Climbmax Climbing

Fall Flash Fest Route-Setting Frenzy

2011-10-04T06:25:00.001-07:00

Get pumped folks! ClimbMax's premier climbing competition, Fall Flash Fest (FFF), is coming right up! It'll be on Saturday, October 15 - which means there's now less than two weeks left before this event. Keep in mind that pre-registration ends this Sunday, October 9. Pre-registering gives you a five dollar discount off the registration cost, and assures you'll get a FFF t-shirt. The entire gym will be reset for this comp, and there may even be a little surprise addition for it... Register early here!

All those new routes mean that we've already begun setting like mad. But, you might ask, how do we reset the gym over a period of weeks and still keep it climbable in the meantime, without giving away the problems that will be put up for the competition?

Well, the process begins with setting a great route. This includes "forerunning" the route - when a bunch of folks (who will not be competing) climb it, and make any suggestions to the setter. Then, the route is taped and a map of it is made that shows which holds go where. Finally, the holds and bolts get taken down, get boxed up, and set aside in temporary storage. There the pre-set, boxed climbs will rest until the time comes to use the maps to re-set the routes (exactly as they were originally set!). In the meantime, the rest of the climbs in the gym are left up, until the time comes to strip down everything unrelated to Fall Flash Fest!

Keep your eyes peeled for the signs of pre-set FFF routes! Also, look out for any surprise additions in the next few days...

Is this thing on?

2011-09-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Long time no talk, blogosphere.

Well, a lot has changed since we last talked. There's a brand new staff at climbmax now! Feel free to welcome the new crew with open arms. (just don't squeeze too hard, you guys are strong)

We've been hard at work making the gym nice and clean for you in anticipation for the fall. Keep your eyes out for new carpets and new paint jobs.

FIght Against Cancer Climb-A-Thon

2011-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

We are really excited about this event and hope you will be too. Please help spread the word.

Join us on Saturday May 28, 10:00am-5:00pm.

How it works: Registered participants seek pledges and climb as many designated pink routes as many times as they can in the gym on May 28 from 10am to 5pm. They add up their total number of feet climbed to determine their donations.

The entrance fee is $20.

This event is part of the Mountain Sports Festival, and goodies for participants will be generously supplied by R.E.I Asheville.

Register and find more information here

Problem of the week: Episode 5

2011-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Climbmax problem of the week --episode 5 from david sharratt on Vimeo.

Problem of the week: episode 4

2011-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Problem of the week episode 4 from david sharratt on Vimeo.

Problem of the Week: Episode 3

2011-03-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Watch Chelsea as she floats up a steep problem. Tried it yet?

Climbmax Problem of the Week - Episode 3 from david sharratt on Vimeo.

SAUCI - behind the scenes

2011-03-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who competed in the final S.A.U.C.I this past Friday. A big congrats goes out to ASU, who won the 2010/2011 overall title!

We will get full results posted soon. Until then here is a little stop motion video showing what goes into setting up for one of these events.

SAUCI behind the scenes from david sharratt on Vimeo.

Problem Of The Week

2011-03-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

Episode 2:

Climbmax Problem of The Week from david sharratt on Vimeo.

Problem Of The Week

2011-03-09T10:58:00.001-08:00

Here is the first episode of ClimbMax's Problem Of The Week. Watch as Taylor cruises his current favorite problem in the gym.

These episodes will feature local climbers climbing their favorite problems. They aren't necessarily the hardest or newest, just ones that our climbers really like.

Climbmax Problem of the week episode 1 from david sharratt on Vimeo.

New Session of After School Club and Team

2011-02-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

We appreciate having these young climbers as part of ClimbMax. They are motivated and know how to have fun!! I think we can all learn something from them.

To celebrate a new season, here is a video of one night's session of team this past winter.

Climbmax Climbing Team Winter 2010 from david sharratt on Vimeo.

Video Highlights from Fall Flash Fest

2010-11-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

A quick little video from last weekends action -- make sure to check out the finals towards the end.

