San Antonio Needs an Indooor Climbing Gym
My name is Mark Bloyd, and I was introduced to climbing by my brother many years ago. At first, I only did it when I went to visit him, but I loved it more and more each time. Once we ended up in the same city together, Portland, OR, I started climbing as often as I could. There are so many things I love about climbing. It is so physical, and requires you to develop your strength and endurance. But that is just the beginning, because as you progress, you learn that balance and technique become very important too. And then there's the problem solving aspect. The challenges in climbing never end, but you can always find someone to help you out, as well. Climbing is a very social activity, and people seem to naturally be drawn together when they do it.
About seven years ago, I moved to San Antonio, and to my great disappointment, discovered there were no indoor climbing gyms. (Crazy, right?) I tried joining a local gym that had a wall, but that was a huge disappointment. So, for seven years I have been dreaming of someone opening a facility here, including myself. A little over a year ago I needed something to do with my life, again, and I decided I would at least take a step towards opening and owning a climbing gym. I started a portable rock wall company called Climb, LLC.
It's been a blast so far, and I've worked with great companies like the Spurs Sports and Entertainment Company, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation, and many local schools and churches. I've had the great pleasure of going to events with Wounded Warriors and children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and seeing them overcome their hardships to climb my wall, and come down with huge smiles on their faces.
Now I want to move forward with my dream of having the indoor facility. I also like the idea of allowing others to benefit from my success as much as possible, so I want to give regular individuals an opportunity to invest in the gym.
What's Need & What You Get
The biggest thing that holds anyone back from opening a climbing gym, is the initial cost. To do it right, it cost a lot of money. After the gym is done, though, the cost of running it is fairly low, and mostly fixed. Here are my plans for the facility.
- A minimum of 10,000 square feet.
- Separate Bouldering area
- Top Roping and Lead Climbing
- An area for birthday parties and team building
- Workout and training area
- Room for extra fitness classes like yoga
- Top trained staff
- Training classes for all types of climbing and land stewardship
- Guided climbing trips
The more funds I get, the better the facility that can be built. To have a wall built by one of the great wall manufacturers will cost around $30 per square foot and up. So, if we want a 10,000 square feet wall, it will cost about $300k - $500k. This doesn't include building out the rest of the facility, or paying expenses and salaries until enough money starts coming in. Because I am so passionate, I am not going with an all or nothing appoarch. If we (you and I) only reach our goal, I can get a traditional loan, and start with a smaller wall initially. I will do this in a larger location though, so that we can still grow over time. But I also, don't want to except too little funding and not be able to deliver for a long while. So, if I don't make our goal, I won't be taking the money, but I will strive on. And if we exceed the goal by enough, we can get the gym we want and San Antonio deserves from the beginning.
I am currently looking at locations near the airport, either along 281 or 410. Once fund raising is complete, I can get our location, design and build the walls and OPEN OUR DOORS! This may take as long as six months or more, so I will get vouchers to all of you and keep track of everyone who participates until then. This is part of why I chose Indiegogo to help me with raising funds, everyone will be in their database, as well.
The Impact
San Antonio is a hot city most of the year. People here need a greater varity of indoor activities, for themselves and their kids. We keep hearing about health issues for Americans, and maybe part of that is due to the boredom of a regular workout "routine". There is nothing routine or boring about climbing. By providing a safer and air conditioned environment for climbing, people in San Antonio will have a fun and exciting activity to keep them in shape all year around. And for the climbing community that already enjoys climbing outdoors, they will have a place to improve their skills and hang out together, especially when it's too hot to enjoy the outdoors.
One of the greatest concerns I hear from the climbing community is about safety. And with good reason. Having a climbing gym in San Antonio, with a well trained staff, will make it much easier to get the required training to individuals who want to enjoy the activity outdoors. The gym will become a center for sharing between fellow climbers, as well. And I plan on providing guided tours a couple of times a year to train people about safety, etiquette, and stewardship out on real rock.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you are unable to assist us financially, but really want to help this succeed, you can do a few things.
- Share this campaign via your social networks.
- Tell people you meet or know that might be interested.
- Follow us on Facebook, the link is below, and come join the gym when it opens.