Those eager for the thrill of scaling a mountain without the unpredictability of that experience might find what they are looking for at the Shuswap Gym of Rock, the region’s first rock climbing gym.
Owned and operated by Salmon Arm locals Rebecca and Sean Scott, the Gym of Rock is a project the pair have been working on for about a year and a half. Their goal is to offer something for experienced rock climbers to use to keep practice during the winter months, while also being accessible for anyone from children to seniors who want to give scaling the walls a try.
Read More: Gym of Rock aims to bring indoor climbing to Salmon Arm
During their grand opening on March 15, Sean says they welcomed about 120 climbers throughout the day to check out the new facilities available to them, ranging from young kids to adults. They say things have been pretty busy during this first week, as adventurous climbers make their wayto the Westgate Public Market to see what this new recreation opportunity is all about.
The gym offers four different climbing walls in total, including a kids’ section, two bouldering walls and a tall climbing wall that requires a harness and ropes. One interesting feature at the gym is their use of an auto-belay system that can take care of the ropes and descent process on its own, meaning climbers don’t have to work with a partner belaying them at all times.
Sean says the auto belay is a great feature for parents or grandparents who might not be comfortable belaying their child, and also for avid climbers who want to practice solo without a partner.
Read More: Shuswap climbing gym opening Spring Break
Throughout spring break the Gym of Rock will be open for extended hours to allow more people to drop by and check out what they have to offer.
@Jodi_Brak117
jodi.brak@saobserver.net
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