaderboard of the American Scholastic Climbing League (ASCL) in Colorado. In the Midwest, 23 teams from around Milwaukee and Brookfield, Wisconsin, squared off last year in the Wisconsin High School Climbing League state finals. Similar scholastic climbing leagues exist in D.C., St. Louis and Tennessee.
But for all the development at the high school and collegiate levels, climbing remains a relatively fringe activity at many institutions. As a result, many students are still not exposed to climbing as a sport, and students already interested in climbing do not have a place to train on campus like for many sports.
“Most institutions and their building project services providers are not developing climbing gym projects which reflect the rapidly shifting trends in our sport and the programmatic needs of the end user groups,” says Timy Fairfield, Founder and Creative Director of Futurist Climbing Consultants. A professional climber and U.S. national competition climbing team veteran, Fairfield has experienced those programmatic needs first-hand. Fairfield and Brandi Proffitt, Futurist Climbing CFO and competition climber, established and coached the inaugural University Of New Mexico collegiate climbing team in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which had 45 members in 2010.
Now, the need for change in institutional climbing gym design is greater than ever. With the evolution of youth and collegiate climbing competitions and decades of climbing gym growth, “An increasing number of students have already been indoctrinated into the sport by the time they reach college, so they have discerning taste when it comes to climbing terrain, routesetting and programming,” says Fairfield.
Futurist Climbing Consultants is one of the entities working to address this demand. In helping universities, high schools, rec centers and other institutions pursue a modern vision for scholastic climbing gym design, Futurist is helping advance the development of climbing at the youth and collegiate levels―one project at a time.
FVSC consistently ranks among the top climbing teams in the state and wanted a state-of-the-art facility for training and hosting competitions. The school and booster club fundraised the entire $23.5 million for its campus upgrades.
Shifting Mindsets from Towers to Competitions
For over a decade, the climbing teams of Fountain Valley School of Colorado―an international college prep school in Colorado Springs for grades 9-12―have consistently ranked among the top teams in the state. In 2019, the Varsity Boys won the ASCL State Championships, and this year the Varsity Girls placed second. The future is bright as well. The JV Boys handed Fountain Valley another state title this year.
As part of a $23.5 million project in 2018 to upgrade its campus―set on 1,100 acres of rolling prairie at the base of the Rocky Mountains―Fountain Valley wanted to include a climbing area in the design of its brand-new athletic center. Instead of a small prefabricated wall on the side of the basketball gym or a tower, Fountain Valley got to work fundraising to invest in a state-of-the-art climbing gym.
In years past, the climbing team would travel to CityROCK gym to train, a bus ride across town. Having a place to climb on campus would avoid the commute and bring one of the school’s top sports on school grounds. Its elite climbing athletes would finally have their own place to train, and maybe other members of the student body would be encouraged to give climbing a try. What’s more, Fountain Valley would be able to host competitions themselves and showcase all the school had to offer.
Instead of hiring large, national corporations to make that dream a reality, Fountain Valley selected a unique group of engineers and architects local to Colorado Springs for the campus upgrades. Kristen Buckland at CSNA Architects, the architectural firm for the project, even brought a climbing background to the table. However, it was that insight into the sport that showed the team needed another member. For Buckland, it was crucial that the climbing gym be designed in a manner that targets the needs of the Fountain Valley climbing team and that it be future proof.
“The initial plan was for myself and the structural engineer to design the climbing walls in the space,” says Buckland. “But once we started doing a little bit of the conceptual design, we realized that we certainly could design the walls, but it was obvious that we were going to be in way over our heads.”
Cost and safety are often compromised when working with design-build wall contractors, and the unique team hired for the FVSC project had the foresight to sub-contract an independent design specialist in the climbing industry.
Great Teams Build Great Projects
In an effort to enlist expert help, often institutions will hire a company to do both the climbing wall design and build for an indoor climbing project. But according to Fairfield this can create a conflict of interest when the same company designing the climbing walls makes more money from selling more climbing surface and expensive faux rock wall products, rather than modern surfaces conducive to training and competition. Besides the unnecessary financial burden, safety can be compromised. Especially at schools, climbing spaces need to be as safe as possible when the schools are responsible for the well-being of hundreds of students. Unfortunately, different from other industries, there are no universally accepted engineering standards in North America when it comes to aspects of climbing gym design like fall zones and flooring.
Greg Collier, founder of iiCon Construction and general contractor behind the Fountain Valley project, took a different approach and sub-contracted Futurist Climbing Consultants to design the school’s new climbing gym and collaborate with CSNA Architects. Futurist is an independent climbing project development and design company which has designed over 20 climbing gyms in the commercial and institutional sectors of the industry nationwide. After years of working in the private and public sectors, Collier understood the importance of collaboration, quality control and preplanning on projects that in many ways the climbing industry is still learning and appreciated that Futurist took a similar approach.
“We feel like we really support the project. We don’t want to be the next biggest general contractor in the state of Colorado. We just really want to get back to the basics of customer focus,” says Collier. “I think if we would have just gone with a traditional design-build climbing wall contractor that it would have been a lot more vanilla throughout the space, a lot more watered down.”
Planning Makes Perfect
One of iiCon Construction’s philosophies around quality control is to have 80 percent of the preplanning completed in the first 20 percent of the job. The philosophy can be applied to all construction projects, including indoor climbing projects. From holds and volumes for the climbing routes on the walls to the routesetters needed to maintain the routes, there’s a lot more than just climbing walls that needs to be planned early on to meet the end programmatic needs of a training and competition climbing academy.
From safety to programming, there were numerous factors to consider at the start of the Fountain Valley project, including integrating the climbing gym design into the overarching plan for the athletic center’s modern architecture.
At the start of the project, Futurist conducted a comprehensive Preliminary Project Assessment for the Fountain Valley climbing gym, which entailed reorganizing the climbing infrastructure budget to correspond with the envisioned facility design. Guided by Fairfield’s industry knowledge and competition experience, Futurist identified the essentials needed for Fountain Valley to train at the highest level and host climbing competitions. The budget range given anticipated all the project items for a new climbing gym and included just the right amount of climbing surface―no more, no less.
