The Original Climbing Gyms: How PRG Looked in 1994

The original layout of the first Philadelphia Rock Gym was truly an exercise in old-school design. In the early days, as I have mentioned previously, many climbing gyms were built on shoestring budgets with whatever local labor was at hand and could swing a hammer- skilled or otherwise. This approach had its pros and […]
From Concept to Climb: Construction of Early Climbing Gyms

In the early days, many believed that climbing gyms were just a passing fad. They might survive a few years, maybe five. People reasoned that once the novelty wore off and enthusiasts moved on to the next new thing, there wouldn’t be enough climbers to support the business, much less keep it growing. In retrospect, […]
The First Indoor Rock Climbing Gyms: A Novelty

When the first Philadelphia Rock Gym opened in February of 1994, it was not only the first climbing gym in the Philadelphia metropolitan area but one of the first in the United States. In the early years, like many gyms of that time, it wasn’t founded by wealthy, business-minded people with deep pockets or […]
What is Smearing? A Simple Guide to This Climbing Technique

So, What is Smearing? Smearing, simply put, is using the surface of the wall as a foothold. This lower body skill is one of the few areas in climbing where getting your hips as close as possible to the wall is not the optimal position. Why? Because, in order to get enough friction for a […]