A few square miles on the outskirts of Boulder are the epicenter of big new trends on the indoor gym scene. And the climbing inside is attracting a crowd that considers it to be even better than the real thing.
If you are seeking the state of the art in climbing gyms, look no further than a four-block radius around Whole Foods in the heart of Boulder, Colorado. Within less than a half-mile radius of chain restaurants and mini malls, there’s a stunning 45,000 square feet of indoor climbing. This otherwise average strip of town is home to the Boulder Rock Club, CATS, Movement Climbing and Fitness and The Spot Bouldering Gym. Each facility represents a superlative in its niche. Each is a unique entity and in aggregate, indicate the shape of things to come, for Colorado and beyond. As go this concentration of gyms, so goes the American indoor gym market.
With a population just shy of 100,000, including 36,000 students, Boulder supports a disproportionate one-third of the major climbing gyms on the Front Range. An odd concentration, this layout becomes all the more remarkable when one considers that the entire balance of the region’s four million inhabitants are serviced by just eight climbing gyms, spread among the urban concentrations from Pueblo to Fort Collins.
“This situation is unique to Boulder. I doubt you’ll find anything like this anywhere else,” says Mike Alkaitis, General Manager of The Boulder Rock Club.
The Best Crag on the Front Range
Why is Boulder so saturated with indoor climbing? To start, the city’s demographic favors it. When Movement Climbing and Fitness opened last July, it represented a new generation of climbing gym. With 40 foot walls, 17,500 square feet of climbing surface, iPod hookups, free wifi, yoga, spinning and a vast array of treadmills, weights and exercise machines, Movement is, according to Urban Climber magazine, “one of America’s newest and most notable next generation gyms.”
“Before launching Movement, we did an analysis of climber and outdoor enthusiast numbers in the Boulder area,” says co-owner Anne-Worley Moelter. “They showed we could sustain a new gym.” This assessment is remarkable given the massive econmic slump that began in 2008. But the numbers added up, Movement drew a stunning 10,000 unique visitors in its first 10 months of operation. One climber was overheard saying, of Movement’s steepest wall, The Chalice, “It’s the best crag on the Front Range.”
Recent growth for The Spot Bouldering Gym also reflects an upward trend. Says owner Dan Howley, “We have a ton of climbers in town with the demographic skewing towards the affluent, athletic, and the health conscious who allocate money toward fitness and recreation.” Howley recently added a 17 foot-high addition to an already packed venue, supported by a 10 to 15 percent annual growth in memberships for the last four years. It’s been called “the best bouldering gym in the world,” by one blogger. Just down the street, the Colorado Athletic Training School (CATS) shares a similar esteem among the cogniscenti. With a wider focus as a full gymnastic facility with a legendary (read notorious) bouldering wall catering to the hardcore, CATS’ rough hewn plywood walls are studded with a ridiculous number of holds–some dating back to the 80’s. Compared to The Spot’s sexy molded free-standing surfaces, CATS has a rep for pure utilitarian difficulty, garnering accolades like this one on climbingnarc.com, “I would move to Boulder again. Because of CATS. Second best area (not just gym) in the country, but with a much better concentration of problems than Hueco.”
The advent of Movement created competition in what one might consider an oversaturated market. It’s not a bright spot for everyone, however. The well-established Boulder Rock Club which also offers predominantly roped climbing, has felt the strain. With 10,000 square feet of climbing surface, the Boulder Rock Club was state-of-the-art when it opened in 1995. With all the amenities like wifi, training programs, yoga, and integrated world-class guiding and instruction under the Total Climbing brand, the BRC would dominate the market–anywhere else but Boulder. But, “Our numbers are significantly affected,” says Alkaitis. “Our membership and day passes are down considerably.” When asked about the future he shakes his head, “No idea, I wish I had a crystal ball.”
Growing the Sport
Bill Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Boulder-based Climbing Wall Association, points to the bright side, “Competition in the gym market is an ongoing evolution. When we see healthy competition we also see improved product—programs, services, customer care etc.”
If that’s the case, that’s good news for the climber. Inspired by the succes of Boulder’s scene, gyms across the country are getting bigger. The upcoming Mesa Rim gym in San Diego and Stone Summit in Atlanta both plan walls with 30,000 square feet and up to 60 feet high. Urban areas without local outdoor climbing have the most growth potential. Zimmerman notes, “Climbing walls have made something unpredictable and dangerous into something safe and accessible. And they’ve changed the face of climbing. Period.”
There’s also a gorwing national trend of increased indoor gym usage. More than ever before, climbers are introduced to the sport through the gym. “Back in the day, there were huge barriers to entry into the sport—gear, expense, finding instruction, and so on,” says Zimmerman. Today, a 14-year-old can go indoors and find the resources to learn climbing.”
