MORGANTOWN — Gritstone Climbing and Fitness is celebrating its first anniversary and after a difficult climb of a year for everyone, they have much to reflect on.
“There’s no way we could survive without all the wonderful people that choose to spend their time and their money here to support us,” said Owner Chris Bailey. “I’m just extremely thankful for that every day.”
The gym marked the anniversary with a ribbon cutting on Friday, but the celebration will continue Aug. 28 as the gym hosts a community day for all to attend featuring free climbing from noon-6 p.m. Activities including speed climbing, an obstacle course and more will also be available. An after-party celebration with live music will also be held from 6-9 p.m. for gym members.
Over the past year, Gritstone has welcomed avid climbers and beginners alike to its 13,000 square feet of climbing space. Looking ahead, Bailey said the gym wants to continue to grow its membership and find ways to get more community members involved.
“The thing that I’m looking forward to most is having more community outreach-style events like movie nights, live music, other benefits for our members and just the general public to come and partake in,” he said.
Matthew Hulet, general manager, said the year came with several challenges, including learning to operate and adjusting its business strategies to adapt to the pandemic. Despite the additional challenges, the gym managed to accomplished a lot over the past year.
For both him and Bailey, one of the most memorable accomplishments was the opportunity to host a USA Climbing regional competition.
“We had about 200 youth athletes from Detroit through Philadelphia come and compete for a chance to qualify for nationals,” Hulet said. “That was definitely a big milestone.”
While the competition marked an important point in the gym’s growth, Hulet and Bailey agreed the most rewarding part of the past year was growing the team they have today.
“For me, I’m proud of my crew,” Hulet said. “I’m proud of the work that we’ve done and the way we pulled together. I’m proud of watching my people grow and push themselves.”
With more than 9,000 square feet of rope surface up to 49 feet high and more than 100 roped routes, there is something for all levels of climbers at the gym. The gym includes several types of rope lanes, including top-rope lanes, lead lanes, lead-only lanes, and more, and features more than 3,500 square feet of bouldering space, reaching heights of 15.5 feet. To ensure guests can always have a unique experience, climbing and bouldering routes are changed four days a week.
Along with the dozens of climbing routes, a full-service gym and yoga studio is also available.
More information on Gritstone can be found on its website at climbgritstone.com.
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