Helping Everyone Climb
Climber Spotlight: Nick Foster -Director of Routesetting
I got into climbing through a childhood friend. We visited the local climbing gym in Portland, Maine. I found this was something that I wanted to do with my life. I remember going up to the front desk and asking the manager what the process of setting looked like… He slid a wrench across the table and said, “Use one of these”. Much of setting is drawn from outside inspiration. Competitions are a really good testing lab to see what you can make climbers do, how to make climbers think, and interact with what you put on the wall. Setters always get questions. Do you draw it out? Do you have a computer program? For myself, I like to be very spontaneous. Use the holds that are provided and think outside the box to try to get climbers outside their comfort zones. Routesetting and climbers are in a symbiotic relationship. You can look at a boulder and know the climb is ergonomic. You can tell when they're kind of sticking it to the climber and making them do something really uncomfortable. I have been excited to climb with this community, but now with this position, I'm able to challenge the community and stimulate the routesetters. You’re never too young or too old to get into climbing. It's our job to be as inclusive as we can with the products that we put on the wall. We need to allow a new climber that's never even heard of rock climbing to come through our doors and find stimulation and success and challenge seasoned climbers who know their ins and outs and want to have a good session. I encourage and invite the community to always approach the routsetters, even though naturally routesetters are a little intimidating and maybe even a little grizzly. We're just people and climbers like yourselves. We want to know what you find exciting and what you want more of. So don't be afraid of it. We are cooking stuff up in the kitchen and if it does or doesn't taste good, we certainly want to know.
#ohioclimbs #routsetter #climbingby5life #vaohio #climbchambers #blocgarten #columbusohio #climbinggyms
Meet Our Ohio winner of the Be Our Guest contest! Avigail won a free yearlong membership to the climbing gym by bringing the most first-time guests to our facilities in Ohio. Congratulations and happy climbing, Avigail!
#vaohio #columbusohio #blocgarten #climbchambers #climbinggyms #climbing
Climber Spotlight: Paige (She/Her) [Part 2]
"I'm really proud of the other ways we have been able to make climbing more accessible as well. Such as our Community Days, Adaptive Ascents, Open Door Membership, and support of local organizations like @queerclimbingcolumbus. Another piece of my heart is with the groups I get to bring into the gym to climb. Getting Adaptive Ascents started back up was a huge goal of mine. Adaptive Ascents will be running every other month this year, which I'm excited to see it expand. We are so thankful for all the climbers and volunteers who help us make this event possible. central_community_house is a wonderful local nonprofit that we've been able to partner with to provide free climbing events for their kids. I also had the pleasure last year of introducing climbing to the folks at @naicco1975 (the Native American Indian Coalition of Central Ohio). I really believe that it doesn't matter your age, background, fitness level, etc., climbing is for everyone! Making climbing accessible to everyone is a challenge but one I am dedicated to. I am proud that people in our gyms can show up as themselves and we can help them climb.
Although I'm a boulderer at heart, my goal for this year is to get myself on the ropes a little more and definitely get more comfortable with my lead climbing. If you ever see me in the gym, feel free to stop me and say hi and chat with me. I'd love to get to know you and get to know what climbing means to you and get to know the needs and the desires of our community and how 5.Life can best fit those."
@climbingby5.life is a women-owned and operated company.
#ohioclimbs #womenwhoclimb #columbusohio #queerclimbingcolumbus #climbing #bouldering #climbinggyms #womensday #embraceequity
Climber Spotlight: Paige (She/Her) [Part 1]
"My current role is facility manager at Vertical Adventures, as well as the membership coordinator and group coordinator for all of 5.life. Before working at the climbing gym, I was working for OSU, doing research and working on my masters. After doing all of that online due to COVID for a few years, it was taking a major toll on my mental health and I needed to switch to a job that brought me more joy and more personal connection with people. When I started climbing, I was immediately attracted to the community and just how friendly everyone here was. Seeing how life changing climbing has been for people… It’s so much more than a form of exercise... I’m excited to give new climbers the best experience possible when they climb with us. I know how life changing this community is and I want new climbers to feel that.
