One Boise-area rock climbing gym opened in January, another is planned this month
One rock climbing gym opened in the Treasure Valley late last month, and another is slated to open this month, bringing the number of climbing and bouldering gyms in the Boise area to three.
Vertical View, 1334 E. Bird Dog Dr., opened in Meridian on Jan. 31, while the Commons Climbing Gym, 4795 W. Emerald St., will have its grand opening on Feb. 22. Both gyms offer several types of rock climbing on walls of varying heights.
The Commons features realistic rock climbing on the Boise Bench
The Commons Climbing Gym is the brainchild of former employees and regulars at Urban Ascent, a popular climbing spot on 25th Street in Boise that shuttered unexpectedly in 2018 to make way for affordable housing.
Located on the Boise Bench, the Commons features 45-foot climbing walls that can accommodate more than 60 climbers simultaneously. The walls support top rope climbing, where climbers wear a harness attached to a rope that’s held by another person, called a belayer, on the ground.
Don’t have a partner? The Commons has auto-belay options for solo climbers. It also offers lead climbing, where a climber wears a harness and clips into anchors on the wall while ascending.
At the north end of the gym, climbers can work on a realistic-looking rock wall with imitation granite texture and natural rock features like cracks and outcroppings.
The Commons also offers bouldering — climbing without a rope or harness — on lower walls, and the gym features a fitness area and yoga studio.
Though the Commons hasn’t yet opened its doors, it has already sold about 100 memberships, according to manager Clint Colwell. Members will have access to the gym on Feb. 15, ahead of the public grand opening the following week.
“We’re tapping into the community of Urban Ascent,” Colwell said in an interview. “These folks already know what we’re about.”
Colwell said there are already more than 80 routes, or patterns created with climbing holds, on the taller walls and roughly 65 bouldering routes. The plan is to eventually have between 120 and 150 climbing routes and about 90 bouldering routes, with new routes set every week. The routes are labeled by difficulty, with all experience levels mixed together in the gym.
“Our goal is to destratify our climbing community,” Colwell said. “We decided on this philosophy that climbing is about climbing … and we wanted to make it a bit more inviting.”
For more information or to purchase annual or monthly memberships, visit commonsclimbing.com.
Vertical View offers Olympic-style speed climbing, space for group rock climbing
While Vertical View looks impressive from Interstate 84, the new Meridian climbing gym is even more striking inside, where visitors can see the full scale of its 65-foot climbing wall.
Manager Tyler Pape said in an interview that the building was sunk 25 feet in the ground to accommodate the massive wall, which features top rope and lead climbing. There’s even a section dedicated to speed climbing, where climbers can clock the time it takes to ascend to the top.
“If we have Olympic-level climbers training, they can come here and do that,” Pape said. “The main thought behind this is we want to bring climbing to a whole ‘nother level.”
The locally owned gym also features a bouldering section outfitted with floor mats designed by Asana, the Boise area’s third rock climbing gym. Pape said there’s 12 inches of foam under the mats to cushion climbers if they fall.
Vertical View has a fitness gym with strength and cardio equipment, as well as two yoga studios — one of which is heated for hot yoga classes. Visitors can also book a private room for parties and gatherings or relax on the second-floor patio that’s slated for completion by this summer. Stadium seating in front of the main wall offers a vantage point for competitions that Pape said Vertical View will host in the future.
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The gym has 100 bouldering routes and 160 routes on the rope walls.
“We want to make sure every week you come in and there’s something new,” Pape said.
He’s optimistic that Vertical View has something for everyone — even if you’re not ready to scale the 65-foot wall.
“Even if you’re scared of heights, you should still come in and look at the facility,” Pape said. “If you see all we have to offer, maybe we can convince you to try it.”
For membership and day-pass prices, visit verticalview.com.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 4:01 AM.
