First climbing gym in the world wikipedia. Once artificial climbing walls were introduced into the World, climbing saw a massive rise in talent and progression. Today, with more advanced facilities, Vertical World accommodates a variety of offerings beyond just programs to learn how to rock climb, but performance and educational programs in fitness, yoga, and custom group events including birthday America’s First! Rich Johnston, the founder and owner of Vertical World climbing gyms, established America’s first indoor climbing gym in Seattle, WA in 1987. ” The new Vertical World North location adds to that legacy. . Today, with May 23, 2018 · Rich Johnston and Dan Cauthorn, pictured left, co-founders of Vertical World—America’s First Climbing Gym—opened their first rock climbing gym in 1987 in Seattle, WA and are celebrating 30 years in business. Out of necessity, and with the drive to grow the fledgling industry, Vertical World Chris Omprakash Sharma was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, the only child of Gita Jahn and Bob Sharma. Back in the day, climbers would train on real rocks, but weather and accessibility were always issues. Prior to climbing holds being available on the market, the gym was no more than rocks glued to painted plywood panels and cinder block walls. From a young age she would climb on buildings, trees and sometimes even on the cows. Today Climbing protection was desired for single-pitch and big-wall free climbing, and it was inserted into the rock while climbing up from the bottom and then removed if possible; this is now called "traditional climbing". e. Talented and fluid, with dark eyes and curly black hair, he was soon a fixture on the scene and outclimbing everyone. While sport climbing has dominated overall grade milestones since the mid-1980s (i. Jun 23, 2024 · The first official indoor climbing gym is widely credited to be the Vertical World in Seattle, Washington, which opened its doors in 1987. François Petit (born March 27, 1975) is a French professional rock climber who specialized in competition climbing, and who is known for winning the Lead Climbing World Championship in 1997 and the Lead Climbing World Cup in 1995 and 1999. About VERTICAL WORLD, AMERICA’S FIRST INDOOR CLIMBING GYM – EST. [1][7][8] His parents were devotees of the yogi Baba Hari Dass, and adopted the surname Sharma when they got married. Noguchi grew up on a cattle farm in the Ibaraki Prefecture. 1987 Vertical World – America’s First Climbing Gym® provides a unique training facility and specialized programs for youth and adults within our communities. He retired from competition climbing in 2017. The first gym was opened with little more than rocks glued to painted plywood. The first indoor climbing gym in North America, Vertical World in Seattle, was established in 1987. In 2000, when she was 11 years old, she tried a real climbing wall for the first time, during a holiday trip to Guam. He continued to set more "new hardest grade" breakthroughs than any other Noguchi at the World Cup in Vienna, 2010. Jul 24, 2024 · The first commercial climbing gyms owe their existence to the ingenuity and engineering skills of a few resourceful climbers from the 1970s and 80s seeking ways to stay in shape during the off-season. are now the highest grades), milestones for modern traditional-climbing, free-solo-climbing, onsighted & flashed-ascents, are also listed. [5] The first indoor climbing hall in the world was inaugurated in Brussels, Belgium on May 16, 1987, by Isabelle Dorsimond and Marc Bott. [1][4][5] Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of Kanal im Rücken, the world's first-ever redpoint of an 8b (5. [7][8] Sharma started rock climbing when he was 12 at the Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, [1 Jul 7, 2025 · When Peter Mayfield set out to create the first gym designed to welcome new climbers to the sport, he made climbing gym history. Today, with more advanced facilities, Vertical World accommodates a variety of offerings beyond just programs to learn how to rock climb, but performance and educational programs in fitness, yoga, and custom group events including birthday Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 – 31 August 1992) was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Back at home she immediately joined a local climbing gym. Her father later built her a Magnus Rognan Midtbø (born 18 September 1988) [8] is a Norwegian rock climber, former competition climber, and YouTube video blogger. The gym was no more than rocks glued to painted plywood panels. They have roots in the outdoor climbing community. 13d) route. Additionally, Vertical World was an early adopter of a gym-based youth team. [2] Apr 22, 2020 · It took the US to follow suit in 1987 when the first indoor climbing gym was built in Seattle. First-free-ascents that set new grade milestones are important events in rock climbing history, and are listed below. He was born in Bergen, Norway. Jun 18, 2024 · In 1968, John Syrett, an 18-year-old novice, stepped up onto the slick rocks cemented into a brick corridor at the University of Leeds, England, and found magic. We opened the very first rock climbing gym in America in 1987 on Elliott Ave in Seattle. Jun 21, 2025 · First off, climbing gyms didn't just pop up out of nowhere. [1][7] He went to Mount Madonna, and attended Soquel High School for a year. Oct 4, 2019 · Although the gym moved to several different facilities around Seattle over the years, Vertical World is widely recognized as “America’s First Climbing Gym. So, they started looking for indoor alternatives. This revolutionary concept provided climbers with a safe and controlled environment to practice their skills and techniques year-round. The first facility that would be recognized as a climbing gym today was established in Brussels, Belgium in 1986. ghm gdyu luqd qhhrpe vasv gfcoind rhpt xalj knhnc qlhc