Here's a quick update about the TBS4 event we held at Diablo Rock Gym at the end of February. First and foremost, it was a HUGE success! We want to take a moment to thank everyone for competing, for showing up, for taking part in what was a great day.

This event at DRG was part 4 of the TBS4, and our grand finale will be March 20th, at Berkeley Ironworks. We were lucky enough to have Ben Molale, one of our members as the DJ for the event and saw a record breaking number of competitors for DRG as 196 of you showed up to compete.

So, while you're waiting for the Finale event, here are some things to keep you busy in the meantime. First off, why don't you check out the results and individual competition scores from this TBS4 at Diablo Rock Gym. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone that showed up to compete.

One of our members, Paul Hara took a bunch of photos that you can browse in case you were unlucky enough to miss the event, or if you want to try to spot yourself in action. Finally, check out the video below to get a full flavor of what went on.

Thanks again to everyone that made TBS4 such an amazing success!

Labels: Competition, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, event, TBS4, Touchstone Climbing

All you bouldering fans we have some good news. We're having a huge bouldering competition this Friday night from 6-10pm at the Diablo Rock Gym. That's right, TBS4 is coming to Diablo Rock Gym and this is one you're not going to want to miss.

Registration for this TBS4 starts at 5:30pm. Here's a bit more about what to expect at this competition:

"Registration starts at 5:30 pm. This is a friendly non-competitive competition. Beginners are welcome, if not encouraged to come have fun and climb some great problems. The event is free for members or $10 for non-members. We will be serving free pizza. Also we will have beer from Pyramid Brewery, in Walnut Creek, we will have a keg of their seasonal amber, Rollick. Also we will be having one of our members spin some beats on a speaker system compliments of the Guitar Center in Concord. "

All Diablo Rock Gym members, please take note that ALL bouldering will be closed from Wednesday til Friday at 6:00pm when the competition starts. Be aware that some route climbing areas will also be closed on Thursday but will reopen Saturday morning. Finally, most of our route climbing will also be closed Friday night for the competition.

Get registered and we hope to see you there, should be a great time for all.

Labels: Bouldering, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Events, TBS4, Touchstone Climbing

I can imagine the daily grind of gym work can really start to get under your skin after a few months. Don't get me wrong, we all have some of the most rewarding, fulfilling, and just plain FUN jobs you can imagine, but every now and again don't you agree, people just need to take a day to get out there and completely let loose? Agreed.

I'm happy to report that your friendly staff at the Diablo Rock Gym did exactly that a few days ago. After all, we'd prefer them to all feel completely healthy, happy and sane while they're helping us fly up their climbing walls, now wouldn't we? Thanks to Andrew at DRG, we found out they took a Staff Trip to the Scandia Family Fun Center last week and had an absolute blast. They went Go Kart Racing, played some Laser Tag, and yes, even had a rousing game of Miniature Golf.

In case you're wondering, the Blue Team was decimated by the Red Team in Laser Tag, Mini-Golf scores ranged from 47 to 77 on only 18 holes, with our man Keith taking home the top spot, and to put it mildly, not a single person racing in the Go-Karts undersood the sign that read "No Bumping." Oops.

Nevertheless, it looks like they had an amazing time, and I for one am glad to see not only the fun they had, but the relaxing day they all go to spend. Looks like a ton of fun guys!

Labels: Andrew, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Go Kart Racing, Laser Tag, Mini Golf, Play Day

Here's a quick heads up for you this fine Monday Morning. First and foremost, here's hoping that you had a fantastic, perfect, amazing Holiday Season, and while New Year's Eve is right around the corner, hopefully your Christmas was enough to get you rested up for this new year.

That said, just got some info in from Andrew at Diablo Rock Gym that might interest quite a few of you. This coming January 17, from 9 am til 6 pm we're going to be hosting the Primary Group Workshop for AFAA Certifications. The cost of this bad boy will run $299 for the whole deal. On January 18th, the following day, we will be holding the Floor, Core & More Workshop that will also run from 9 am to 6 pm and will run $129. In case you're not exactly familiar with what I'm talking about, here is a bit more on AFAA Certifications and what will be going down:

WHAT IS IT?

A review of AFAA’s Basic Exercise Standards and Guidelines, anatomy, exercise science, exercise evaluation and exam criteria concludes with the practical and written exams. The format includes:

• Practical application of group exercise • Study guide overview • Questions and answer session

WHO IS IT FOR?

For group exercise instructors whose training and educational background has prepared them to take the AFAA Primary Group Exercise Certification exam. • Prerequisites: Early Registration, self–study before program and group program and group exercise teaching Experience. • Current CPR Certification required before certification is issued.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

The workshop fee is $299* (less a 10% discount for current AFAA members). This fee includes:

• Full one-day Certification Workshop • Primary Group Exercise Certification Study Guide (shipping additional) • One-year AFAA membership ($68 value) or membership extension to current members and a subscription to American Fitness magazine (does not include postage to addresses outside the U.S.) • AFAA Certified Instructor certification and I.D. card (upon successful completion of both written and practical examinations) CPR certification required before certificate is issued.

If you're interested you can sign up online or by calling the AFAA. Check out their site for more information. See you there!

Labels: AFAA Workshops, Certification, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Events

Look out look out all you Diablo Rock Gym members, we've got some pretty cool news for you if you're going to be in and around the area come January! That's right, the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) are going to be having some of their workshops at the Diablo Rock Gym!

That's right, January 9-11, 2009 kicks off the workshops for Personal Fitness Trainer Certification. On the 9th we'll be going from 1-9:30pm, and on the 10th and 11th, we'll be rocking from 8am - 6pm. The price for this set will be $469. On January 17, they'll be having the Primary Group Exercise Workshop from 9am - 6pm and this workshop will be $299. Finally, on January 18th, from 9am - 6pm for $129 they'll be having the Floor, Core & More Workshop, and this one is only $129.