There are a variety of access issues that can keep people from climbing and the outdoors. But I am happy to say I believe 5.Life is playing a major role in making climbing as accessible as possible. Getting the Open Door Membership started has been a huge step in making climbing more financially accessible. A piece of my heart has definitely gone into the Open Door Membership. I can think of many different people who have benefitted from this access. Single parents, climbers with financial hardships, and people with disabilities, and so many more we are able to support with this programs. We all know it's just a hard world to live in right now financially and then let alone when you add being a single parent or dealing with medical debt or dealing with workplace discrimination where you don't feel like you have a comfortable place that you can make money. It is a new membership option, so we're getting the word out about it. Any climber out there who feels privileged financially can support the Open Door Memberships via a monthly add on to your existing membership. You pick any amount you want to give each month. That amount is added to your membership and specifically used to help sustain the Open Door Membership."
#womensday #climbing #climbinggym #vaohio #ohioclimbs #womenwhoclimb #embraceequity
❤️ A very special someone dropped us a line this morning from the other side of the globe. Wishing Andrew well in his service. Looking like a pretty legit setup between the hangboard and the mug! We miss that smile around the gym! Stay strong, and see you down the road.
#climbingisforeveryone #blocgarten #supportourtroops #climbingby5life #columbusohio #vaohio
❤️Valentine's Day BOGO❤️ Climbing is the perfect Valentine's Day excursion. All are welcome. Try something new and celebrate the day with partners, friends, or family! Buy one get one for day passes all day on February 14th.
#columbusohio #valentinesday #loveisloveislove #statecollegepa
🏆Be Our Guest🏆 Calling all members! February is a month-long member contest where you could win the grand prize of a FREE annual membership to the gym! By playing the game, you also get a chance to enter our raffle. Spread the joy of climbing and win big. Bring a first-time guest to our gym today.
⭐The member who brings the most First Time Guests to the gym will win the grand prize⭐
⭐Raffle Prizes⭐
Yearlong membership
Crash Pad
A free week of YP Summer Camp
35% of one retail item
Mystery box
How it works
👉Bring First Time Guests to the gym using your Bottomless First Time Guest Pass
👉 Earn one point for every First Time Guest you bring in
👉Enter the raffle to win other prizes
👉Win prizes
*if bringing more than 4 FTG's to a ropes gym or more than 6 FTG's to a bouldering gym, please call ahead to set up a time*
#joyofclimbing #climbing #statecollegepa #columbusohio #climbinggyms
😍Climb Nittany Grand Opening😍 We are so proud of our Climb Nittany facility. Come out and celebrate their grand opening/2nd birthday ALL DAY on Saturday, January 7.
🎉Join us for the party we didn’t get to have last year! 🎉
We soft opened in October of 2020 with only our boulder and slab walls and then had to shut down for three weeks due to governors’ orders in December. We fully opened in January 2021, and two years later it finally feels like the right time to party.
We’ve been waiting almost two years to throw our big Grand Opening celebration, and it’s finally happening on Saturday, January 7th!
Come celebrate with us!
🎉$2 ENTRY FOR EVERYONE. Whether you are a first-time guest or it’s your 100th time (or more) visiting, your climbing session is only $2! Rentals are on us.
🎉 Organic Climbing Ditty Swag Bags for the first 23 visitors of the day! Each bag has a commemorative Climb Nittany patch attached and is filled with goodies!
🎉 Join us for a Ribbon cutting at 1 PM with Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County!
🎉Food and snacks.
Idou Coffee Co. will be serving coffee from 9-11 AM while we are serving hot pancakes off a griddle.
Hot dogs and veggie dogs will be available for $2 between 1:30-3:30 PM. 50% of the proceeds will support the Access Fund.
Grab a sweet treat from the bake sale to support Team Nittany, our climbing team.
Good Intent Cider will be pouring from 4-8 PM.
Champagne toast and cake at 6:30 PM
🎉Party time from 6-8 PM !
No climbing, but plenty of games. Think ladder ball, corn hole, giant connect 4, crate stacking, and more! A great time to mingle with the community.
🎉Win, win, win!
We are going to have an amazing raffle going all day with chances to win a year membership and other awesome prizes from our vendors, as they’ve hooked us up for this event. Everyone who stops by will get one ticket, and there will be chances to buy more. A portion of the proceeds from our raffle ticket sales will go to the Access Fund
#statecollegepa #climbnittany #climbinggyms #climbing #happyvalleypa
🥂New Year's Hours🥂 A reminder that all our facilities close on December 31 at 6pm and are fully closed on January 1. See you in 2023!