Fall Flash Fest 2010 from climbmax nc on Vimeo.

Fall Flash Fest

2010-11-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend!!!

We have already set more than half the routes, but they are hiding in boxes in a closet. We can't wait to get them back up on the walls. They seem particularly inspired this year -- we look forward to seeing what you think. You can also expect some fresh new holds on display this weekend, thanks to our friends at Element, So Ill, and Pusher/Revolution.

S.A.U.C.I.

2010-10-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

The fall S.A.U.C.I was a great start to the series. Thanks to all the teams that made it out. If you are a college student and you didn't compete -- you missed out! The good news, for students and non-students alike, is that the routes are still up.....but not for long.....everything is coming down 11/12 for the Fall Flash Fest.

Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up

2010-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

We are excited to be hosting this event. With just a of bit work -- and a lot of climbing we can raise money that will make a difference. Join us at Climbmax on October 8th for the Climb Up for Kids Climb-A-Thon. 100% of all funds raised go directly to those in need. This is a Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up charity event, led by the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA). AFCA is a non-profit organization, providing critical AIDS medications, medical equipment, nutritional supplements, and supplies in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. For more information: www.ClimbUpSoKidsCanGrowUp.com and www.helpchildrenwithaids.org

Stop by Climbmax for more detailed information. Basically, participants will be asking friends, family, co-workers, etc. to pledge a dollar amount per pitch climbed. The more you climb, the more money you raise! There is a $5 participation fee. Participants may also choose to make donations themselves in lieu of getting pledges. So, join us, and climb for a good cause.

S.A.U.C.I 2010/2011

2010-09-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

S.A.U.C.I. or Southern Appalachian University College Invitational is a long time favorite -- and perhaps the first collegiate climbing series in the Southeast?

This year's season will kick off on Friday October 15th, 6:00-10:00pm. S.A.U.C.I is a bouldering series, and competitors can compete as individuals, or as a team. We will have fun problems for ALL abilities, and the atmosphere is always fun and motivating.

One of our goals with this series is to promote regional collegiate climbing. Entry fees are kept low; we understand that not all students can cough up $30 to enter a comp.

New for this year: we will be awarding a series champion, based on combined results in all three S.A.U.C.I. events -- cash purse and the S.A.U.C.I trophy.

Start training, and mark you calenders; we hope to see you and your teams!

Series dates:

October 15

January 28

March 18

After School Programs!

2010-09-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone at Climbmax is getting excited for our after school programs! We have two programs going on this fall, a club and a team. The club program focuses on creating a fun and educational environment for kids to explore climbing. The team program is for youth who are interested in building on their strengths ands improving on their weaknesses as climbers. The team is a goal oriented program for young adults who already have some climbing experience.

For adults that may be concerned about getting their egos beat down by the kid crushers, the schedule for the after school programs are posted on our calendar.

Update!

2010-08-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

The cave is reset!

Ok, this update is a little late. The cave has been reset for almost 2 weeks, but if you didn't know, now you know! We'll continue route saturation through the next week until the next area reset.

So, what else is new at Climbmax?

You can expect to see some old faces at the gym soon. Dave will be back from his crushfest in Wyoming and Bethyn is returning from her summer vacation.

Comp season is almost upon us. Stay tuned for information about our upcoming bouldering events.

We also have some ridiculous promotions going on for students. $150 for an all exclusive entire semester pass. That is some wacky waving inflatable arm waving madness.

That about does it. By the way, I'm pretty sure I saw a leaf that was orange on the way to work today...

Turret reset

2010-07-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Howdy everyone.

First off, I want to welcome back Cameron and Flannery from their month road trip. It's good to have you guys back.

Yesterday, the stripping and screwing crew did a full reset of the turret.

We got psyched and moved around some of the volumes around and also added a new small volume. There are a ton of new problems up, from 2 dots to 8(?) dots.

