Origin, Refuge bring valley’s rock-climbing gym count to four

The Las Vegas Valley added two new rock climbing gyms in the past nine months, doubling the number of local indoor climbing centers and signaling increased interest in a sport helped by Red Rock Canyon’s popularity.

Origin Climbing &Fitness, which holds a grand opening at its Henderson facility June 20, joins Refuge Climbing &Fitness, which opened on Valley View Boulevard in October as the new kids on the climbing block.

The new facilities join a pair of climbing centers that opened two decades ago — Red Rock Climbing Center and Nevada Climbing Centers.

“We feel Las Vegas is ready for a modern climbing facility,” said John Wilder, one of three co-owners of 22,600-square-foot Origin, which offers both bouldering and rope climbing.

“People are looking for athletic things to do after work,” Wilder said.

Wilder, who learned rock climbing at Nevada Climbing Centers and worked at Red Rock Climbing Center, said he and his business partners don’t view the other climbing facilities as competitors. He believes they can work together to expand the sport locally.

Wilder, who opens Origin with Kim Lambert and Andy Raether, envisions friendly climber competitions among the gyms.

Wilder declined to disclose the project cost and financing.

The Refuge Climbing &Fitness offers more than 10,000 square feet of bouldering terrain and appeals to both experienced climbers and new climbing enthusiasts in the 15 to 35 age range, said co-owner Jeff Clapp, who owns the gym with his wife, Beth Malloy. The bouldering gym has walls up to 15 feet high.

Clapp declined to say how much the new gym cost to build, but added that he used his savings to start it and didn’t borrow money.

Clapp founded Rockreation Sport Climbing Centers in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa, Calif.; and Salt Lake City in the 1990s. He then sold the two California climbing wall gyms and retired from the Salt Lake City facility.

New climbing centers are opening nationwide. Climbing Business Journal reports there was a 9 percent growth rate in 2014, compared with 10 percent in 2013.

In 2014, the climbing trade publication confirmed the openings of 29 gyms, plus three gyms that moved to new facilities, giving the United States 353 commercial climbing facilities.

“Climbing-gym developers are still bullish and are continuing to build new facilities and expand existing gyms,” Climbing Business Journal reported in December. “California was the big winner with five new climbing gyms, all of which are located in the red hot SoCal market.”

The Las Vegas Valley also has one of the country’s premier rick climbing settings — Red Rock Canyon, where more and more climbers are visiting to enjoy bouldering and rope climbing, Clapp said.

Origin includes 16 skylights and a brightly lit setting. Like Clapp’s facility, it also is reaching out to kids.

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel