Climb Max

Marty, I think maybe the trash talk part is motivated by the bias Climb Maxers have experienced the other way. I've definitely experienced the lash for going to that "ill-run bouldering gym" from diehards in the PRG camp, so you guys have support. Regardless, my own comment merely reflects the opinion that I like more lead space, and CM does that by not segregating the tr and lead areas. That's just what I've been used to in gyms from here and in California. I take back my bouldering commment because, well, I don't really boulder enough to actually care and I could very well be wrong anyway.

I enjoy climbing regardless of the venue, so please take my comments (if mine were ones you took the wrong way) as constructive criticism to do with as you wish rather than furthering some sort of pissing match. I met you in your gear shop once and you are class act, so I hope the banter here leads to more business for you guys and people make up their own minds where they want to climb.

karabin museum wrote:I find it amusing that this is a Climbmax thread, but all of you guys are talking about the Phoenix Rock Gym. Hmmmm not too much to say about Climbmax so you attack the other gyms to make Climbmax pretty.

The way I read this thread, an out of town-er had a good experience in a local gym and wanted to post up some props. Later down the thread one person attacked prg. I'm pretty sure that person doesn't even climb in any gym on a regular basis if ever. Maybe one more person may have been negative with sharing an experience of there's at prg, but not attacking.

Since a couple of readers are finding this to be a gym bashing thread, I feel the need to elaborate more on my original response of "no" to the thread creator's original question of, "Are all the gyms in Phoenix this nice?" When I responded "no" I was thinking of a couple reasons, dirt not being one of them. (I'm a rock climber, I get dirty every time out. Not to mention that I am at the gym for a work out!) My biggest plus for climbmax actually has to do with safety. The entire climbing area of the place has 6-8 inch foam padding. Open and closed cell I believe. I know this foam has already saved at least two climbers that have been dropped from or near the top of the wall on lead. Both climbers walked away with no serious injuries.
My only other reason is a seasonal one. I climb in lower elevations in the winters and higher elevations in the summers for a reason, temperature. If I feel the want to pay to use a climbing gym in Phoenix in the summer, I want to go somewhere cool. I have had a few unpleasant climbing experiences climbing indoors in PHX/Tempe in the summer with swamp coolers as the means of "cooling". If you are actually working out in these conditions, every part of you becomes wet. It makes holding on to that small crimper all that more difficult.

I don't dislike PRG or Climbmax. My first reply was just a quick response to the thread creator. Besides, I do the majority of my indoor climbing in my garage these days and look forward to getting outside on the weekends. Enjoy your climbing everyone, wherever you do it.

Luke Bertelsen wrote: For your info we ordered three auto belays and they have all arrived. We are working over the logistics of getting them up and running over the next week or so. For all of you who are so keen on them, try not to leave the ground without clipping in. In researching these things, and then deciding to go with them I found plenty of horror stories from gyms around the country, and most involved people completely forgetting to tie in.

I have personally witnessed two incidents at the BRC where people simply did not clip in. I had to save a guy who was half way up the wall before I noticed him and yelled. But the BRC hasn't had autobelays up for months, so we're all good. Oh, this is an old thread, whatever, becky.

Mark Roth wrote:Sounds like a great gym. But, can you take your shirt off?

yes you can Mark.

Peoples, I spend a lot of my personal time keeping OTHERS climbing. New trail systems, promoting gym competitions, writing guidebooks and the list goes on and on. It just gets under my skin when I hear the trash talk. So one good area is better than another. So one gym is better than another. Who really cares as long as everybody keeps climbing. Phoenix Rock Gym great? Climbmax great? Take a trip someday to Momentum Climbing Gym in Sandy Utah. That 3 million dollar climbing gym makes all gyms in the USA look worthless. It is easy to compare one crag with another but the point I am trying to make is that the climbers themselves are the ones creating the chaos, over promoting everybody to just climb and enjoy the climbing experience, where ever you may be.

Climb hard, get scared, have fun!
Also be safe!!!

Marty

Marty, I agree with you about PRG. All the years I lived in Arizona, despite newer, crisper gyms and A/C, there really wasn't any other place I preferred to go.

Michelle is God's gift to customer service (she remembers everyone's name for crying out loud!) and it was the only place I felt had a super comfortable, all-inviting atmosphere, not to mention good route-setting, way more wall variety (i.e. not every wall ends with overhanging thug moves), and a great gear shop (the various incarnations have always carried shoes and harnesses you can't get/try on anywhere else in town).

