Two Walls, One City

OGDEN -- Is Ogden big enough for two indoor climbing gyms?

After 30 years of trying and thanks to a large private endowment, Gary Willden is ready to find out.

Willden, Weber State University's professorof outdoor education, was bolting the final holds on the Weber Rocks indoor climbing wall in the Stromberg Center last week. The 2,000-square-foot wall was designed for educational purposes and is smaller than the iRock wall in the Salomon Center in downtown Ogden.

"My position is that we complement each other," Willden said. "Whether they were down there or not, this would have happened."

Willden believes that iRock was designed for the competitive and recreational climber rather than for instruction like Weber Rocks.

"They have a function that's very different than us," Willden said. "I hope that we don't in any way affect their business."

This is not the first time the Ogden area has had two climbing gyms. The Ben Lomond Climbing Center was operated in Pleasant View and Propulsion Climbing Gym was in Riverdale. Both gyms closed before the opening of iRock.

Troy Lincoln, former manager of The Ben Lomond Climbing Center, thinks it's strange to have two climbing gyms in Ogden.

"There's barely enough climbers in Ogden to keep one gym open," Lincoln said. "The business was by no means lucrative. If we didn't love climbing and weren't devoted to the sport, we wouldn't have done it."

iRock Owner and President Gary Nielsen isn't very excited about Weber Rocks.

"His statement that it will complement us is completely wrong," Nielsen said. "It takes away from our prospective members. It will be straight competition."

Nielsen is also the owner and president of several Ogden-area Gold's Gyms and has fought competition from public-funded community recreation centers elsewhere.

"It's really frustrating as a business owner," Nielsen said. "In a sense, we're paying taxes to support the people who compete with us."

Nielsen said college students are one of iRock's target user groups and if they can climb for free at Weber Rocks he doesn't believe they'll pay to climb at iRock.

The iRock wall is the least profitable of the activities offered at the Salomon Center, according to Nielsen. He believes that a climbing gym on its own would go out of business.

"There's not a big enough demand for it. The climbing community is a real small niche," Nielsen said. "We put the climbing wall in this building because it complemented the other activities here."

Nielsen said he may pull a dance program scholarship endowment at WSU in protest of the wall being built.

"It's really sad that Weber State doesn't support Ogden businesses when we support them," Nielsen said.

But State Senator Howard Stephenson R-Draper, doesn't have much sympathy for either of the walls.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave," said Stephenson.

Stephenson is proposing a bill that would help stop competition between public and private businesses.

"Gold's Gym is located in a government-subsidized building," Stephenson said. "It's ironic that they would criticize (WSU). I say they're both wrong. Let them both pay full taxes."

Stephenson believes that both instances are an example of inappropriate use of tax money.

"It's the People's Republic of Ogden," Stephenson said.

Jeff Lowe, executive director of Ogden Climbing Parks, a non-profit corporation that promotes climbing in the Ogden area, believes that the end result of the two walls will be increased interest in climbing. He doesn't think iRock needs to be worried about what's going on at WSU.

"I doubt it's going to impact it at all," Lowe said. "I think there will be a net positive effect. It keeps the awareness of climbing a little higher in the community."

Lowe is currently working on building an ice climbing tower in downtown Ogden, about a block away from iRock. Nielsen isn't worried about it competing and believes it will be a good thing for the gym to have another attraction nearby.

Weber Rocks is completed but won't be open to the public until student staff is trained and a grand opening ceremony takes place Jan. 17, 2008. Willden will begin teaching classes on the wall before then.

Willden is so excited about finally having the wall to instruct his classes he says he has a hard time wiping the smile off his face.

"I know how much fun it's going to be for my classes," Willden said.

Previously rock climbing classes were taught in Ogden Canyon and many spring sections were rained out. Willden can now teach classes year round regardless of weather. He used to fill bad weather days showing movies to students. Now they can climb instead.

"It gets kind of old showing videos," Willden said. "This is just fun to have this rainy day alternative."

Willden believes that indoor climbing does not equate to outdoor climbing so he still plans to teach students outside on real rock as well.

"In the canyon, the holds don't just stick out at you," Willden said.

The facility was manufactured by Entre Pris, the same company that built iRock. It is composed of three separate walls, a 30-foot tall panel wall, a 30-foot tall "natural rock" wall and a 13-foot high bouldering area. The taller walls feature 11 leadable routes with bolts for protection and a one-of-a-kind "belay alcove" to teach multi-pitch climbing skills.

The design of the wall has undergone several changes over the years. An earlier design by Lowe featured massive overhanging sections. The overhangs had to be flattened in the final design because the wall is directly over the indoor pole vault pit.

"You could have a pole vaulter clear up the wall," Willden said.

Another issue in the design is the bouldering area hangs over the outside lane of the gym's track. This lane will be closed during operating hours or the climbing wall will be closed to accommodate jogging classes that may interfere with the pads below.

Students will be able to use the new facility for free assuming they have their own equipment. The non-student price has not been finalized, but Willden guesses the charge will be $7-$8. Climbers will have to take an $8 belay clinic before they are allowed on the wall. The cost for day use at iRock is $10 for those 12 and older and $7.50 for those under 12.