Athletes participating were a mix of past and potentially future Olympians
climbing gyms
Posted inOutdoors
The history of Colorado climbers who summit buildings instead of mountains
Many top Colorado climbing guides and pros have stories about buildering, the late-night ascents of campus buildings and public art that shaped their passions and careers.
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Culture, Growth, Outdoors
The indoor climbing industry is booming on a foundation bolted to Colorado’s Front Range
Colorado has for three decades nurtured the slow-and-steady growth of indoor climbing gyms. But now, as the business built by bored climbers is roiling with consolidation, private equity investment, mergers, acquisitions and unprecedented growth, the Front Range is emerging as a battleground for the maturing industry. The gyms also are spurring technological and consumer innovation […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Outdoors
Climbing gyms used to only offer dead-end jobs. Now, they’re a foothold for a route through the industry.
On a Saturday morning at The Monkey House, Carbondale’s new rock climbing gym, four people scale ladders with drills in their hands, creating the routes that people pay $100 per month to climb. The setters place footholds and adjust the angles of handholds, making sure each movement is fun and engaging. Along with the new […]
Posted inColoradans, Culture, Outdoors
Climbing gyms are hot, but longtime climbers worry gym rats aren’t learning basic real-world safety
Long before Marcus Garcia had scaled the frozen faces of some of the largest mountains on Earth, he was an 18-year-old kid in a Dallas climbing gym. A fit athlete with little adventure climbing experience, Garcia was approached by an experienced climber who offered to take him on a trip to Eldorado Canyon, near Boulder. […]