During the design phase, Futurist collaborated with CSNA Architects to scale the climbing surface back to the amount of bouldering, lead and speed wall that was actually needed to host competitions and serve the student body. Futurist’s design changed up the angles too, replacing overly challenging sections with tactful angles that would help young athletes improve their skills across different types of terrain.
Futurist also worked with CSNA Architects to make the area safer, setting the bouldering walls at a reasonable height for students and repositioning the climbing walls so as to remove intersecting fall zones where climbers could land on one another. And while there are no universally accepted climbing flooring standards in North America, Futurist applied the strict standards required in the UK and EU that it respects on all climbing gym design projects.
“That’s one of the ways that we’ve been successful on all our projects. We come out at the beginning talking about this 80-20, we talk about how great teams build great projects and that everybody’s opinion matters,” says Collier. “It was a great team. Futurist was absolutely the right choice for us.”
Celebrating a Vertical Sport with a Modern Design
There’s a hierarchy on construction projects, and for many indoor climbing projects that often means the architect hands the climbing wall designer a predesigned space to fill in with climbing walls. However, according to Collier sub-contractors are the most specialized artists in their respective crafts. Climbing gym design is an art form at Futurist, and integrating this art into the architecture of a modern building―while maintaining sport-specific training and competition relevance of the layout and climbing wall design―requires a high-level of customization and collaboration between designer and architect.
When you first walk into the Julie and Spencer Penrose Athletic Center at Fountain Valley, a wide-open, 6,000-square-foot climbing gym is the first thing that you see. From the concourse, a conspicuously placed window under the bouldering roof establishes an inviting view of the climbing gym. Inspiring 37-foot climbing walls tower above, with motivating training options like an integrated Tension Board and dedicated training station.
The open feel serves multiple purposes. Coaches can supervise their athletes without climbing wall “islands” blocking their sight lines, and students on their way to practice other sports will see their classmates climbing and maybe consider giving it a try. Since climbing has a unique visual appeal as a vertical sport, Futurist and CSNA Architect worked to position the climbing wall front and center.
Inspired by the tiered competition viewing at Movement Climbing + Fitness gyms in Colorado, the elevated track encircling FVSC’s climbing walls and basketball court was an efficient solution to manage expectations for comps.
Additionally, the climbing area embodies the overall modern and high-performance feel of the athletic center. Just as students can look through glass panes into the spin room and swimming pool, so too a window arch frames the entrance of the climbing gym. Smaller windows also surround the climbing walls―which boast the same elegant wood trim, school colors and bright feel as the rest of the building.
In addition to the aesthetical value, the lighting plays a role for competitions. With overhanging walls, climbing gyms are often difficult (and expensive) buildings to light with classic ceiling lighting. Besides installing natural daylight devices for the ceiling, Futurist and CSNA Architects strategically placed the windows at a height that would light the ascent of climbers on the lead wall during competitions.
But arguably the most important feature for competitions is felt off the wall. Anticipating the hundreds of athletes, coaches, officials, families and visitors that would attend the events, Futurist and CSNA Architects worked together to find a creative solution for the seating. Efficiently placed above the bouldering wall, an elevated running track was extended from the basketball gym through the climbing gym to get fans eye level with the lead walls, not craning their necks to watch from a crowded floor.
“Instead of me as an architect simply designing a square box and somebody after the fact dropping in a climbing wall into that space, we were able to really work together and design something that’s very unique and specific to the building that worked functionally and is beautiful to look at,” says Buckland.
Breathing Life into Your Climbing Gym Project
At their core, schools are about learning, and intentionally and intelligently designed climbing spaces can be energizing forces for students to keep learning to move and grow. After the athletic center opened, Collier got to see the new building in action. The experience confirmed Collier picked the right team.
“The building lives and breathes, and it has a life,” says Collier. “When I walked into this building after it had opened, I could immediately feel the energy. There were so many different components of the building being used at the same time. It was just awesome to be in there when that was happening,” says Collier.
To breathe life into your climbing gym project, contact Futurist Climbing Consultants for a free quote.
This story was paid for by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
This week’s HWOW was built in a barn after Covid-19 struck. Owner Josh LeRay knew he needed a place to climb with the shut down, and fortunately his grandparents had space in their barn. Check out past HWOW here.
When did you build your wall?
I built my wall the week of May 18th.
What did your workdays look like when you were building? Highlights/lowlights of the process?
The workdays were nonstop for 2 days. I built a frame that was 8×8 feet because I had seen a lot of similar builds on Youtube. Highlight of that design was that I had enough 2×4 pieces but I could not fit the frame in the doorway of the barn stable! Humorous now, not so much then. I should have measured – I had to take the frame apart and build it again back in the stable. The days were super rainy and dreary, I was out of work for those two days and since I built my wall in my grandparents’ barn I was able to stay out of the rain.
How long did it take you to build?
It took me about 2 days to build.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
The plywood and the 2x4s that were used to make it a 45-degree angle was about $100.
Can you tell me a little bit more about your cost structure? Did you do any budgeting beforehand? What was the most/least expensive part? Were any costs of materials particularly surprising to you?
I had no budget for the wood that I got. I only bought two 4×8 pieces of plywood which was about 50 dollars and the 2×4’s were around the same. My goal was to build a 2×8 kickboard and the rest of the wall be 45 degrees. Since I was cramped for space I figured I would make it 45 degrees – it makes for intense training sessions. T-nuts were around $20 per 100 count bag and since I had planned to build volumes, I knew I did not have to make my wall super dense with t-nuts. Although my wall is sheltered, it is not climate controlled. For my bolts, I started out buying normal indoor commercial wall bolts but they ended up rusting with the change in moisture in the atmosphere. I decided on stainless steel after the third bulk set of holds I ordered. Though stainless steel is more expensive it was definitely worth it.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
Since I was cramped for space I knew if I wanted longer routes I needed to make it inverted. I decided on the 45 because I was able to miter the studs to make it a perfect 45-degree angle. I definitely do not regret doing it. It makes for some really nice routes. I also wanted to be able to walk behind my wall in case I needed to replace any t-nuts. With this design I was able to do just that.
Had you thought about building a wall prior to the virus? Any particular builds you saw online that helped you DIY?
