For the first time, Olympic athletes are competing in sport climbing — scaling inverted walls with complicated routes that require physical and mental prowess.
Meanwhile, in Washington, enthusiasts say the region’s climbing community is tightknit, fun and welcoming of all, from kids to seniors and newbies to experts.
“Climbing is for everybody,” says Jeff Shor, who directs youth programs at Sportrock Climbing Centers, which has locations in Alexandria and Sterling. “If you can climb a stepladder, there’s something for you in the facility to climb. And even if you can’t, there’s a program that will help you get up the wall.”
Shor adds that part of climbing’s appeal is the many ways athletes are challenged to figure out the sequence of hand and foot movements needed to reach the top. Sometimes the answer is evident quickly; other times, it takes days or weeks to master. “Climbing is a kinetic puzzle that you solve with your body and your mind,” he says. “It isn’t just doing pull-ups up the wall. It’s figuring out how to best shape your body into this puzzle.”
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If that piques your interest, here’s what to expect at four of the area’s climbing facilities. (The District is expected to open its first indoor gym, Brooklyn Boulders in Eckington, this year.)
Sportrock Climbing Centers
This rock-climbing gym wants to be Washingtonians’ “third place” — where they gravitate to find community and fulfillment outside work and home. “We want to be a place where people in various states of athletic health can push themselves physically and mentally, and be supported while doing so,” Shor says.
Some of the facility’s classes are geared toward climbing newbies: Shor recommends a basic skills class, which will teach you and a partner how to climb on rope walls, with an emphasis on safety. The next level up is an intro to climbing class, which is hands-on and focuses on, for example, getting used to different wall heights. (All classes require preregistration.)
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More advanced climbers will have plenty to do, including one-on-one coaching and guided outdoor adventures. Sportrock recently introduced performance assessments, which “identify how a climber can progress,” Shor says. (This specialized training takes place at the Sportrock Performance Institute, which is attached to the main Alexandria facility.) Trainers analyze and make recommendations about climbers’ movements — for example, using special technology to measure finger strength.
The Sportrock team has created groups that tap into various communities, such as a Girl Beta program every second Sunday. It’s a 90-minute event coached by and designed for women. “We want to make sure that nobody feels hostility in any way and can get out of the male gaze,” Shor says. “It’s a place where women can support each other and develop their climbing.”
A Sportrock instructor also runs a program for patients with Parkinson’s disease, which is a degenerative condition that limits movement, and there are lots of youth programs, including multiple summer camps.
5308 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria. 45935 Maries Rd., Sterling. sportrock.com. Day pass: $22-$24 (adult), $20-$22 (children 13 and younger). Masks required for those who are unvaccinated and during group classes and youth programs. On Saturdays and Sundays from 9 to 11 a.m., and Mondays from noon to 11 p.m. (Alexandria) and noon to 10 p.m. (Sterling), everyone must wear a mask.
Vertical Rock Climbing & Fitness
Ian Colton knows climbing can be an intimidating sport. “It’s not like soccer, where you can immediately understand it because it’s so mainstream,” he says. “There’s been a big barrier to entry, and we didn’t want people to feel too intimidated to come in — so we developed this community for people to learn and excel.”
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Colton owns Vertical Rock Climbing & Fitness, a Manassas facility that offers indoor and outdoor climbing classes, camps and more. On a recent Monday evening, the facility was preparing for its second blackout party, during which climbers don headlamps, wear neon and clutch glow sticks as they climb in the dark. “It’s very artsy, and some people actually like it more [than climbing in light] because it takes away the height factor,” Colton says — climbers don’t realize how high up they are, and therefore don’t feel scared.
Parties aside, Vertical Rock Climbing attracts a range of guests, including some members in their 70s. Advanced climbers often appreciate the facility’s emphasis on getting outside, to places like Carderock in Maryland. “We built the facility with the belief that the ultimate goal is to enjoy the outdoors,” Colton says.
The gym hosts an active Meetup group that brings together seasoned climbers and beginners. That speaks to one of the things Colton likes best about climbing: It levels the playing field. “You can be incredibly athletic and incredibly strong and still be at the same level of somebody who’s not as athletic or not as old or not as young,” he says. “You can have all the muscle in the world, but you have to have the head for it. If you have the will and want to do it, you can actually climb and you can progress.”
Share this articleShare10225 Nokesville Rd., Manassas. climb-va.com. Open daily. Day pass: $24. Masks required.
Earth Treks
First-time climbers who visit one of Earth Treks’ locations in Washington typically start by taking an intro to rope climbing class. It overviews all the basics: how to tie knots and handle ropes (which is called belaying) and what it’s like to climb. “You can learn, hey, do I like this?” says Mike Downey, gym director at the chain’s Rockville location.
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Some newcomers prefer bouldering, which can be learned in an afternoon and involves shorter climbs that don’t use ropes. “You’re going to have a soft pad underneath you to help brace for falls,” Downey says. “It’s a little more dynamic. Some people never rope climb — they only boulder.”
Earth Treks also offers advanced classes, where climbers “can practice very high-end techniques, like what happens if a climber makes a mistake and you have to rescue them.” Other classes focus on perfecting technical footwork and complex moves, and private coaching is available.
Lots of kids frequent Earth Treks, too: There are options for young climbers ages 6 and up, including after-school programs, summer day camp and climbing teams. While the kids are occupied, some parents work out in Earth Treks’ fitness studio, taking a Core Fit or yoga class. “They’re a really good complement to anyone’s skills,” Downey says. “The fitness classes translate well into strength for high-end climbing.”
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Locations in Crystal City, Rockville and Columbia. el-cap.com. Open daily. Day pass: $22-$26 (adult) $18-$22 (student). Masks required at Crystal City; they are optional at Rockville and Columbia for those who are fully vaccinated.
ClimbZone
On any given day, you can scale the Eiffel Tower, Mt. Rushmore or Statue of Liberty — in Laurel.
At ClimbZone, guests have access to 75 themed walls, and they’re not all just reproductions of exciting destinations. There are walls that resemble a suit of armor, map of the United States, tornado, volcano and bookshelf, just for starters.
The indoor facility is certainly family oriented — but not all the clientele are kids, says general manager Kevin Killen. “Probably 25 percent or 30 percent of our business is actually adults,” he notes.
All guests start with an orientation, even if they’ve been at the facility before. Unlike most other climbing gyms, ClimbZone utilizes a hydraulic automatic belay system, which means there’s no need for a human belayer (who would typically stand on the floor and manage the climber’s rope). Instructors are constantly roaming about, in case someone needs help, Killen says, and to assist those afraid of falling. In those cases, “we get them to go up maybe 34 feet — not far off the ground — and then just let them come down, and they can see that coming down is the best part.”
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Climbing is a full-body workout, which parents often appreciate. “It’s your upper body, it’s your lower body, it’s your cardiovascular system,” Killen says. “Kids get to work out, and they’re generally very tired when they’re done.” Plus, he adds, the satisfaction of problem solving — and figuring out how to make it to the top of a wall — is rewarding. “It’s a sense of accomplishment, and they learn perseverance,” he says.
It’s also great entertainment. “We get moms and dads in here who are watching their kids, and then the kids convince them to come join them,” he says. “And all of a sudden, you have a family of four climbing up Mount Rushmore.”
13200 Mid Atlantic Blvd., Laurel. climbzone.us/laurel. Open daily. Two-hour session for ages 6 and older: $25. Masks required.
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