The impact on the sport has been immense: casting a bigger net has increased the genetic talent pool, fostered a training approach that has increased technical climbing standards, and developed a true community in a one-time socially marginalized sport. The gym is truly beocming the most popular crag. As early as 2005, an Outdoor Industry Foundation study stated that climbing on indoor and artificial walls far surpassed outdoor climbing in both numbers—6.7 million vs. 5.0 million—and occasions—34 million versus 15 million. Artificial wall climbers 16-24 years old amounted to 59 percent. The 25 to 34-year-old age group accounted for 21 percent.
Rapid growth has drawbacks. Safety, education, tradition, and respect for ethics are often cited as the shortfall of the gym culture. Indeed, the transition from plastic to rock is full of pitfalls —requiring education and mentorship to evolve the sport.
But Zimmerman points out a solution. “A model for transition management and education from the gym to the outdoors is something like Total Climbing. The combination of the Boulder Rock Club facility and the Colorado Mountain School can take an entry level climber through the gym, the transition to the outdoors, and through every genre of climbing all the way to the highest peaks in the world,” he says.
Bigger, better gyms serve a growing market of climbers who see indoor climbing facilities as destinations. The performance dividends attract professional climbers and beginners alike. “Climbers are moving from all over the United States to this area to train,” adding, “A huge draw is not just outdoor climbing it’s the gyms,” says local climber Abbey Smith.
Destination Gyms
Remember when climbers would road trip to their favorite crag? Today, climbers travel to gyms as the destination. Anne-Worley Moelter says, “Some of our full membership clientele are from places like Colorado Springs and Cheyenne.” Howley observes the same, “You’d be shocked by our out-of-town visitors, I know guys from as far away as Europe with punch passes for when they’re in town. It’s definitely a destination for some.”
Some of the old guard look at gyms with a jaded eye, but the attitude has been eroding steadily. A former outdoor-only climber on climbingnarc.com, wrote about the Boulder gym scene, “We may be at gym saturation now, but I thought we were at Tibetan knick-knack store saturation after the first 10… I was wrong about that. I too thought climbing gyms were a total waste… when so much outdoor climbing existed. This is what has kept me (from) progressing. I used to climb outside four to seven days a week … this made me ‘fit’, but I was never very strong.”
“I’ve come to grips with the idea of a gym,” he adds. “I always have fun, get a better workout, see more friends, and without trashing my tips, wasting tons of gas and time, and battling snakes, ivy, ticks, bees, and choss.” •
Which Gym Is for Me?
The Boulder Rock Club
The indoor gym that set the bar when its doors opened in 1995. Boulder Rock Club’s 12,000-square-foot facility hosts great roped climbing, good bouldering, fitness classes, yoga and personal training from the likes of World Cup Champ Robyn Erbesfield. The BRC sports auto belays, a boon for quick hit training. It has a chill family friendly vibe and is renown for its phenom-generating youth program. The American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified Colorado Mountain School offers full continuing education program and one-stop-shopping for outdoor climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing and skiing mountaineering from local to international venues. Costs: Adult day passes $15 (1st time $10), student $12 (1st time $8), monthly unlimited, $69 ($56 students). 800-836-4008; totalclimbing.com
The Spot Bouldering Gym
With hip-hop, trance, plenty of youthful skin, plus world-class bouldering (and boulderers)—the Spot’s magical freestanding boulders and artful course-setting combine for a “singles bar ambience, with chalk instead of alcohol.” The Spot has a cool, youthful energy, and great mingling. The freeform socializing of bouldering leads to great posse-based problem solving and the promise of future hook-ups. Check out the new world-class comp expansion. It puts the high in highball bouldering. The integrated Spot Climbing School can introduce the indoor climber to the local outdoor venues. Costs: Adult day passes $15, 10-punch cards $129 (no expiration date), monthly unlimited $66. 303-379-8806; thespotgym.com
Movement Climbing and Fitness
In terms of vibe, Movement is The Spot’s roped climbing equivalent. With sleek, sexy lines, hip vibe and Verve inspired tan lines packed into a brand new 22,000-square-foot complex, Movement is geared for training, competition and fun. Stadium seating, open natural lighting to exercise rooms, extensive bouldering and lounge areas make Movement is a “home away from home,” according to more than a few climbers. The cutting-edge walls are qualified to host International Federation of Sport Climbing competitions. World-class training programs, yoga and spinning studios, and a complete line of Technogym cardio and weight equipment put the Fitness into Movement’s name. Costs: Day passes $16 ($12 student), monthly unlimited $75 ($62 electronic funds transfer/$65 students). 303-443-1505; movementboulder.com
Colorado Athletic Training School
One of the first climbing walls in the nation, CATS’ gritty, old-school, painted plywood, long traverses and bazzilion holds—some of which “were made before you were born,” screams hard-core training. Their credo, “Check Your Ego at the Door.” Primarily a 10,000-square-foot gymnastics gym—replete with pre-teen future phenoms doing floor exercises and vaults—CATS climbing delivers a no-frills approach to proven world-class performance and pure power. Costs: Drop-in day pass $5, monthly unlimited $30. 303-939-9699; catsgym.com