Since my semester at NC State was cut short because of Covid-19, I not only had to go home but also had to leave all of the commercial gyms behind and any outdoor local boulders. I had no idea how constricted I would feel from not being able to climb on a regular basis. As a result, I went for it. There were not that many simple DIY builds on Youtube since Covid had become a reality. I found REI’s guide for home walls to be a great reference for my build. I definitely would have done a lot of things differently if I had a large budget, but with $500 to work with, I knew the design that I completed would work.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build? What would you do differently?
Making a plan of what you want in your home wall is really important. There was a point where I had to go back to Lowe’s because I either measured wrong or didn’t have enough resources. Plan!
What is your favorite aspect?
I made my kick board 8×2 feet. I like having a bigger kick board because it makes for more starting variations with feet. It definitely has helped my foot technique.
How often do you guys use the wall? Do you think you’ll still use it as much when all of the gyms open back up?
I’m the only one who climbs in the family. I am often called spider man because the rest of my folks do not understand the concept behind bouldering. 🙂
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
Home walls are awesome. Being able to climb during a pandemic at home has been a game changer. Any aspiring homewallers, go for 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 like this (varied prizes each week):
Photo: USA ClimbingUSA Climbing recently released a press announcement celebrating young athletes who have competed in a Youth National Championship every year for at least nine years (and thus progressed from the youngest Youth D age category to the oldest Junior category). But, in addition to celebrating well-known former youth athletes such as Lauren Bair, Joe Goodacre, Natalia Grossman, and others, the announcement introduced a number of new honors known collectively as the “Best-of-Season” awards (and more formally as the organization’s Annual Awards and Recognition Program).
These “Best-of-Season” awards are intended “to honor individuals, teams, facilities, and events that stand out in the USA Climbing Community each year,” according to USA Climbing. Categories for the new awards include: Athlete of the Year, Teammate of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Routesetter of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Event of the Year, and Gym of the Year. Each award has its own set of criteria. For example, qualifications for Gym of the Year range from demonstrating outstanding contributions to the community and demonstrating improvement in the facility to acting as a role model for other gyms. (It should be noted that multiple gyms can receive the award).
“We cannot succeed without the tireless efforts and passion of our community,” said USA Climbing’s CEO, Marc Norman. “These awards will celebrate those who keep our sport vibrant and exciting.”
More details and information about applications for the various awards can be found here. The deadline for submissions is August 20, 2020. Stay tuned to CBJ for information about the winners, which will be announced in September, and the latest USA Climbing news.
The majority of climbing facilities responding to a recent survey by Climbing Wall Association are requiring customers to wear masks, but enforcing the protocol hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Photo courtesy of Scott Rennak / The SpotBy John Burgman
One of the most noticeable safety protocols in response to the ongoing COVID pandemic for many reopened gyms is requesting that members wear facemasks while climbing or belaying—or in some cases while doing anything inside the facility. In fact, for some gyms, the facemask protocol is not merely a request; it is a required mandate by local or state authorities.
Wearing a facemask inside a gym sounds like a fairly straightforward protocol, but the request can prompt questions from some members about facemasks’ effectiveness against the spread of COVID. And the concept of a required facemask can be perceived by some as an infringement on personal liberties.
These are all challenges that Matt Lambert, owner of Rogue Rock Gym in Medford, Oregon, has personally had to deal with for weeks since he reopened his gym after a temporary closure. Lambert says that most of the members have complied with his gym’s enforcement of the state’s mandatory mask requirement, but there are a few who have not. “Climbers are an independent bunch, especially the younger generation,” says Lambert. “They think it’s all a big hoax or whatever and it doesn’t affect them and they really don’t care about masks. I don’t know what to do about that.”
Lambert offers some context, noting that Jackson County (where Rogue Rock Gym is located) has seen only 178 documented cases of COVID amid a total population of approximately 220,000 people. The gym members who repeatedly disregard the gym’s mask requirement tend to be the “regulars” who frequent the gym several nights per week—and stay until closing time—and consider the facility almost like a second home. Lambert greatly values such loyalty, but says, “Those people love the gym and community, but they feel in a way like it’s ‘their gym’ and they can do whatever they want.”
Lambert has found some success in approaching the matter with kindness, simply asking members to accept the gym’s required mask policy and letting them know he “hates having to be the mask police.” But the issue has grown more serious recently, with some staff at Rogue Rock Gym being yelled at or “intentionally coughed on” by members who object to the mask requirement. Lambert made a post in the Climbing Gym Operators Facebook group asking for advice on enforcing mask policies. At this point, in order to protect his gym staff, he is even prepared to temporarily close his gym (again) because some members refuse to follow the mask requirement. “I don’t know what the right answer is,” he says. “It’s infuriating. I feel personally disrespected by people not wearing the mask, and I feel they are being disrespectful to others in the gym.”
Facemasks are the new normal for the staff at Rogue Rock Gym—pictured here—as well as the members. Photo courtesy of Matt Lambert / Rogue Rock Gym
Adopt a “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Policy
Gyms around North America are dealing with customers’ adjustment to facemask protocols in various ways. One approach that has been successful for several gyms is the concept of members getting a finite number of chances to comply with the facemask policy. And those chances have increasing consequences. For example, Jesse Waldorf, co-founder of Strait Up Climbing in British Columbia, has recently reopened his gym with a mandatory mask policy that utilizes a three strikes approach for discipline: First, customers who choose to not wear masks will get a verbal warning, then they will get a written warning, and finally those who still refuse to wear masks will receive a week-long suspension from the gym.
“The three strikes thing is something we have adopted for all non-life-safety violations in the gym,” Waldorf tells CBJ. “Similar warnings would be given at our facility for being shirtless, taking food into the gym [as the removal of snacks and beverages is yet another COVID safety protocol], or horseplay/running, in juxtaposition to something like a belay safety violation—which would prompt an immediate incident investigation, potential revocation of belay certification, and other actions.”
Waldorf notes that the community around the gym has only had eight positive COVID cases—partly due to the community taking the matter very seriously. This made the decision to require masks at climbing gyms in the region “a bit easier.” But Waldorf realizes there will likely be a learning curve as Strait Up’s members get used to the requirement, the new normal of having to climb with facemasks. “We feel the three strikes is a reasonable procedure to allow people to adjust,” he adds. [Note: Waldorf’s mother has also played a part, joining a local group—Mask Making on the Sunshine Coast—that hand-sews masks for anyone in the region who needs them.]
