Spokane’s second climbing gym set to open Tuesday

Spokane’s second climbing gym, the Bloc Yard Bouldering Gym, will open 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The bouldering-only gym was set to open in early March, but the city permitting process delayed the process, said co-owner Adam Healy.

“We will be letting people climb here tomorrow,” Healy said.

Although the gym will open to the public Tuesday, the grand opening is scheduled for April 15. Membership prices will be discounted up until the April 15 opening, Healy said.

The Bloc Yard Bouldering Gym, at 233 E. Lyons Ave., is housed in a 10,000-square-foot building and will offer 4,500 square feet of climbing surface. It will feature walls for advanced, intermediate and beginning climbers. The gym hopes to have between 180 and 200 new routes every six weeks.

The gym be Spokane’s second climbing gym. Unlike Wild Walls, which opened in 1995, the Bloc Yard will only offer bouldering.

Indoor climbing is an increasingly popular sport and business venture. Last year, 27 new gyms opened in the U.S., representing a 7 percent increase. Since 2012, the climbing gym industry has grown on an of average 9 percent per year, according to the industry magazine Climbing Business Journal.