Antelope Valley Climbing Gym

Hey guys, Im trying to gauge some interest in a climbing gym in the AV. The nearest gyms are Top Out in Santa Clarita and Hangar 18 in Victorville. I just find it odd that there is such a large population here and there has never been any attempt at a climbing gym.

Also in the AV and would climb at a gym here

Jt Loco wrote: I can't believe that with all the smart dudes at skunkworks, etc,  that there isn't one. Git r done.

Lol thats what I was thinking, theres so many Engineers out here that I would assume climb.

I think its so weird there is no gym out here, especially since we are so close to JT and Eastern Sierras. Also, most of us, I'm assuming, travel to get to Top Out in Santa clarita.

Back in 2006-2009 I used to climb the boulders off the freeway headed towards Acton. I went and visited my parents back in the AV this Christmas and there was chalk on them! Cool! Who's climbing them? 

TK C wrote: Back in 2006-2009 I used to climb the boulders off the freeway headed towards Acton. I went and visited my parents back in the AV this Christmas and there was chalk on them! Cool! Who's climbing them? 

oh dang! do you know where theyre at? Like specifically lol

Luis Hernandez wrote:

oh dang! do you know where theyre at? Like specifically lol

The Brown Boulders.... Luis- look to the right as you’re going south on 14....you see one of them, note dirt road, figure out how to find the start of dirt road- drive to them. More hidden down hill.... 

also when ya exit Pearblossm when going north, look at the great big ones just a tad to the east... other side of RR tracks behind the Real Estate building..... 
I believe this is in Levi, DaMeat and ???? New GB
Lots of other stuff around AV- look around. 

I live in the AV, I don’t really climb at the gym. Mainly because there’s not one close but also because I’d rather climb outside. But heck if there’s one here I’d climb it. Partners are hard to find out here!
I’ve also checked out many of the boulders along the 14, most are choss but they’re are a couple problems out there

Lars Hedin wrote: Engineer moving up to palm for work. Was thinking of renting a small space and fill it with moonboard / training equipment and charging marginal fees for other people looking to train. Very interested in the possibility of a gym!

Dude that would be awesome. I dont know much, but I have been looking at a lot of Co-op gyms around the country. I KNOW there's a large community of climbers out here, we just have to break them out and let them know that there are opportunities.

Lars Hedin wrote: Engineer moving up to palm for work. Was thinking of renting a small space and fill it with moonboard / training equipment and charging marginal fees for other people looking to train. Very interested in the possibility of a gym!

Please keep us posted if you do! 

I'm also in the AV. I occasionally drive to Topout or boulderdash sfv for gym climbing. It's such a bummer that they're so far away though. I would absolutely go to a gym out here regularly. 

There use to be one in east palmdale a longggggg time ago (source was a friend who was also from Palmdale whom I met in Yosemite). Went out of business, would possibly thrive now. Top out's market is mostly the youth team, would probably gauge your services towards that group for a successful gym in this desert. Most people are into cross fit, mma, and lifting heavy ass weights here.

Currently based in Santa Clarita. Top Out is a good gym, but I’d make a trip out to an AV climbing gym with lead walls, and a well equipped workout area. 

Obligatory "Also in the AV" comment...

Funny... I actually wrote a business plan for one in 2013 and came real close to opening one. All my market research indicated that it would be a great opportunity if managed well. There was definitely a community of interested climbers, and I’m sure that’s still true to this day. There were risks too, of course; For example, research suggested that many of those with the willingness and money to spend on a membership commuted to the area from the Santa Clarita area where they already have one close to home. That said, any entrepreneurs out there may want to look into it. I think the opportunity is probably still there and ya probably grown. I would still consider it myself but I’ve since moved away and started a totally different business. Good luck to anyone who gives it a shot! I’ll be sure to stop in for a day pass when visiting family in the area!

Ken Kelley wrote:

Funny... I actually wrote a business plan for one in 2013 and came real close to opening one. All my market research indicated that it would be a great opportunity if managed well. There was definitely a community of interested climbers, and I’m sure that’s still true to this day. There were risks too, of course; For example, research suggested that many of those with the willingness and money to spend on a membership commuted to the area from the Santa Clarita area where they already have one close to home. That said, any entrepreneurs out there may want to look into it. I think the opportunity is probably still there and ya probably grown. I would still consider it myself but I’ve since moved away and started a totally different business. Good luck to anyone who gives it a shot! I’ll be sure to stop in for a day pass when visiting family in the area!

The issue with top out is that it's pretty much just a bouldering gym. I've been there several times and usually you either boulder or fight over the autobelays with kids. A gym nearby that offers something different like TR or sport lead might have a shot! Though opening one right now would just be a death sentence. 

Two thoughts on this: 

1. Does the Climbing Wall Association keep metrics on this sort of thing? cwapro.org

2. Would a collective model work?

Just moved to the area and am very interested in this idea. I know a ton of people that commute from Lancaster and AV that would probably join to avoid the commute. Please keep us posted if you end up going through with this! :)

Hey everyone! I'm back and as I was reading about opening one up, the pandemic hit and everything business-wise kind of went down the drain. Has anyone else looked into it? Ive contact Hangar 18 and Boulderdash about expanding, but they are both not into it. From what I researched, if there is good enough enough sport climbing, the community that climbs at Texas Canyon would drive to a gym. I've read about companies that help start up climbing gyms ( climbingbusinessjournal.com…), they recently helped open one in Long Beach. A collective model will be cool, but again it depends on the climbing community and I feel like all the climbers in the AV are part of other climbing communities. If there was a way to build our own Antelope Valley community, it would make things a lot easier to open a gym. 

There is a very small wall in the back of a local ninja gym:

https://www.goninjagym.com/

I workout at Hanger 18 in Victorville. It's close enough to me, as I live in Pinon Hills, and the price is right. I don't know if I would have the time or money to climb at another gym. 

Engineer in Palmdale here. I would absolutely kill for a gym with lead and tr. There’s technically a wall at the Edwards AFB outdoor rec but it’s not in operation and last time I asked the staff they didn’t have a clue how to use it. Currently drive down to sender one a few Saturdays a month.