Jason Groves, owner and manager at Ozark Climbing Gym in Springdale, Arkansas, says he has not had any issues related to members and facemasks, so Ozark does not possess any formal mask enforcement policy. However, Groves says he would likely use a comparable three-tiered warning system if members’ refusal to wear masks ever became an issue at his gym.
Approaching the customers with a couple warnings softens the sternness—at least at first—while also conveying some necessary strictness. And being firm is important, as Matt Lambert at Rogue Rock Gym has noticed that some people do not accept the seriousness of the matter when first confronted about a facemask infraction. Lambert says that people tend to respond with a lighthearted quip along the lines of “Uh oh, I’m busted” or “Ya got me!” So, giving multiple warnings helps amplify how serious a gym is taking the facemask matter.
The seriousness of the issue can’t be understated; for many people, COVID is life threatening like belay safety violations. At The Spot, which has gyms in Boulder and Denver, Colorado, customers and members have been a natural first line of defense, with peer culture playing a significant part in mask enforcement. “When your fellow climber asks you to put your mask on properly, it’s more powerful than our staff asking. We are fortunate that our community cares enough to speak up,” according to Josh Paton, facility manager at The Spot. To reinforce their policy, regular announcements are made that include the statement “we all thank you for wearing your mask properly”.
Despite the cordial approach, an occasional “anti-mask” visitor from out of town has made the situation difficult by abusing the policy to make their point. In one rare case, the visitor became belligerent, and like any time when customers are acting very poorly and refusing to leave, the police were notified. (Fortunately the problematic customer left of their own accord.) Josh explained, “We hated to do that, but wearing masks is incredibly important in our community. It’s one of the reasons we can be open.”
Belay ready? Check. Climber ready? Check. Masks on? Check! It’s the new routine at Strait Up Climbing. Photo courtesy of Jesse Waldorf / Strait Up Climbing
Train Staff on De-Escalating Conflict
Gyms in larger markets—and in some cases markets hit harder by the COVID crisis—have adopted a comparable approach. Grace Nicholas is CMO/COO and co-founder of Crux Climbing Center in Austin, Texas, a state with a COVID positivity rate of nearly 15 percent as of July 20 (although, it should be noted that that positivity rate was the lowest for the state in more than a week). Nicholas says that Crux has required masks since reopening, and having such an unchanging mask policy has helped with compliance. Crux also has many signs posted throughout the gym reminding customers of the requirement. “Our staff will alert anyone if their mask isn’t worn properly when they are on their standard lifeguard routine,” explains Nicholas. “If someone has to be told more than twice, then we will ask them to join us another time when they are able to comply with the mask policy.”
Nicholas says that Crux takes a “benefit of the doubt approach” for those first two reminders about wearing masks. In cases where customers intentionally or inadvertently remove a mask during a climbing session, a Crux staff member will use gentle prompts (such as “Oh, it looks like your mask slipped down,” or simply, “Can you please pull your mask up?”). The analogy to lifeguarding at a pool is apt, as Nicholas notes that a staff member’s gentle gesture from far away can also work as a prompt in a climbing gym. CWA recently released a useful piece on de-escalating customer conflicts, so misunderstandings and discouragement don’t swell into larger issues. Staying conscious of tone and body language as well as practicing empathy were among the strategies listed.
Nicholas adds, “If someone comments about how hot or uncomfortable [masks] are, we advise our staff to take a positive approach like, ‘Sure, but now I’m much more aware of my breathing while climbing.’ [or] ‘It’s a little like alpine training,’…[or] ‘Yes, the sooner we all wear these correctly, the sooner none of us will have to wear them anymore.”
Be Aware of Special Circumstances
It is important for gym owners to know that even something as seemingly straightforward as a mask policy is rife with nuance.
Some medical conditions, such as severe asthma, autism, and sensory issues make wearing (and breathing through) a mask difficult—even dangerous—for some climbers. In essence, the well-intended facemask protocol to combat COVID’s spread could end up being more dangerous for some gym members in the immediate sense. It is worth noting that there are modified face coverings that can be used to accommodate some medical issues, although whether or not gym members can acquire such masks is a different matter.
Waldorf points out that those climbers who cannot reasonably wear masks at Strait Up in British Columbia will be accommodated, and exceptions will be made as needed to his gym’s facemask requirement. “We plan to address these on a case-by-case basis the way we would handle any adaptive climbing situation where a practice is in conflict with a normal procedure,” Waldorf says.
CBJ Legal Analyst Jason Pill notes that gym owners usually cannot legally ask for proof of a member’s medical condition, which admittedly leaves room for some members to potentially be dishonest about the need for a mask exception. “Climbing gyms should avoid asking climbers for medical information and, really, gyms do not need proof of the climber’s underlying medical condition—only a doctor’s note explaining the limitation or restriction; the actual diagnosis is irrelevant,” Pill explains.
Medical exemptions aside, Pill, a longtime climber and an attorney for the Phelps Dunbar law firm in Florida, says that a gym does generally have the legal right to deny service to a customer who is not wearing a mask. A gym, as private property, can remove non-compliant customers in the same spirit of the old adage: No Shirt, No Shoes, No service.
Pill points out that there is a degree of mutual choice in the scenario: Gyms can refuse customers, and alternatively, customers can choose which establishments they patronize. For that reason, the idea of any Constitutional violation of rights is mostly moot because “a customer can exercise his or her rights by not frequenting that gym if he or she disagrees with the gym’s policy,” Pill says.
Climbing with facemasks is the new normal at Strait Up. For many people, it takes some getting used to, but there is solidarity in everyone following the rules. Photo courtesy of Jesse Waldorf / Strait Up Climbing
Frame the Logic and Explain the “Top-Down” Situation
Most climbers at any gym are aware that recommended protocols have been released by health authorities like the Center for Disease Control that reside beyond the climbing gym industry. The mitigation advice thus comes from the top-down, only being applied to a climbing gym setting after being sifted through medical professionals and other industries.
Lambert at Rogue Rock Gym says that acknowledging such higher-up nature of the safety protocols can aid with customers’ understanding and acceptance. For instance, when Lambert approaches customers who are not wearing masks, he is quick to point out that the discussion at hand is not whether facemasks are effective or whether facemasks infringe on one’s liberty. Instead, the discussion at hand is about the customer helping the gym adhere to a mandate that the state of Oregon has made.
