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Cube Climbing Gym to open

The new indoor climbing gym will host a grand opening on January 16, located at Mary Hall on the Selkirk College 10th Street campus.
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Cube Climbing Gym founders and Kootenay Climbing Association president Shawn Tasker

Climbers in Nelson can rejoice as the Cube Climbing gym holds its grand opening on January 16.

It is the only roped indoor climbing gym in the West Kootenay and is located at Mary Hall on the Selkirk College 10th Street campus.

The gym’s walls are finished with different wood species creating a patchwork pattern that bulges in a honeycomb fashion, complete with portals for climbers to explore and light to shine in.

It’s been a craggy route since the Kootenay Climbing Association decided to open a non-profit climbing facility after the closure of the commercial climbing gym three years ago. Finding a facility to build the gym took the better part of a year. The group was able to lease a section of the gym in the city-owned Mary Hall in 2013.

Powered by a core group of 20 and a board of six, a fundraiser push in the summer of 2013 saw $137,000 raised in four months and construction began this summer. The total cost of the project is $140,000 to $150,000 but the value is much higher.

“With the thousands of hours of volunteer help, the facility is actually worth almost twice that,” said Scott Jeffery, a local climber who has been behind much of the Cube’s construction.

“It’s truly thanks to the climbing public and businesses that it exists,” added president Shawn Tasker. He and treasurer Larry Bickerton explained that 80 families bought into the project just to be able to go climbing, Columbia Basin Trust contributed $20,000, and several local businesses gave $5,000 each. The project received a huge boost with a donation of $35,000 from Armada Skis and the family of the late Travis Steeger who wished to have something that would benefit youth.

“That topped the project fund off,” said Jeffery, the design team leader. “Because of that, we were able to put the artistic finish to the project.”

A group of five designed the climbing structures with Jeffery at the lead of the wood vision.

“It’s a unique design,” he said.

Allen Rollen setting top rope climbs at the Cube. Photo below courtesy of Scott Jeffery

The finished project will have 18 ropes which means there is potential for 36 people to be climbing and belaying the infinite number of ever-changing routes at once. There will be all levels of difficulty when it comes to route design plus a bouldering area.

“Bouldering is the social part of climbing,” said Jeffery.

Tucked away in a corner is a warmup area and instructional loft. Views from the loft include Kootenay Lake below and the CIC rock slabs that have 30 established climbing routes peaking out throughout the forest above.

The gym will be open Sunday through Friday with bouldering and roped climbing from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Sundays are chiefly for bouldering. The gym will be closed on Saturdays to facilitate the college’s schedule but may be open occasionally depending on demand.

There will be youth programming on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and evening classes every Wednesday.

Shoes and a harness with belay devices are available for rent. Memberships range from $10 per day for an adult, ten visit punch cards for $90, season pass for $350 as the season runs from September to May. Season pass holders must be a lifetime member of Kootenay Climbing Association which amounts to $20 for an individual or $40 per family.

Belay tests are free and no pre-booking is necessary. Washrooms, change rooms and showers are available just outside the Cube in the Selkirk gym area.

The gym will be ready for climbers once the engineer has given his official approval which is likely to happen the second week in January. The gym is open for people to purchase memberships now.

There will be climbing demos during the grand opening on Friday evening, which begins around 7 p.m. and everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit cubeclimbing.com.

Behind the walls.