But thank god for options; everyone can go where they feel they belong! ;)

karabin museum wrote:It is easy to compare one crag with another but the point I am trying to make is that the climbers themselves are the ones creating the chaos over promoting everybody to just climb and enjoy the climbing experience, where ever you may be. Climb hard, get scared, have fun! Also be safe!!! Marty

Even in Texas. Amen.

I didn't realize these regional threads are themed. Seems the Colorado section focuses on long, repetitive arguments over who put a bolt where and the Arizona section revolves around comparing and contrasting the local gyms. Man, this is intense, I don't think I can hang. I'm going back to Southern California section to complain about the weather and talk about designer dogs. Right after I look in the mirror.

Ryan Kelly wrote:I didn't realize these regional threads are themed. Seems the Colorado section focuses on long, repetitive arguments over who put a bolt where and the Arizona section revolves around comparing and contrasting the local gyms. Man, this is intense, I don't think I can hang. I'm going back to Southern California section to complain about the weather and talk about designer dogs. Right after I look in the mirror.

Even more funny is that this thread was started by someone from Boulder asking if all the gyms in Phoenix were as nice as Climbmax. So someone from CO set it up for what followed. Maybe that can play into your "Colorado section focuses on long, repetitive arguments..."? The first post of the thread started with comparing something.

Goddamn Coloradans!!! We've been bamboozled again.

I actually started this thread as a little shameless promotion for my good friend who just opened Climb Max up. I was in town for the funeral of a climber who had recently died and we went to Mikes gym to get our mind back in the proper groove. If it hadn't been over 100 outside we would have went to the Sups instead.

In all honestly I do not climb indoors much at all. I love it when I do but I prefer it outside. With that said. Indoors, outdoors, bouldering, sport, trad, alpine...I think Marty is spot on. It is all good.

I lived in Phoenix for a little over a decade and knew Dief at that time. Class act. I am sure his gym is great as well.

Come to think of it I dont think I have ever been to a truely bad gym. Some are a little dirtier than others and occasionally the staff can have an off day but then even I had a good time at the Sport Park the last time I went. Chipped and contrived but fun none the less.

Rick, I knew that your original post was in no way cutting down any other gyms in Phoenix. It just opened the door for people to share there feelings about the gyms in the area. Not everyone will agree with or like what everyone else has to say.
Just try to remember everyone, they're only opinions... Try not to let them bother you.

Red wrote: . Later down the thread one person attacked prg. I'm pretty sure that person doesn't even climb in any gym on a regular basis if ever. .

Wrong on both accounts. I've climbed at one of the local gyms regularly in the past. Not worth my time to drive from where I live to Tempe. I didn't attack, just said it wasn't very clean.

Tradster wrote: Wrong on both accounts. I've climbed at one of the local gyms regularly in the past. Not worth my time to drive from where I live to Tempe. I didn't attack, just said it wasn't very clean.

in the past... so I was right in saying you don't now.

There you have it Marty, if Tradster didn't attack prg, then I don't know who did!

Red wrote: in the past... so I was right in saying you don't now. There you have it Marty, if Tradster didn't attack prg, then I don't know who did!

I go to LA Fitness at least three times weekly....I'm so sorry to disappoint you that it isn't a climbing gym. Cheers!

Why would that disappoint me? I could care less.

What I notice from customers at the gym is that many do not know how to have fun. They need to be shown the way to have fun. If they personally do not have fun in the gym, the gym is now under attack. They will find some problem and will dwell within it not realizing that the problem is actually within themselves. I have been to many peoples garages where they have slapped up a few sheets of 4' X 8' pieces of plywood and there is their gym. Somehow I have always walked away feeling fulfilled with my climbing experience. This fulfillment is because I was in there doing MY thing and I was making the fun for myself. Many others will stand around and watch, but rarely would they take the "lead role" to create the fun.

If I drove out to the middle of the desert and there was only one boulder with two problems on it, that is all that it is. So why put it down instead of capturing the fun that it offers. It is easy to compare one thing with another but there is always something greater. The Bible states, do not compare yourself with another or you will always feel stress. Believe in what you have and you will feel happiness. There's my lesson for the day!

Rock on!

Marty