Lambert often explains to customers that he, himself—as an honest business owner—is simply trying to follow the rules. Lambert also tells customers that he is trying to adhere to the state’s mask mandate just as he adheres to all other state mandates—properly and conscientiously. “I ask members to please have my back and support me in this,” he says. “Often it works.”
Consider Selling Gym-Branded Masks
Still, not every state has been requiring customers to wear masks inside businesses, leaving many gyms to rely on their own ingenuity to build solidarity around wearing masks. Another new industry development resulting from the ongoing pandemic has been the rise of a micro-industry for facemask production. A number of gyms have seen customers’ need for masks and decided to sell masks as another retail item, alongside longtime staples like athletic tape and gym logo t-shirts. Selling masks at the counter prevents irritation from boiling over when customers realize they forgot their mask at home. Plus, adding your own style or branding can help counteract any negative stigma with the positive force of group pride. And since wearing masks has become a new normal, might as well look cool doing it.
EVO Rock + Fitness in Portland, Maine, is selling a neck gaiter for $15 which “makes a great face mask,” according to the gym’s website. The gym notes that it is following Portland Public School, CDC and Maine governmental recommendations for COVID mitigation. In nearby Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Rock Spot Climbing is selling a limited supply of branded masks with a mountain background and its company logo.
Help keep yourself and others healthy while showing off your love for climbing,” reads the description for this branded mask on the Rock Spot Climbing website. Photo courtesy of Rock Spot Climbing
The trend is not only taking hold in the U.S. either. In Canada, Le Crux in Québec is selling a mask branded with the gym’s logo as well. The Hive in Vancouver is also selling a limited supply of masks, in addition to holding a free digital workshop on “breathing techniques with a mask.” In South America, Escalada Realization has helped encourage its climbers to wear masks during quarantine and feel part of the gym community from afar by offering branded masks when its members make a contribution.
On a related note, a few members of the youth climbing team at Climb Nashville recently created a tutorial on how to make masks of bandanas (branded with the Climb Nashville logo). The CDC has released its own tutorial on making face coverings. [Note: In some places there are certain requirements for what constitutes a mask, so just be sure to follow the guidelines for your area.]
In terms of other climbing industry brands, St. Louis, Missouri-based So iLL has released masks that retail for $26.99. On Instagram, Dirtbaggers and Static Climbing have both been promoting facemasks geared toward climbers. “For each mask sold, we will donate a mask to someone in need,” Static Climbing noted on its website. And according to the Dirtbaggers website, “Dirtbaggers always strives to source materials ethically, pay fair wages, minimize their environmental impact, and maintain relationships only with businesses that align with their values,” ideas which resonate with many people in the climbing community.
Crux Climbing Center has noticed a positive change in compliance since selling the Dirtbaggers mask. “We’ve sold over 300 of them, and now non-members come in to buy them for their work after they have heard about them from one of our climbers,” says Grace Nicholas. “Providing an option that people want to wear helps to have more people comply.”
Note: The statements in this article are not intended to be used as direct legal counsel. Gym owners should always consult a lawyer for any legal matters.
Photo courtesy of Chalk CartelEDITOR’S NOTE 7/27/2020: This early and limited study is no reason to alter operational procedures at any climbing facility – chalk has not been “proven” to affect Covid-19. This is interesting and potentially very impactful news for our industry, and we are covering it as such. The findings from this first research project still need to be formally released and peer reviewed. We can all hope these conclusions are confirmed with further rigorous research.
A recent study led by a team of doctors at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, found that the chalk used in the study significantly reduced the amount of a model coronavirus on a plastic surface by around 99%. The results suggest that chalk used in climbing and other sports may lower the risk of infection and spreading COVID-19 via plastic surfaces (such as climbing holds), according to the group behind the research. This study is early confirmation of what Don Campbell first hypothesized and tested this spring in his gym Gemstone Climbing in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The study was prompted when founders of The Lakeland Climbing Centre and The Warehouse Climbing and Caving Centre in the United Kingdom reached out to the chair of the Association of British Climbing Walls to get the concept of a comprehensive study going at an academic level. Other gyms were looped in, and eventually a research team at De Montfort University was commissioned. The leaders of the study were Dr. Katie Laird, the Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group at the school, Dr. Maitreyi Shivkumar, a virologist, and Dr. Lucy Owen, a postdoctoral researcher.
A model coronavirus for SARS-CoV-2, human coronavirus OC43, was used in the experimentation, which entailed analyzing the presence of that virus for one hour on plastic that was dusted with chalk—and comparing results against a control group of plastic without chalk. “The results indicated that the amount of infectious virus was reduced by around 99 percent immediately upon contact with the chalky surfaces,” noted an Association of British Climbing Walls press release which first announced the results of the study. “By comparison, the control test where no chalk dust was present, showed only a slight decline in infectious virus over the time periods.”
The Chair of the Association of British Climbing Walls, Rich Emerson, stated of the study, “We hope that it will provide comfort to our customers as they return to climbing at indoor walls. We will not lessen all our other COVID-safe measures such as regular hand sanitization and social distancing, but this extra factor should temper fears that chalky handholds could be vectors of the disease. We await the formal scientific report with anticipation.”
The aforementioned press release noted that the full scientific report will be published next month. The study comes as many gyms around the world have reopened (or, in some cases, are opening for the first time) with various COVID-related safety protocols, including social distancing and required masks.
[Branded Content]
Climbing gyms around the world have been working hard to weather the global COVID pandemic, including Chris Sharma’s gym in Spain. Sharma currently operates a full-service climbing, yoga and fitness facility in Barcelona, and a second gym is under construction in Madrid. Temporarily closed since March, Sharma Climbing Barcelona reopened in June with a number of extra safety measures in place, from hand washing to reservations.
“Another thing that’s really helped is the inclusion of auto-belays in our gym,” says Chris Sharma in a new video. “At that point I had no idea that TRUBLUEs would also be a tool in helping distancing in our gym. With the unique circumstances we’re in, we’ve been able to use TRUBLUEs to do just that: we can space people out. And when people are making appointments to come in and their schedules don’t match up with a partner, we’ve got TRUBLUEs there for them to get in climbing.”
Watch the full video to learn more about Sharma’s journey through this period and ways the gym is keeping its community climbing―and safely.
