The closest thing to what we are trying to do is the Slo-Op gym in California. Their first iteration was in a 20x20 storage building and their current location is 1000 sq feet. They are in a location with a lower roof than what we have so they only have bouldering with no top outs.
Regarding the lease, we are set to negotiate the final details on the lease dependent on enough community support for this size gym. Since boy scouts and birthday parties will not be a part of the equation, there has to be strong support. The lessor will be meeting with us the day we call and say we are ready, which assuming there is enough support, will be by the end of this week. I am pushing hard for this, but I am not going to commit economic suicide.
Lexington Climbing Gym
Yeah I know I just figured I would give YALL as much hell as I could before it actually happenedpkananen wrote:You'll be one of us soon enough.Cleveland wrote:Well fuck yeah we dobcombs wrote:Private forum? What the hell! Do you Lexington locals have a we hate Ohio private forum somewhere?
"Do it"
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gregkerzhner
- Posts: 171
- Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:09 pm
With 20ft tall roofs, you have a decision to make. You could build
a. a really, really crappy toproping gym
b. a cool bouldering gym.
they just had a gym built near me with 22 foot tall "leading" and "toproping" its pathetic.
Not only is this type of roped climbing stupid, uninspiring and lame, it also offers virtually no "endurance" benifit.
I would reccomend lots of steep walls of varying angles. stay away from vertical walls. Although a few are fine, the routes that go up vertical walls are always the same style and are almost impossible to make hard without exponentially increasing injury potential.
One other thing would be to stay way from complicated wall styles. if there is one thing to be learned from the best bouldering gyms in the country is that the walls are clean and pretty consistant in angle. If you put up a bunch of features (aretes, dihedrals columns) you will reduce climbing space and limit yourself to similar types of movements.
Furthermore, walls that are wide are the best. If you divide your walls into narrow sectors, you will limit yourself to short boulder problems that are all the same. To allow for badass problems where your whole body goes sideways you need space.
Basically, don't try and do too much. I would trade in all the featured, intricate toproping in my gym for a 20 foot wide by 15 foot tall 45 degree overhung wall any day of the week.
a. a really, really crappy toproping gym
b. a cool bouldering gym.
they just had a gym built near me with 22 foot tall "leading" and "toproping" its pathetic.
Not only is this type of roped climbing stupid, uninspiring and lame, it also offers virtually no "endurance" benifit.
I would reccomend lots of steep walls of varying angles. stay away from vertical walls. Although a few are fine, the routes that go up vertical walls are always the same style and are almost impossible to make hard without exponentially increasing injury potential.
One other thing would be to stay way from complicated wall styles. if there is one thing to be learned from the best bouldering gyms in the country is that the walls are clean and pretty consistant in angle. If you put up a bunch of features (aretes, dihedrals columns) you will reduce climbing space and limit yourself to similar types of movements.
Furthermore, walls that are wide are the best. If you divide your walls into narrow sectors, you will limit yourself to short boulder problems that are all the same. To allow for badass problems where your whole body goes sideways you need space.
Basically, don't try and do too much. I would trade in all the featured, intricate toproping in my gym for a 20 foot wide by 15 foot tall 45 degree overhung wall any day of the week.