November 8, 2023
Working with Vertical Solutions was very personal for me - I learned to climb at The Front in the early 2000s when I was an undergrad at the University of Utah
December 7, 2022
No local climbing gym? Looking for the freedom to train as you please? Consider a in-home rock climbing wall!
May 30, 2022
Vertical Solutions chooses to work with shapers and hold business owners who seek to bring innovation to the industry and expect the utmost quality in return.
March 28, 2022
Petzl USA's extensive experience positions them as the clear choice to maximize safety and work efficiency at heights. When building with Vertical Solutions, you can rest assured that, in collaboration with Petzl, our field crew has received top-of-the-line training and equipment
February 28, 2022
Doug and Teri Johnson have done more than build a climbing gym—they've brought a community to Greenville, South Carolina. Inspired by their children's love for climbing, the Johnson family set out to unite the town around fitness, friendship, and fun. Having already, in their first year, hosted a huge climbing competition, a Friendsgiving potluck dinner, and a successful Boulder League, it's safe to say that BlocHaven is having an impact on the South Carolina climbing world. Read more about BlocHaven's vision, growth, and experience working with Vertical Solutions in our partner highlight.
January 24, 2022
Aaron Raby is an all-star on our design team, having designed walls for over 20 gyms since he started with us in 2018. Having spent hundreds of days exploring and documenting the climbing potential in the San Rafael Swell, Aaron is preparing to complete a developers guidebook for the region.
January 21, 2022
Eric Hires, the owner of Stone Climbing, St. Augustine, Florida's newest gym, is an ambitious entrepreneur with a deep respect for climbing's history and values, and a substantial concern for the future of the sport. Tying environmental sustainability and outdoor ethic education into his business model has been a driving force in Eric's humble quest to change the world.
December 3, 2021
Meet the dream team behind Benchmark Climbing.
October 14, 2020
Crux Climbing Center is a 22,000-square-foot facility located in South Austin’s Dawson Neighborhood. With unique services and gym designs like the Future Wall and 24-hour access, owner and Austin local Kevin Goradia has made Crux a competitive player in Austin’s climbing gym community. Continue reading to hear how this gym came to fruition, how it succeeds in the community’s tight-knit scene and how it plans to expand elsewhere.
July 8, 2020
Long Beach Rising resides in a very diverse community, and as a forward-thinking space, they stepped up to support the Black Lives Matter movement and tap into their community to re-think how they are giving back.
June 10, 2020
While routesetters are working-at-height during the coronavirus crisis, they're likely to have more personal protective equipment, more tasks and more on their mind than usual. When things get more complicated, staying safe means refocusing on the basics. This month, Petzl Technical Institute Manager Keith Luscinski shares his beta for two-rope systems, to help setters recalibrate and make sure they have everything dialed before they start up the wall.
April 20, 2020
Latitude Climbing + Fitness has maintained optimism and rationality in dealing with Covid-19 closures. Since closing their Norfolk, Virginia location, Latitude owners Matt Beck, Marisa Beck and Jason McKenzie have proactively collaborated to ensure their gym is fully prepared for re-opening day, whenever that may be. They have graciously shared their business strategy and how they're prepping for the next phase, which may provide assistance as you navigate the unknowns for your own business.
March 9, 2020
With his strong outdoor and indoor background, Robert Leistner brings a unique skill set and vision to the Blocz lineup – and his role has paid off. In Climbing Business Journal’s 2019 Grip List, Blocz won second under the “Top Volumes of the Year” category. We were fortunate to steal some of Robert’s time to get a better understanding of his perspective on shaping, climbing and setting.
February 7, 2020
Our designers are the fuel that drives us full steam into the future, and we’re proud to have some of the brightest folks in the industry, like Caroline Nilsson, on our team.
January 30, 2020
Fifth-generation Yakima farmer and president of Roy Farms, Michael Roy, is capitalizing on the Yakima’s growing outdoor community. With climbing being his main passion outside of farming, he’s now preparing to welcome the first-ever climbing gym to the area!
January 29, 2020
Including retail in your gym isn’t always an obvious decision. But expanding into retail means supplementing your gym’s bottom line with another revenue stream. And that’s always an option worth exploring. Read Petzl’s thoughts to help you discover the power of retail in your climbing gym.
January 21, 2020
Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and a historic, culturally rich one at that. It’s home to an international airport, is a stone’s throw away from the Big Apple and is just an hour and a half car ride from the Gunks, a world-class climbing destination. Now, the nation’s third oldest city is set to receive its very first climbing gym, located in the famed Walker House.
January 14, 2020
Over the past several years, Brad Barlage of Ascension Sales Group has worked with numerous brands to help get their product in climbing gym’s retail spaces. During this time, he's recognized what is successful and what doesn’t work. This blog post includes a list of things to keep in mind when planning your gym’s retail space.