This story was paid for by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
Behind the Desk… is an ongoing series that profiles people influencing and advancing the industry in gyms across the country. This month, CBJ chats behind the desk with artist Phil Lewis, who paints elaborate patterns and illustrations on climbing walls as part of a collaboration with Eldorado Climbing. Lewis’ colorful wall panels measure 42’’ x 42’’ and feature t-nuts, ready to be installed in any gym. Could Lewis and a few other professional artists be leading the way toward a new industry trend of high-quality artist/wall company collaborations? CBJ wanted to get Lewis’ thoughts and find out.
Lewis (pictured) lives in Boulder, Colorado, and says his love of physical activity—outdoors and indoors—is shared by many in the Boulder community. That passion also influences Lewis’ artwork. All photos courtesy of Phil Lewis / Eldorado Climbing WallsName:Phil LewisTitle: Artist/Collaborator with Eldorado Climbing WallsLocation: Boulder, Colorado
Instagram: @phillewisart
CBJ: I suppose a good starting question would be: Do you have a climbing background?
Lewis: I don’t really have a climbing background, but I do have a serious love for nature. I grew up on the north shore of Lake Tahoe…hiking, biking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, scrambling the massive boulders along the shoreline, etc. Spending my formative years in such a pristine mountain environment really taught me the value of being outdoors, and these themes have carried through into my artwork all these years later. It’s also why I love living in Boulder so much. There is a shared love for physical activity, both outdoors and in, that most folks who live here appreciate. There are hundreds of miles of trails right out the backdoor; it’s an incredible place to be.
CBJ: So how did you connect with Eldorado Climbing for the climbing wall panel collaboration?
Lewis: It was through the intertwined communities of yoga, climbing, art, music and overall joy for life that we found each other. Boulder County is home to many entrepreneurs, and there are many people feeling similar flows. We are all building things that we are truly passionate about. When Mike Wedding [Senior Director of Sales at Eldorado Climbing] reached out to me about combining my artwork with their custom panels, it felt like an incredible opportunity to create something special together.
Lewis’ climbing panels based off of the Flatirons, a fixture of Boulder, Colorado.
CBJ: Tell me a little about the process of painting the climbing wall panels. How do you decide what to paint, and what’s the timeline?
Lewis: For this project we chose pieces from my catalog that feature the local geography. Using the Flatirons felt unbelievably appropriate. There are many climbing routes all over these rock formations in real life, and I thought it would be a cool idea to climb up the rock faces depicted in the artwork on the panel itself. Another piece, Red Rocks, features a world-famous local amphitheater in Colorado comprised almost entirely of rocks. It also felt like a great fit for these climbing wall panels. Arise is a compilation of many of my pieces from the past few years that were put together to create a totem of different animals. The title of the piece itself felt like a great match, to literally arise up the face of the panel as you climb.
Two of the other pieces, Frequency and Remix, were a little more abstract…we wanted to go with something that was fully symmetrical, so you could combine as many panels together as you wanted to create a seamless installation. I also wanted to focus on color schemes that embodied rocks. The designs themselves are pretty psychedelic and captivating. I thought it would be fun to get lost in these images as you’re making your way up the wall. I feel like they could provide more of a freestyle route, just flowing with the image in less of a particular direction.
A rendering of Lewis’ Redrocks climbing panels on display.
CBJ: I think gym climbing walls are a unique canvas, in that people are physically interacting with the art. Does this influence what you paint on the panels?
Lewis: Creating art and art-products that people can interact with has been a major focus of mine over the course of my career so far. At the core, I still love to make big art pieces for a wall at your home or office, but there’s so many other applications that can have a much wider reach.
I make all kinds of things like puzzles, coloring books, golf discs, hats, yoga mats, apparel, phone cases, engraved water bottles, stickers…the list really goes on and on. When you have art on something that you can carry with you, or wear, it has a way of enhancing your daily life. The people you interact with get a chance to see your choices for expression, even as you simply walk down the street. A super-colorful bandana, or psychedelic phone case, can be a conversation starter. It goes beyond simply sharing expression and becomes more engaging when you are physically interacting with the artwork.
For example, my puzzles or coloring books—by putting the pieces together, or coloring in the pages, you are actually participating in creating the artwork. This is what was so attractive to me about the climbing wall project. By having artwork on the panels, people can actually—physically—engage with the line-work and patterns. Climbers can pick a line up different color segments or around certain elements. I think it provides an opportunity to be more creative with the routes; there’s just so much more to work with when the surface is visually dynamic.
However, going back to the beginning, when people are not actually climbing on it, it’s still a giant piece of artwork on the wall! Especially when viewed from a distance, I think these panels will be eye-catching and entice people to get closer to them. I’ve always really appreciated patterns and details, and when you really dive into my work, you can notice more and more within each section. I imagine climbing these, with your face 6 inches from the art, will provide an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into the artwork, and hopefully deeper into the climb.
Arise is a prime example of Lewis’ colorful and intricate painting. “Especially when viewed from a distance, I think these panels will be eye-catching and entice people to get closer to them,” says Lewis.
CBJ: Over the years, a lot of gyms have painted their wall panels in various ways. But there are still a lot of gyms that just have plain-colored walls or very basic, utilitarian paint designs. Do you feel like climbing walls are fairly untapped places for artistic expression?
Lewis: Absolutely! I think it’s similar to the rise in popularity of murals in recent years. Many business and property owners are realizing the impact that artwork can have on an establishment. Artwork creates a vibe and sets a tone in a really powerful way. When you see the value of adding artwork to your space, people will recognize that immediately—and notice that conscious choices have been made to enhance the environment. I can totally see the same thing happening with climbing gyms… this is another awesome opportunity for large-scale artwork.
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.
Bouldering at Vital Climbing Gym’s Bellingham, Washington, location. Photo courtesy of Vital Climbing Gym
An investment group called Crux Collective recently formed and announced its launch. The collective offers “capital, operational support, and marketing and branding insights” to climbing gyms, according to a press release. In essence, the collective provides “strategic business…guidance” to climbing gyms around the country.
The trio behind the collective are Kevin Goradia, Grace Nicholas and Alejandro Navarro. The same executive team previously found success growing the Crux Climbing brand with multiple gym locations in Texas. The collective is also an evolution of Crux Consulting, which formally launched in 2017 after Crux had been silently working with gyms in the U.S. and Mexico.
