What is it that distinguishes climbing gyms from health and athletic clubs? If you were to rely only on their glossy brochures or flash-filled websites you might have a hard time answering this question. Sure, all climbing gyms talk about how fun climbing is and how great it is for getting in shape. Certainly no gym forgets to mention that they are an ideal place for birthday parties, as if they were a less artery-clogging version of Chucky Cheese.

But more often than not their promotional materials are indistinguishable from their waist-slimming and arm-bulging counterparts in the industry. Climbing gyms rave on about their yoga and cardio kickboxing classes, running machines, and free-weight areas. Some gyms have clothing and pro-shops, café’s or juice bars conveniently located in the building. Others boast of climbing clinics by famous climbers or organized climbing trips to outdoor destinations around the world.

It would seem climbing gyms like to brag about everything but the quality of the climbing they offer. The most important aspect of indoor climbing – quality routes that are regularly turned over – is being woefully ignored.

And the survey says…

To see if this generalization is accurate I made a quick and unscientific survey of climbing gym websites to gauge the amount of promotion various gyms give to their routes, route setters, or route setting program.

To get right to the heart of the matter I checked out one of the most competitive climbing gym markets in the country: the DC metro area. Within an hour’s drive of each other are numerous health club and university walls, plus five highly successful commercial climbing gyms operated by Sport Rock in Virginia (with two gyms) and Earth Treks in Maryland (with three). These companies have built modern, multi-million dollar facilities and spend countless dollars on advertising and salaried employees. They duke it out every day for the sought after dollars of their wealthy DC and Baltimore customers. These gyms each have a Board of Directors to answer to if they fail to bring in the numbers. I thought that if anyone was going to promote the quality of their product (the routes) it would be these guys.

But then I’ve been wrong before.

After visiting the websites of both companies I discovered that neither identifies the obvious advantage of promoting their routes.

Earth Treks mentions only in passing that “Routes are set daily by Brian Hughes and Matt Bosley”, though they fail to mention that Matt Bosley is a nationally ranked climber. Nevertheless, their website does boast that they have provided guiding on Mt. Everest; which of course is the perfect place for an indoor climber to train!

Sport Rock does slightly better with: “The routes are set by two full-time, dedicated course setters who turn over each gym every 8 to 10 weeks. The routes remain fresh and varied to enhance your training.” This however, is buried in the “philosophy” section of their site. Meanwhile their yoga schedule (three times a week!) has a nice display right on their home page.

The single sentence defence

I visited about twenty-five other gym websites, including some of the largest and well-known gyms in the country, and found only four sites that even mentioned their route setting. When route setting did appear the remark typically took the form of a single sentence dedicated to vague hyperbole like Rock’n & Jam’n of Denver: “Our route setters are simply the best, creating fun and challenging routes for ALL levels of ability. We set challenging new routes every week.”The largest franchise of climbing gyms in the country, Touchstone gyms of California, does have a dedicated route setter page. Unfortunately the page is filled with State ID- issued photos accompanied by a paltry one-line bio; it makes absolutely no reference to turnover or quality. The only Touchstone gym to give any mention at all to route setting is Class 5 in Marin county CA, which says: “routes are changed frequently so that you’ll always have a new project.”

Metro Rock of Boston, on the other hand, has gone in the opposite direction. When it comes to route setting information, they are unsparing with details, but regrettably of the wrong kind. They publicly post guidelines for route setters, which consist more of where to set within the gym and how to clean up after oneself.

The only valuable information to the customer is the brief mention that they strive for a ten-week turnover. On the other hand, their roster of 39 route setters surely is impressive! It goes without saying that their compensation scheme (“In exchange for this help, Metro Rock will provide free membership.”) probably does not attract the most talented setters in the area. Maybe that’s why the site stays mum about the experience level of this unwieldy gang.

These are just the gyms that mention route setting at all. All the other sites I visited didn’t say word one about route setting, instead dedicating their web space to descriptions about their yoga, cardio kick boxing, weights, treadmills, stretching areas, café’s, showers and clean bathrooms, even their new couches.

The true identity

In no other industry or profession does the very product that is the bedrock of the business get such short shrift. Not until quality route setting begins to receive the respect it deserves will we see a major shift in thinking. Without this move to improve and promote a quality product, the climbing gyms will languish along side other so-called “amusement” sport venues like the once popular roller skating rink.

Gyms have looked with admiration to their older cousin, the health club, for guidance and come away with much to emulate. Fitness equipment and luxury amenities are nice and have helped to bring people into the gym that would have left for the downtown health club.

Climbing gyms are not suffering because of fancy fitness equipment and spa amenities. Certainly anyone who has driven over railroad tracks to a climbing gym tucked away in a distant industrial park, a gym decorated by ratty salvaged couches, climbing mag centerfolds and ragamuffin volunteers, will embrace these changes as progress in the right direction.

But a climbing gyms true identity will always lie in the very nature of our sport: the climbing.

 |   Subscribe to post | Leave a comment