January 13, 2020
Though there is a passionate climbing group in the area, Latitude Climbing and Fitness – after opening its doors on June 21, 2018 – focuses on introducing people to the sport. With its unique bouldering-only walls, like the Globe, and programs such as bouldering leagues, youth classes, yoga and more, it has since became a hub for and fostered the local climbing community. We sat down with co-owner Marisa Beck to talk about Latitude’s mission, holistic approach and plans for expansion.
January 6, 2020
While working on The Front Climbing Club’s South Main construction site in Salt Lake City, we were able to steal a few minutes out of James Mobley's busy day to chat about his transition out of a six-figure job and why helping others make their dreams a reality as a foreman at VS gives him profound happiness.
December 30, 2019
A few months ago, the Golden State’s newest bouldering gym officially opened its doors in Long Beach. Now, with the rise of other establishments such as a brewery and two bars, Central Long Beach has been deemed a ‘new entertainment district.’ Public infrastructure in the neighborhood is also improving, and others are looking at the area as a hotbed of opportunity. We caught up with owner Grayston Leonard to talk about climbing, his new business and valuable advice he has for others looking to break into the industry.
December 23, 2019
We sat down with North Mass Boulder Co-Founders, Elliott Steward and Zach Donovan, to discuss their inception of and plans for Indiana’s newest bouldering gym.
December 20, 2019
This past summer, Petzl America went on a North American routesetting tour to demonstrate our best practices and techniques with routesetters for working at height. What we encountered was surprising: A community hungry for ways to mitigate fall risk, increase comfort when suspended for long periods and build better systems for hauling and positioning wall equipment. The boom in climbing as a sport --- and the accompanying boom in the establishment of new climbing gyms --- has been met with routesetters and gym operators who are increasingly serious about the rope access work they perform. This is great news, because the truth is that routesetting is a high-consequence work-at-height activity that demands to be taken seriously.
December 3, 2019
The quality of a gym’s routestting can make or break its popularity. Set too difficult and no one will be able to climb; set too easy and people will become disinterested. Additionally, safety while working at height is of utmost importance. With a plethora of rigging options and gear on the market, it’s imperative that gym owners and head routesetters choose wisely to help mitigate risk while on the job. With this in mind, we sat down with The Front Climbing Club’s Head Routesetter Eddie Morillas to talk routesetting, working at height and what it’s like to set for multiple gyms with a new location opening on the horizon.
November 25, 2019
In 2018, Dustin Buckthal founded Sugarhouse Holds, an indoor-climbing hold production company built in Utah, inspired by Utah and on a mission to spread the love for Utah climbing throughout the climbing community. Being one of the more geologically diverse states in America, it’s hard to blame him. In order to help spread Utah climbing adoration, Dustin searched high and low for someone capable enough to execute on his mission. Which leads to Kegan Minock, the shaper behind Sugarhouse Holds (a Vertical Solutions subdivision).
October 3, 2019
The concepts that lenders use to gauge the creditworthiness of a potential borrower are called the 5 Cs. If you’re needing to raise money through lenders (banks or investors), you’ll need to understand the Cs and how they affect your chances of receiving a loan.
September 25, 2019
If you’ve been itching to see what a monster, industrial renovation looks like, then you need to head to 1330 Conant Street in Dallas, Texas. Along with an army of construction workers, engineers, architects and the likes, you’ll find Chris Whittaker – the founder of Oso Climbing Gyms and the mastermind behind the renovation.
September 11, 2019
With near perfect year-round temperatures, beautiful sandstone around every corner and Zion National Park just next door, St. George is a hotbed for outdoor rock climbing. Now, the city is getting its very first climbing gym thanks to co-founders Chris Horton, Jacquelyn Horton, Jeff Compas and Jenny Compas.
September 5, 2019
A climbing gym business can be risky in many aspects. It’s important for gym owners to start addressing those risks early on in their project, and to consider all facets of risk management. Those risks range from the subtle fallout from a simple overstocking of your retail space all the way to a customer or worker injury at your gym.
August 29, 2019
It was a Wednesday afternoon and the sounds of rain pitter-pattered on rooftops across town. Like any other rainy day in Hood River, an Oregon town of 7,600 which borders Washington on the Columbia River, most people were at home or work, or any number of the eateries, breweries or coffee shops around town. Except for Conor Byrne and Jen Altschul. They weren’t sipping IPAs or a dark roast. They were touring history...
May 9, 2018
A brief video capturing why our clients choose to work with us, and what we bring to the table.
April 20, 2018
ATP is the first push-button, freestanding Adjustable Training Platform: change wall angles in seconds and mount any training system you prefer.
October 13, 2017
VS just launched a new must-read guide for aspiring climbing gym entrepreneurs.
February 10, 2017
Not all projects are brand new: Brooklyn Boulders came to Vertical Solutions with an ambitious renovation project. Read the full Case Study produced to exhibit what can be accomplished when you need to replace climbing walls in your gym.