“Climbing is inherently a social sport, and we believe that climbing gyms should reflect that sense of community,” said Goradia. “Until now, gyms looking for capital have been forced to turn to corporate entities that could dismantle the gym’s foundational staffing and operations. We invest in gyms with a strong team and culture, serving as an advisor to help sustain and scale their businesses while honoring the integrity of their core visions.”
Coupled with the announcement of the collective’s formation was news that it will invest $2.9 million into Vital Climbing Gym in Brooklyn, New York, and Long Beach Rising in Long Beach, California.
Climbing at Long Beach Rising, which together with Vital in Brooklyn will see $2.9 million invested into the gyms by Crux Collective. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Rising
Grayston Leonard, founder of Long Beach Rising, was quoted as saying: “Long Beach Rising has a purposely small footprint to ensure we capture our members’ needs, something larger gyms frankly can’t do. We created a space for young professionals to work remote, build relationships with each other and feel safe. We will use funding from the Crux Collective to expand our offerings and ensure that our space remains representative of our members and their lifestyles.”
David Sacher, co-founder of Vital, stated, “Climbing gyms bring people together—and we need that now more than ever. Climbing gyms started by catering to a niche customer base, but have evolved into important community hubs for the neighborhoods we operate in. We are excited to provide not only great places to climb, but places where people can build lifelong friendships, skills and memories that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
This week’s HWOW was born mid-Covid and lives in Tash Elwyn’s garage in Saint Petersburg, FL. This professionally constructed mini-gym offers 4 different angles, including a 90-degree overhang. Check out past HWOW here.
When did you build your wall?
May 2020.
How long did it take you to build?
One week.
What did your workdays look like when you were building? Highlights/lowlights of the process?
This project began May 14th and the first phase (the 90-degree wall) was finished a week later. I planned to do the framing myself and then using wall panels I purchased from Eldo Walls, but I quickly concluded since I have a day job it was better to outsource this work to a handyman with framing experience. The work was pretty nonstop the first week. The only lowlight of the process was waiting patiently to be able to begin setting the wall and start climbing.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
About $5k.
Can you tell me a little bit more about your cost structure? Did you do any budgeting beforehand?
I didn’t do any budgeting beforehand, but fortunately a lot of the cost was years behind me. I began buying holds 7 years ago with the good intentions then of building the wall while my kids were younger. Life got in the way until COVID when the inability to go to our local gym, Vertical Ventures, led me to dust off those long ago purchased holds, order the wall panels and get going.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
We have garage doors on both the front and rear of the garage so out height and angles had to plan around where the doors open up to the ceiling.
Had you thought about building a wall prior to the virus? Any particular builds you saw online that helped you DIY?
See above for how long I’d been thinking about this. Some of the builds that inspired me came from the Home Climbing Wall Forum group on Facebook. It’s a very supportive, friendly group with lots of good home wall examples.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
Building it around the garage doors
How’d you end up building around the garage doors? Anything you had to alter to accommodate the moving doors?
One of our biggest challenges is that our old 1923 garage has garage doors that open up to the ceiling on both the front AND rear of the garage. Great for cars because you can pull straight through like the fire department but not so great for a home climbing wall because we couldn’t use the ceiling and were somewhat limited on height as a result. The handyman we hired is a former military engineer though and is a whiz at precision and he was able to measure, measure, and measure again and build the wall in such a way that it uses every inch as best as possible. He’s now working on phase 2 which is to add a ceiling/cave to climb on which is quite a feat given it can’t attach to the ceiling and has to fit under the garage door but still permit cars to use the garage. We also are building another 90-degree wall on the other end of the ceiling and a campus board ladder on the back of it. This second phase will all hopefully be finished by the end of this week. We just need the last 4 panels from Eldo Walls to arrive any day now (they are in town and about to be delivered).
Who did you hire to do the framing and installation? Did you assist them at all?
I hired a local handyman to do the framing and installation. This was a his first climbing wall, but he’s really talented and has kept his sense of humor and never batted an eye when I said, ‘can you do this, what about that?’
Did you make any mistakes along the way or choose to re-do any aspects? What would you do differently?
Even though the only sketches of what I envisioned building were in my mind and never on paper, there’s nothing we’d do over. If I had to do something differently, I would’ve built it a long time ago!
What is your favorite aspect?
Climbing with my 19-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son
How often do you guys use the wall? Do you think you’ll still use it as much when all of the gyms open back up?
We use the wall 3-4 times a week although it’s a little warm in there during our humid Florida summers. I do still think we’ll use it for quick late night or early morning climbs as a complement to returning to our local gym, Vertical Ventures, to continue climbing there as well.
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
We hired a pro to do the framing and the panel installation.
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):
Behind the Desk… is an ongoing series that interviews people influencing and advancing the climbing industry in gyms around the country. This time CBJ heads (virtually) up to British Columbia to talk about the Canadian government’s reaction to the pandemic, a gym’s priority to serve the community, storytelling in climbing media, and much more in this Behind the Desk with Lauren Watson.
Lauren Watson, Co-Owner of Ground Up Climbing Centre in Squamish, British Columbia. Photo courtesy of WatsonName: Lauren Watson
Title: Director/Co-Owner
Gym: Ground Up Climbing CentreLocation: Squamish, British Columbia
CBJ: I’ve done a little research and found that Ground Up opened in 2015. What was the impetus behind starting the gym, and is all the construction and development remembered fondly in hindsight?
Watson: Well, Squamish did not have a commercial climbing gym. We have a small co-op for experienced climbers and we have lots of very accessible rock, but for the long and rainy winters there is limited space for training and for learning to climb. I was working on another life goal at the time, but pivoted during my first winter; the lack of activity available to Squamish locals other than hanging out at the local bar was enough motivation for me. I knew this was somewhere I wanted to be for a long time—building myself a job seemed like a surefire way to stay.