We had a bunch of great people setting problems for us yesterday. The crew consisted of Cameron, Dave, Nate, Rob, Josh, and Flannery. Expect a diverse style in the setting, and look forward to more problems as we continue a soft fill of the turret.

On an aside, I'd like to take a second and explain what you can expect out of the setting crew for the foreseeable future:

1. Consistency in resets. We know nobody likes to climb on the same stale problems for months on end, but it also sucks when you're so close to sending a problem and then its stripped without warning. That's why Climbmax is going to be sticking to a set schedule for our resets. Every two weeks an area in the gym will be stripped and reset. During that two week period the setting crew will continue setting in that area until it's full. Then we'll move onto a new area, do a full reset, and spend the next 2 weeks doing a soft fill there.
If you haven't checked out the Climbmax calendar yet, click the link at the top of the blog. You'll find our setting schedule there, along with other various events Climbmax is hosting.

2. Diversity in style. Setting is hard. Setting outside of your own personal style can be even harder. That's why having multiple setters with different strengths is important to providing varied styles of routes. We're going to try really hard to provide you with setters of different skill sets, abilities, and styles.

We'll be continuing to tweak our setting philosophy. If anyone has suggestions for us, feel free to drop us a comment on the blog or tell us in the gym.

See you in the gym or on the rock.

-Josh

CORE!

2010-07-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Climbmax will be hosting a screening of Core on July 16th at 8pm.

CORE goes to the heart of climbing. Join an international cast of the sport's most dedicated athletes as they stick it when it matters most. Shot in 35mm Ultra High Definition, get ready to see every detail of some of the nastiest pieces of rock ever climbed.

Tickets are $6.00 a person and all proceeds will go to the Carolina Climber's Coalition. Join us on the 16th and get PSYCHED watching Core with fellow climbers.

CORE Official Trailer from Chuck Fryberger on Vimeo.

BOULDERMAX

2010-06-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

Bouldermax, hosted as the climbing element in the Mountain Sports Festival was a great event -- thank you sponsors, competitors, and spectators.

The event began with an open redpoint format bouldering competition. Competitors mingled, climbed hard, tried hard, spotted, and cheered each other on for 3 hrs, on 50 new problems ranging from V0 - V9. People really seemed to being enjoying themselves and giving it their all.

The route setters watched the field during the open competition, and then quickly set 3 finals problems on an outdoor wall constructed for the event. Their performance on these 3 problems would determine the results for the top 6 finishers in the advanced category, and the top 3 in intermediate. Each climber would be given 4 minutes to try to crack all 3 problems.

With a crowd forming the climbing began. The crowd grew quickly and let themselves get drawn into the climber's efforts. Before long the courtyard in front of Climbmax was filled with screaming spectators.

Here's a short vidoe of some highlighted climbing:

Bouldermax 2010 from climbmax nc on Vimeo.

A big thank you to all our sponsors, first and foremost: Black Dome --Asheville's full-service outfitter and core climbing store. Also a special thanks to: Mountain Hardwear, REI, Native, Patagonia, and Evolv.

Bouldermax

2010-05-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

May 29th, Bouldermax: A redpoint bouldering competition that will climax with a spectator friendly outdoor finals for the top placing men and women. Bouldermax is hosted as the climbing part of the Mountain Sports Festival. Its big! Its fun! You've got to come!

We will have LOTS of great prizes and a cash purse for the winners, as well as ample gear to raffle off. Winners will also grace the podium at the MSF Event center at Carrier Park.

All ages and abilities are welcome; we will have youth divisions, an old geezers division (40+), as well as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Mark the date, start training, don't miss it!

NO TRANSPORTATION CARBON FOOTRINT FOR CLIMBMAX TODAY

2010-04-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

This sounds a bit more grandiose than it actually is. David rode his bike to work, Stuart rode his bike to work, and they are both happier for it I'm sure.

Spring is here!

2010-04-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

And that means lots going on at Climbmax... To start with, there was April fools. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't get behind the desk to work.

