Only Your Imagination Can Hold You Back.

This week we wanted to see just what everyone had always been thinking. What would you dream up for your perfect gym. All of us have different experiences as climbers, and as travelers. So why not see what that has lead us all to think about.

Carrot 

Sarah came correct with the group topic for this week, I think I could write a years worth of posts describing my dream gym, but I’ll keep it as concise as possible and just assume that whatever my Dihedral comrades want in their dream gym, I would add to mine as well.

I stayed at a hotel once where there was a wall that separated a pool into two halves.  If you swim under the wall you’re outside, swim back and now you’re inside again.  My dream gym builds on this concept.  I don’t like the idea that climbing gyms are generally indoor climbing gyms.  One of the great things about climbing is that it puts you out in nature; the elements contribute to the grade and difficulty of climbing routes.  But one of the hardships of outdoor climbing is that sometimes the elements win, and you’re not able to climb at all.  So why not have both.  An indoor/outdoor climbing gym!  A gym can basically double its wall space by setting the exterior walls in a similar fashion to those on the interior all without adding an inch to the sq. footage of the property. (Plus, is there a better billboard for a climbing gym than people scaling the side of your building?)

My dream gym has setters who see themselves as artists, anyone can put up holds, I want people who pride themselves on creativity!  I’d like one wall dedicated to replicating famous routes around the world, maybe I can’t make it to The Gunks, but now I can climb the famed High Exposure.  This place serves food for when you need to fuel up, and (stereotype alert) brews their own Kombucha.  It’s going to need some diversity in the climbs, so let’s throw in some cracks, over-hanging roofs, dihedrals, and arêtes…heck maybe toss in an off-width for those who have no souls.  My dream gym focuses on sport climbing, but there should be a solid bouldering section, and why not toss in an area to practice setting trad. (liability coverage is up to date right?)  The staff is stoked on your progress and doesn’t snob out on beginners, or spew beta…also their taste in music ranges from amazing to dynamite!  The gym community is based on support and encouragement (that seems to be the case with most climbers anyway), and guys don’t make it a habit to wear yoga pants while climbing.  There’s a pro-shop that comes at you with your needs, and a climbing focused workout space for those with swole on the mind! Let’s add a yoga studio, a viewing room to watch the climbing comps and Reel Rocks with the crew, and an on-sight masseuse to work out the pump after a failed send. There is a community comp. once a month where entrance proceeds go directly to The Nature Conservancy or a similar cause aimed at protecting the outdoors.  I think I could go on and on with the details of this gym, but I want to add one more thing to the dream before I’m done…since we are taking advantage of the outside, let’s just add a climbing pool al la psico bloc, that doubles as an ice climbing wall during the winter months.  That’s pretty much it, an indoor/outdoor gym with great features, run by an amazing staff, and a climbing pool with a waterfall that freezes in the winter, that’s not asking too much…right?

Any investors wanting to hook this dream up, comment below, and let’s get started!

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Casen

Soon I’ll be leaving home for college, and I think I may miss my local gym nearly as much as I’ll miss my parents and siblings. This may sound obvious, but if you’re a regular climber, having a nice gym can enhance your entire climbing experience! Showing up at the gym is often the best part of my day, so I’m lucky to live within driving distance of a well-kept gym. Anyway, here are the top three things I’d like to see in theDIHEDRAL climbing gym.

The first and most important thing when it comes to my perfect gym is a welcoming atmosphere. In my opinion, walking into the gym and seeing smiling faces is just as good as a fresh set of routes. Meeting like-minded people is good for the mind and the soul. My perfect climbing gym would focus on the community aspect just as much as it would on the climbing!

Next is a constant barrage of new routes. Truth be told, I get a little bored when there haven’t been any new routes in a couple of weeks. As an intermediate climber, I can only climb about half the routes, and maybe one in every five challenges and excites me. The problem is, what goes up, must come down. My dream climbing gym would be so big that they could set new routes every day without taking down anything two weeks or younger.

Finally, I want free water soloing. I want a HUGE outside wall going up the back of the gym with a pool for a crash pad. If you haven’t seen the deep water soloing competitions on Youtube, go look them up right now. It looks like a blast! Just a great way to have a little fun and beat the heat.

Speaking of heat, the pool has a heater for those cold months…

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Sarah
As someone who has traveled to many states and many gyms. There is always something I wish I could Frankenstein together to make my dream gym.

If I was able to make my dream gym you would most likely see bouldering walls around the entire perimeter of the gym with climbing walls and canyons filling the area. And to make to it easier for new climbers each level of experience would have a different color wall. For example 5.8s and auto belays would have a purple wall where as 5.12s and speed routes can have orange walls.

I would absolutely love for my dream gym to be able to have towers and a solid ropes course in the back. Because who doesn’t love to climb out in the open without having to drive hours.

And of course as all climbers love to eat, there would be a killer cafe to fuel you during and after your climbs.

Nothing to wild from this mind of mine but just enough that I think their experience and atmosphere would bring everyone coming back for more!

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Gaia

After reading my teammates’ ideal gym, I kind of feel embarrassed… Mine is not as elaborate and fun as theirs because I only wish for two things: a daycare and food trucks ! I would love for a gym to have a supervised space for kids in order to be able to climb as much as I would like to without worrying that someone will fall on top of my son or the other way around. I am waiting until he is old enough to climb with me, but for the time being, a “daycare” would be highly appreciated ! Also… I would love for the place to have food trucks with many delicious vegetarian options every once in a while in order to enjoy many different delicious food from different parts of the world !!!! I feel that I am adding things to my food truck dream list as I type… I apologize ha !!!! Would you tag along ?!