#2023 #climbinggyms #statecollegepa #vaohio #climbnittany #chamberspurelyboulders #blocgarten #columbusohio
🎄Holiday Hours🎄 December 24, we close early at 6pm and on December 25, we are closed for the holiday. Grab your holiday gifts from our proshop, and don't forget about Bonus Bucks.
💸Bonus Bucks | Gift the gift of climbing this year! For every $100 you spend on gift cards, you get $25 in Bonus Bucks
❄️Winter Holiday Camp | Our youth holiday camp starts December 19. Let them climb our walls, not yours!
#ohioclimbs #vaohio #blocgarten #climbchambers #columbusohio
Across all our facilities, almost 900 climbers are signed up for $1 for Access! Adding one dollar to your membership directly supports access projects to some of our favorite climbing areas and more. Thank you to all our $1 for Access members. To sign up, talk to a team member today.
#vaohio #climbnittany #blocgarten #climbchambers #givingtuesday
🚨Cyber Monday Sale🚨 Today only, buy a 10-punch-pass and get 13 punches. Don't miss out! Buy your Baker's Dozen Punch Pass today!🎁🤩 Link in bio.
*extra passes will be added in gym
#vaohio #climbnittany #climbchambers #blocgarten #columbusohio #statecollegepa
Family-owned and operated since 1994! This season shop local and give the gift of an experience. We love climbing, and we think you might love it too. Buy a gift card today and give the gift of climbing! Link in bio.
🤙Bonus Bucks🤙
With every $100 you spend on a gift card, you get $25, Bonus Bucks!
💻Cyber Monday11/28💻
Baker's Dozen Punch-Pass Sale is back! Buy a 10-punch pass and get 13 punches!
#climbing #shopsmall #smallbusinesssaturday #columbusohio #statecollegepa
😍Stop by a gym to pick up your gifts for the holidays!
🚨Bonus Bucks starts TODAY! For every $100 spent on a gift card, receive $25 FREE. Give the gift of climbing this year. Link in bio.
#statecollege #columbusohio #climbing #climbinggym #blackfriday
🦃Holiday Hours🦃 We will close early on Wednesday, November 23, at 6 pm. Thursday, November 24, we are closed.
A reminder to keep an eye out for these Holiday Happenings!
🎁 Black Friday | Bonus Bucks begin and Black Friday Deals!
🤙Small Business Saturday | Shop local with us
💻Cyber Monday | Baker's Dozen Punch Pass Sale
🙌Giving Tuesday | Support your favorite crag
#climbinggym #thanksgiving #blackfriday #cybermonday #givingtuesday
👀 Lots of holiday happenings are coming up soon! Whether you are looking for that next piece of gear or giving the perfect gift to the climber in your life, we will have you covered!
#climbingby5life #happyholidays #ohioclimbs #columbusohio #climbinggym #paclimbs #statecollegepa
We love climbing and we are loving our climbing areas to death. The @accessfund mission is to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment. This takes time, volunteers, and funding to be stewards of our climbing areas. As part of Attitude for Gratitude, let's give some stewardship love to our climbing areas. Learn more about Access Fund, its mission, and its work. Link in bio.
#attitudeforgratitude #climbing #ohioclimbs #climbingby5life #accessfund
You should be proud! Because of you, our community donated more than $20,300 to help the climbing environment this year. We are pleased to have donated to every one of these organizations. Their missions collectively remind us to protect access to climbing areas, act as stewards of the environment, and that climbing is for everyone. Talk to the welcome desk about $1 for Access and Attitude for Graditute taking place at all locations for November.
Organizations doanted to:
🤙Access Fund
🤙Central Community House
🤙Centre LGBTQA Support Network
🤙Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers
🤙Equitas Health
🤙Friends of Muir Valley
🤙Kaleidoscope Youth Center
🤙Marne Road
🤙New River Alliance of Climbers
🤙Ohio Climbers’ Coalition
🤙Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition
🤙Southcentral Pennsylvania Climbers’ Coalition
We are excited to begin offering Off-Peak Memberships for $45/month. This offering was created based on community and member feedback. Off-Peak Members must check in to the gym of their choice before 4pm Mon-Fri and after 4pm on Sat-Sun. Visit our website for more details.
#climbingby5life #climbnittany #vaohio #climbchambers #blocgarten #columbusohio #statecollegepa
We were very happy to attend and sponsor the Village Makers Market last weekend with @central_community_house!
#columbusohio #nonprofit #centralcommunityhouse