And, the After school programs are off to a great start. Here are few photos of Bronson, Cole, and Claire bouldering, as well as Matt on his first lead of the outdoor wall. Keep it up yall!

The turret has been reset with a full range of new problems from 2 dots to 9 dots. Here are some bright clean holds, and Cole using his monkey momentum on a new 2 dot problem.

With the clear weather, ClimbMax Mountain Guides have been out leading trips at our beautiful local climbing areas. Here are a few photos of regular ClimbMax climber Hannah Nash climbing with CMG on 'Second Coming' at Looking Glass in the Pisgah Forest. This is a great time of year to be climbing outside. Our SUMMER CAMPS are an exciting way for youth to transition from indoor climbing to outdoor climbing. And reservations for all ages and abilities can be made on a private basis.

New Holds!

2010-03-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

....and new routes! We just hosted a Youth Competition for the Climbmax Climbing team and the Brevard Rock Gym's team and, wow, these kids can crank! I was impressed not only by their ability but by how well they work together and support each other to crack boulder problems. Any competition means new problems for everybody else -- about 20 from v0 - v5 -- and fresh new holds.

Check out this big sloper:

And, we have new pinches for the system training board. The system board is a powerful tool to increase your finger strength and core strength. It involves isolating specific grip positions and timed rests. Just ask for tips on how to use it. Here is ETSU climber Chris Noga making it look easy:

Rock and Ice Season

2010-03-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

It has been a cold winter in Asheville, but over the past 2 weeks the sun has been out, allowing for climbers to take advantage of both rock climbing and ice climbing. The WNC area certainly offers spectacular opportunities for both so you may find yourself sharpening your pics one day, then packing up the crash pad the next day.

For those of you who have been climbing at Rumbling Bald, don't forget to donate to the Carolina Climbers Coalition. They recently bought a significant tract on the west side, hosting some of BEST boulders in the area. The boulders are secure, now WE need to help pay the bills.

Check out this little video of ice climbing on the Whitesides Mountain classics: Mother Russia and Starshine. If you haven't tried ice climbing, ClimbMax Mountain Guides offers fun instruction.

Competitions

2010-03-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

We just hosted our annual competition for local High Schools. This is a fun event where climbers meet new friends and compete for their school title! Congratulations to this year's winners: Asheville School.

Next up: Youth Competition Thursday March 11, 5-7pm. This event is open to all climbers 5 to 16 years old. Our team and club will be there, we hope to see you as well.

Afterschool Programs

2009-12-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

We are hoping everyone has fun and relaxing holidays, and that all the young climbers are getting energized for our winter session of after-school programs. For more information, and to register go to: www.climbmaxnc.com/specialprograms.htm. Here are a few photos from past sessions.

Blogging on hold...

2009-12-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

It looks like blogging has been on hold for the past month or so. Well since then, we had the 2009 Fall Flash Fest. Bringing out 70+ competitors, it was a blast. Check the results here: http://www.climbmaxnc.com/FFF2009.htm#Anchor-49575

Fall Flash Fest 2009 -- ClimbMax -- Asheville, North Carolina from climbmax nc on Vimeo.

Construction photos Fall Flash Fest 2009!

2009-11-05T11:27:00.001-08:00

Here are the first two stages of the goodness happening in the gym. Comments welcome!

Construction

2009-10-26T17:07:00.001-07:00

Every year for the FFF, we try to spice the gym up a bit a la construction. A few years ago we painted, last year we erected the turret, and just last night we tore down the biggest free standing wall in the gym (the he-man wall). Want to know what's happening? See you at the Fall Flash Fest, November 14!!

FFF Registration OPEN!!

2009-10-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

Registration is now open for FFF 2009. Details, poster, registration form here.

See you there!

2009-10-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

No updates on FFF 2009. Coming soon...

There's a good vibe all around the gym right now. Friction is great with the low temps and low humidity, some great problems are up, especially in the 3-5 dot range and the staff is all fired up for FFF, while the youth coaches are preparing for the youth comps in a few weeks.