With no real business background, building a gym was a great opportunity to learn a lot of new skills but it was also a steep learning curve. Opening the doors took three years, which was sandbagged by other gym owners telling me it could take as little as six months. There was a lot of push back both from the community, who didn’t really know us, and from people thinking Squamish was too small to support a gym (17,000 residents at the time). I did a few road trips and visited over 50 gyms around Canada and the States and was trusted with numbers from many of them to support my theory that it was possible with the right model. At the first CWA conference I attended in 2013 I slept in my car in the parking lot because that was in my budget. I fully recognize the privilege I have to feel comfortable taking those risks, both socially and financially. I also had one main partner in the business since the very beginning—Adrian Blachut—who supported the business plan in its first form and believed in what it could be.
My naivety and misplaced confidence was an asset; if I had known what would be involved, it would have been far too daunting and overwhelming.
In hindsight, I loved it—it turns out I love strategy work! I had (and still have) a lot to learn about human behavior and I actually find it all quite fascinating; learning how to adapt to communicate effectively and authentically in the construction world versus banking world versus shareholder negotiations versus speaking to customers…is exhausting and vulnerable, but has since enriched my life quite a lot. I consider the concept of “community” in a new light and consider ways we can develop the values of growth mindset and radical honesty in our programs, staffing and community at large.
In summation—yes, fond memories. But still type 3 on the “fun scale.” The road is long and I still have a ways to go, but I have a strong team of owners and staff who I can lean on and learn from.
Since the pandemic hit, Watson has been advising on COVID guidelines and working to gain more support and recognition for the climbing industry. Photo courtesy of Watson
CBJ: I also noticed online that you have a background in research and writing—specifically about climbing. Do you still keep your finger closely on the pulse of climbing publications, so to speak? And if so, what’s your opinion on climbing media these days?
Watson: Oouf. You are going for it, eh? Well, honestly I have moved away from the pulse of climbing news—particularly the politics of it, but I still see a lot of value in good journalism. Right before opening the gym I had been working to be accepted to a Masters of Journalism at the University of British Columbia, looking to take on more investigative journalism. I find the changing trends in media very interesting, reflecting the way we find and process new ideas and information. It has never been more important for all fields of news and journalism to be transparent on bias, well-researched, and show rational compassion.
Good storytelling that allows for the human condition to shine through trumps the topic. It needs to bring minds together; help us learn and grow through discussion of novel ideas, not divide us. Climbing can be a great vehicle for those discussions. I think climbing media has an opportunity to take a community already skilled in problem solving and sharing beta and create that link for how we can work through larger social and environmental challenges.
CBJ: CBJ is exploring the topic of gyms giving COVID orientations, and I know that’s something that Ground Up is doing, in-person and via video. How are operations going at Ground Up in this era, and what are some common questions that your customers seem to have during those COVID orientations?
Watson: We are uniquely situated as an industry that already has a customer base habituated to assessing risk and staff who are trained to mitigating it. To look at COVID-19 threats as another risk, with protocols and redundancies, makes it easier to understand how we can manage it and educate our customers to make good decisions. We’re providing our customers with a foundation of knowledge so they can mitigate their own risks and know when to ask us for support with the new policies and systems.
The Squamish community has been very supportive of us and our decisions throughout the past few months and since we have reopened. We have had very few questions. Most have said they are impressed that we are doing “enough, but not too much.” I could chalk that up to saying we have done such a good job, but I also think that is because our community has not been immediately threatened by the virus to date. That could very well change and we want to be ready to change and adapt moving forward.
Ground Up has reopened in stages following temporary closure due to the pandemic. “Our priority right now is to serve our community responsibly and figure out how to survive as a business after that.” Photo courtesy of Watson
CBJ: Are there any subtle differences you noticed in the way the Canadian gym industry handled the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the way the US gym industry handled it?
Watson: Squamish, and British Columbia as a whole, have been quite lucky with strong leadership from Dr. Bonnie Henry (our provincial health officer), low numbers of COVID-19 cases, and quick contact tracing. Businesses and individuals were making decisions to protect their communities before the government was imposing restrictions. Our gym was never actually asked to close, that was our prerogative to protect our community as we did not know what we were dealing with or how to responsibly offer our services. It is pretty interesting to reflect on that from the perspective of how much information we get these days and how the public digests what we hear.
I have been very impressed by the Canadian government’s reaction and their quick actions to protect workers and small business as well as by their communication and feedback channels. Of course it was still frustrating and confusing at times, but for bureaucracy it was quite an agile response in my opinion. No comment on USA leadership, but I know the climbing industry has been working together and working hard to get the support it needs and its communities need.
Since that first terrifying week of March 16th, I have been motivated by how the climbing industry has come together to support the gyms and provide avenues for discussion and action. I worked as a volunteer with Garnet Moore, through the CWA advising on industry COVID guidelines and with the Climbing Escalade Canada task force for lobbying our government for support and recognition. The Association of BC Climbing Gym Owners (ABCCGO) was formed to figure out how to tackle this with what we know, and adapt to meet the needs of our communities. It is really a testament to what we can do when we “share the beta,” and I think both Canada and the States are doing a great job of using resources and forums to support each other.
The ABCCGO is still meeting weekly to check on how everyone is doing and what updates we each have from regional public health officers to figure out what we can do to survive the next steps. We have also decided there is value to this association beyond COVID-19 support and most of the business owners have stated we would like to keep meeting to tackle tough issues, support each other and better support our communities. That is pretty unheard of in many industries—it makes me proud to be a part of it.
Prior to Ground Up’s founding, Squamish did not have a commercial climbing gym—which was motivation in and of itself for Watson (pictured here) to build a gym. Photo courtesy of Watson
CBJ: How do you think this COVID-19 crisis is going to impact gyms in the long-term? Speaking personally, although I certainly understand the reasoning, it still feels a bit weird to go to a gym and social distance and climb with a mask. Do you see the climbing industry reaching a point where that stuff feels totally normal?
Watson: That is also a hard one. We have reopened in a staged way, knowing first of all that our current operations are not financially viable without the current loans and subsidies we are receiving. We also know we will have to change over time, relax or add certain restrictions we have in our toolkit based on cases and risk of transmission. Our priority right now is to serve our community responsibly and figure out how to survive as a business after that.
I think some gyms may be tempted to keep certain measures in place after COVID-19, and some customers may actually like the physical distance and access to the gym being more prescribed with lower capacity on each visit. I think people will adapt pretty quickly to new routines, but at the end—to be financially viable, gyms will have to return to many of the old ways sooner than later or make more drastic adjustments to price, programs and staffing.
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.
