gregkerzhner wrote: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.
I agree with this..
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
Yes, this is true to an extent, but not everything should be too difficult..some of us are injured and rehabbing, old or pathetically weak. ( I guess I'm all of the above )...and everybody needs warm-ups..
That is what we have been planning. There have never been plans for top ropes except we conceded that there was room on the vertical wall to add one or two if anybody wanted. Since this would be of little cost in time or materials, we stated we would do it if enough people wanted.
The theory of evolution is just as stupid as the theories of gravity and electromagnetism.
gregkerzhner wrote: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.
I also agree with this 100%.
However, eventually you'll run into the problem that most gyms do...the people that make you the most money are gumby's, and particularly groups of gumby's. And they like vertical walls with 5.6's on them.
Hopefully you'll have enough real climbers in there to make it break even or profit...if not you may have to turn it into a normal mickey mouse climbing gym.
I can't believe this, but Greg is right. Believe it or not, some of the best indoor bouldering I have ever done, was at a private gym/wall in North Wilksboro in NC. It was the best not because it was the biggest or had fancy walls, but because they kept it simple and varyingly steep. It had plywood walls, consistent angles, tall, everything was at least 30 degrees or more steep, and lots of good holds. It was just one big mushroom.
I know I won't be climbing there, but don't put any vertical walls except at the top of some sections. It should be at least 10 degrees, and steeper, but absolutely no horizontal.
We finally got rid of our horizontal roofs at Climb Time and thank god for that. They are a huge waste.
I'm moving to Lexington next month and would more than likely use it. Just a suggestion: have a tradwall in there too so people could keep up some more endurance vs climbing 20ft at a time if they wanted.