Dodge the rain and send some hard problems. Get amped for the fall season, gain some strength, and meet some new climbers.

www.climbmaxnc.com

Dave in China

2009-09-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

David Sharratt is the general manager here at Climbmax and has taken a 5 week leave from the US of A to partake in a climbing expedition to Seerdengpu, China, to tackle an unclimbed big wall in the Himalaya. Follow his expedition here:

http://www.sharrattphoto.com/news.asp?ID=5

Good luck Dave!

Send hard!

2009-09-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Over the next two weeks, routes on the turret and wall #2 (as you walk in the door and on your right) will be stripped off in lieu of new routes! So any projects you might have, now is the time to send them!!

This is our last strip/set project before stripping the entire gym in preparation for Fall Flash Fest 2009. FFF '09 will be Saturday, November 14. Registration and more info coming soon. Keep a watch on this blog for updates.

FFF is an annually hosted, American Bouldering Series sanctioned, bouldering competition held at Climbmax Climbing Center. Redpoint format, we strip the entire gym clean and then set anywhere from 30-40 comp routes the day/night/morning before the comp. Classes include Youth, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, men and women. Prizes last year included a couple of 60m ropes courtesy of Diamond Brand and Mammut, a pair of La Sportiva climbing shoes (ABS), a Black Diamond Pack, some tri-cams and a gri-gri (Diamond Brand), some locally made Earthsports chalkbags (Earthsports Designs) and too much other stuff to list. So long story short, we give out righteous prizes to top competitors. Come out and win some gear!

To get you psyched:

Climbmax Fall Flash Fest from lvmrock on Vimeo.

Pics of post-SAUCI madness

2009-09-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

For SAUCI, we completely stripped and reset the boulder, the He-man wall and the cave. Attached are pictures of these features, with the plethora of new routes!

For pics from the comp, click this link to our Facebook album.

New Blog, New Routes, New Season

2009-09-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the brand new blog of Cimbmax climbing center, western North Carolina's original climbing gym. The mission of this blog will be to provide up-to-date, relevant news about the gym as well as important happenings within the southeastern climbing community. With that being said, it is my hope that this will be a community effort; a lot travels by word of mouth within the climbing world, and we'll need your help to keep everyone informed about access issues, closures, comp dates and locations, sick sends, etc. Feel to drop by and talk to us or give us a buzz at 828-252-9996 if you hear of anything that you think the community should know about!

There has been a LOT going on here lately! On September 11th, Climbmax hosted the second S.A.U.C.I. (Southern Appalachian University Climbing Invitational) competition of 2009 with a great turnout and some serious crushing. The top male competitor award went to Chris Noga of East Tennessee State University for the second time this year, while the top female award was handily snagged by UNC-Asheville climber Flannery Mikusa. Western Carolina University took the top college spot, closely followed by ETSU in second place and UNCA in third. Thanks to all the competitors for coming out! (Special note to college students: our semester climbing passes are still for sale! Come purchase one and climb for free until December 11th.)

All you bouldering fiends know what hosting a competition means: lots of new routes! At last count, 30 new bouldering problems have been put up since the night of S.A.U.C.I. (that is not a typo!). We have new routes ranging from V0 to V7/8, so there is a little something for everybody.

Autumn is just around the corner, and the next great NC bouldering season will arrive on its heels. Temperatures are gonna drop, crowded forest floors will clear out and the traditional summer swarms of bugs will leave, rendering all of our favorite outdoor climbing areas pristine and ready to be visited all winter long. Full-time access to Rumbling Bald was officially opened as of early August, and all large-scale projects within the area are completed (read the full article here). It also appears that peregrine falcon closures are no longer in effect as of August 15th, but it would be wise to call the area you plan to visit for specific information regarding peregrine nesting; read more about peregrine closures here.

That's all I've got for now! Again, if there is any news that you think should be broadcast to the community, let us know and we'll try to put it up here. See ya on the rock!

-- Rob