The AFAA is in full control here, DRG will just be the venue for all this craziness! Something to keep in mind, however, is that all Touchstone Members will receive a 25% discount off these sessions if you email Andrew@touchstoneclimbing.com by midnight next Monday! For more information on what to expect at these workshops, head over to the AFAA site and check it out. Hopefully we'll see you there!

Labels: Aerobic, AFAA Workshops, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, fitness, Personal Trainer, Workshops

We are only a few days away from Thanksgiving my friends, and that means, we're also only a few days away from the biggest shopping day of the entire year! It's officially Holiday Season and as such, you might be thinking it's time to start finding some gifts for those loved ones of yours. Lucky for you, I have just the thing: New t-shirts are in at Diablo Rock Gym!

Word on my block is there are 5 different colors and 3 different designs in the new Men's shirts; that's 15 variations to help you shop for just about anyone! For the ladies we have 3 different colors and 2 awesome and unique styles. We've got T's, Long Sleeve, Zip Hoodie, Regular Hoodie, and we're sure that at the prices, you'll find them to be quite a steal.


T-shirts are only $12.50, Long Sleeve's only $15 and the hoodies are only $37.50. Man, talk about making your Christmas shopping easy! Head over, get a good climb in, and leave with a bag full of stuff for all those on your shopping lists!

Labels: Christmas, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Holiday, Hoodies, Shopping, T-Shirts

If you've been in Diablo Rock Gym lately you've probably noticed some extremely beautiful, extremely impressive photography gracing our walls. This art comes to us from Beth Witrogen and to say the very least, her stuff is extremely impressive. Lucky enough for all of us, she's also given us a little biography of herself so we can officially learn more about the talent behind those beautiful photos!

Here, is some more about the extremely talented Beth Witrogen:

I’ve been a Bay Area photographer for more than two decades, from ballet to birds — and Cal water polo. These images reflect my passion for the outdoors and cycles of nature. Learning to see light and appreciate that each moment is unique and fleeting infuses my work with a sense of joy, fragility, and strength. I love the painful fragility of light at dawn and dusk, and am always trying to capture what can’t be grasped. I call it “halflight” — where the mystery and passion for life merge.

I also love the personalities of birds as they go about their business just being birds. They teach me so much about freedom and focus — and patience ?.

I’ve had several shows over the years, including ballet images at the S.F. Opera House, and more recently exhibits of my birds and nature work at Shadelands and City Hall in Walnut Creek. I’ve also exhibited at Lynn House Gallery in Antioch, the Flyway Festival at Mare Island, and have been featured the Contra Costa County Watershed calendars since 2005. My images have been published in WildBird and Terrain magazines, The San Francisco Examiner, and Brentwood Press among other papers. I’ve also done commission work, including Bay Commercial Bank in Walnut Creek (black & white large-format posters).

I’m looking forward to traveling around to great climbing sites and not only climbing – but shooting nature and climbers. Stay tuned! My full portfolio, including portraits, sports, architecture and nature, is on my website at: www.witrogenphoto.com.

Thanks & enjoy the show! (Please ask at the front desk for the price list for these images.)

Mobile: 925.323.6065
beth@witrogenphoto.com www.witrogenphoto.com

Enjoy the amazing artwork and if you fall in love with any of the prints, talk to Beth or the Front Desk to see a full price list! Thanks again Beth, keep up the amazing work!!

Labels: Arts, Beth Witrogen, Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Featured Artist, Photography

Well well well, not only are they one of the coolest climbing gyms and fitness facilities, they're also jumping on board the technology bandwagon! Good news for all you hardcore Diablo Rock Gym fans out there, now you can be a fan in real life, and on the Internet as well! That's right, DRG has a Facebook Page and by the looks of things, it's buzzing.

We've already got 36 fans of the good ol' DRG and its constantly being updated with videos, photos, wall posts, event invites and a lot of other goodies to come in the future. Here's the jist, from DRG themselves:

"We made a facebook for the Diablo Rock Gym. Facebook users can sign up to be "Fans" of the gym and stay informed on events like competitions. We also posted an old competition video and some photos, but users can post pictures and videos as well. Can you give a shout out the the DRG members to check it out, become a fan, and post anything they like that is DRG related. "

I don't know what you're waiting for! Head over to Facebook, log in, and become a fan ASAP! We'll see you there!

Labels: Diablo Rock Gym, DRG, Facebook, Facebook Page, Fans, Internet

It's official, Halloween is only 3 days away. Whatever your costumes may be, whatever your trick-or-treating schedule or route, it's time to fill those bowls and gear up for the silliest and spookiest holiday of the year. That said, many of our gyms will be closing at different times, and I'll be sure to let you know all of them as I figure out the hours. For starters, I know Diablo Rock Gym will be closing at 6:00pm, GWPC is closing at 6, and Berkeley Ironworks at 8.

Speaking of the good ol' DRG, Tomorrow night, October 29th at 7:00 pm, we're going to be having an awesomely laid-back, low-key and most importantly FREE Movie Night! The word of this event is CASUAL so bring your comfy clothes, your good spirit and your desire to watch an awesome movie. The movie being shown will be King Lines, by Big Up Productions and it should be nothing short of great.


King Lines, according to Big Up Productions, "follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American Fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls of Europe, Sharma finds and climbs the hardest, most spectacular routes. Off the coast of Mallorca he discovers his most outrageous project yet: a 70 foot arch rising from the Mediterranean Sea..."

See you there!

Labels: Arts, Chris Sharma, Climbing Movie, DRG, Halloween, Hours