Climbing Gym

[kafish2]

I am suprised by the overall support for the bluegrass bouldering gym on this thread. While I love the walls and I am no local, I have yet to run into many locals who do not have some major issues with the place. Maybe I am just talking to the wrong locals but from the ones I talk to it sounds like a gym would win their business if it had...

1. A lot of good holds (like enough that you could strip and set the gym walls in stages without being forced to place the same holds on the same angles, you know variety)
2. Padding that allowed for climbing past the 8 ft or so mark.
3. Seating in a safe, fall free zone.
4. Setting being done fairly often and by quality setters.

Of course there are some other major bonuses such as a fitness gym, a bigger facility with routes. Those are not the major complaints I keep hearing about though.

[KD]

4armjoos = redpoint

[toad857]

i agree with all of the above (especially 2 and 3), and will add:

some more slopers & shallow holds to make use of the vertical wall (plus someone who knows a thing or two about balance to set there), some screw-on features (4-sided prism type is best.. everything else is a waste of time).

I think the biggest improvement would be to remove the bench in the middle and replace it with a large (4' deep) mat of the same 'bench' shape. folks could still sit there, but climbers wouldnt die if they hit it after falling from way high

[BryMX]

I feel like Bluegrass Bouldering is in process and slowly improving. They seem to be working out the kinks. The wall reset in December was a little spotty due to inexperienced setters putting up a lot of the problems. Made for some awkward routes that weren't thought through very well or had even been climbed by the setters. The most recent reset was much better due to new guidelines and only having experienced setters working the first 2 nights. They added a good variety of holds and better flow through the moves. Did pick up a few poorly set routes, especially on the vertical wall, but improved over all.

I heard some talk that new padding is on order so they can extend the problems to the ceiling. If that happens I'm sure they will rethink the benches but it seems reasonably safe with even casual spotting right now. 24 hour access is super nice by the way and the folks running the place have been great. Keep up the good work!

That said, I'm sure that if done right and with a bit of business savvy a new gym with routes could do OK. I would be a parishioner.

[the lurkist]

I am with Duston and bcombs- I am all about training and a full service climbing gym with tall walls, bouldering, treadwalls, etc, but having recently gone to a nice health club (LAC) here in Lexington, I would support a comprehensive health club with the above climbing. A tall order, but it sounds like it has been done in other smaller towns. So what if poor collage kids can't afford it. Fine by me. That is why Bram has captured his niche and will survive any other gym coming to town. He has the training gym/ affordable and effective gym down. Cmon, someone take a chance. Build it and they will come.

[KD]

There are too many college hippies in lexington to make it worth building a colossal facility and then complete with the red river gorge. leave Bram alone he is doing you all a service.

[kafish2]

I've heard a lot of the best climbers in Louisville climb at Hesters(bouldering gym) and I always wondered how they keep their endurance up for the Red if they aren't climbing routes. The answer is: A. bouldering/power training builds endurance (according to Eric Horst), and B. 4x4s.

The real answer is...
1. The boulder problems are often times up to 25 feet long (not much shorter than RS)
2. I find that when I got to Rocksport I spend most of my time sitting around wishing there were new things to climb (by this I mean not years old) and end up not climbing. Hesters I find myself actually climbing and trying hard... a lot.
3. Having a circuit. When it is route season we do a whole lot of volume.

Redpoint, the most important factor for us is having fun and keeping things fresh and changing. Also the ability to set some hard stuff is nice. You should come check out how the other side lives some time. You may not switch gyms but I do think it is worth the $7 day pass. Come on a tuesday or thursday, we will have a crew there and we can show you around.

[TK]

I am suprised by the overall support for the bluegrass bouldering gym on this thread. While I love the walls and I am no local, I have yet to run into many locals who do not have some major issues with the place. Maybe I am just talking to the wrong locals but from the ones I talk to it sounds like a gym would win their business if it had...

1. A lot of good holds (like enough that you could strip and set the gym walls in stages without being forced to place the same holds on the same angles, you know variety)
2. Padding that allowed for climbing past the 8 ft or so mark.
3. Seating in a safe, fall free zone.
4. Setting being done fairly often and by quality setters.

Of course there are some other major bonuses such as a fitness gym, a bigger facility with routes. Those are not the major complaints I keep hearing about though.

While I understand your criticisms, I feel as though people will complain no matter what.The fact is, Bluegrass is a new business- nothing is perfect right out of the gate. The important thing (to me, at least) is that Bram is constantly working on ways to improve it. In fact, the four things you cited are already being addressed.

In addition, I have always found the atmosphere at Bluegrass to be friendly and inviting. Again, that is a quality that I find to be very important in a good gym.

As for a big gym, I say if someone want to invest the massive amount of money it would take to do it right, more power to them. I would just hope they wouldn't put the little guy out of business.

[clif]

may step on some pretty big toes with this, but when i was hanging around slc a number of people were saying they were making money by manufacturing holds themselves. took some R&D, but still seems like a pretty good garage operation. i just had the thought that one special thing a small gym may be interested in providing but which also may lower cost and boost membership, is the ability to sculpt ones own holds and then, and as an inducement/prize, a little wall space to set/learn how to set one's own routes of quality.

if this thread is any indication, one would think the gym competition circuit is busting out.

[Shamis]

Funny, I would avoid a gym that has yoga, treadmills, weights and the like, unless it is my only option. I think most climbers are making a huge mistake by spending so much time getting "stronger", and very little to no time getting "better". I've yet to see a single person gain more by doing yoga, p90x, running, weights or any other activity, than I've seen several gain by learning better technique and basic climbing skills, in probably half the time.

Cross training and working other muscle groups is pretty essential to injury prevention.