Fashion is always changing, but the one thing that never goes out of style is representing your local climbing gym. There is a whole bunch of new Touchstone gear including Diablo Rock Gym's new logo t-shirts and a very "cool" fast wicking synthetic mountain hard wear running top. If your a cyclist we even have a full jersey and bib shorts. To top it all off all of our clothing is 100% pet friendly. Check out the new Touchstone threads at your local gym.

Labels: retail, touchstone

The Touchstone Bike Club has grown up and is graduating from weekly email announcements. From this point on, all club announcements, ride info and last minute updates will be posted on http://touchstonebike.blogspot.com/ -- easy for you to access and leave your comments for others to view real-time. If you still prefer to receive these updates through email, you can sign up for an email subscription which will email any new posts once a day (between 7pm – 9pm).

If you're interested in contributing your own posts to the blog (new route ideas, Sunday/mid-week ride call out, need for carpool to get to a ride start, etc.), send us an email and we will invite you to be an "author". (Note: You'll have to sign up for a gmail account if you don't already have one.) Otherwise, you should be able to leave comments.

Blog Rules: This site was created in the spirit of community. Please limit your comments and posts to Club/bike-related matters only. Any inappropriate postings will be deleted and we'll have to limit site access to members only.

Suggestions for making the site better are welcome!

Happy blogging...

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Our master of IT and poohbah of marketing, Jeffery Bowling, received his master’s in philosophy from San Francisco State last month. The title of his thesis was Johannes Climacus and Socrates: Irony, Eros and the Ladder. Herein he argues that Climacus, a pseudonym of Soren Kierkegaard, should be read as a work of irony rather than a straightforward philosophical work. Kierkegaard uses Socrates as a model for the kind of philosophical project he is undertaking.

Jeffery's interest in philosophy extends outside the academic realm all the way to the naming of his dog Soren after Kierkegaard. (Not sure if Kierkegaard was sweet, but Soren is.) So, if your workout is beating you down, look for Jeffery, probably reviewing our marketing materials or fixing our computers, and strike up a conversation about reason, knowledge, truth, ethics – all the fun stuff in life.

And you thought all management did was climb and bike!

Labels: staff, touchstone

We were having issues with the confirmation e-mails not being sent to new members who registered with the Touchstone Message Board. Anyone who tried to join the message board between Jan. 03 -Jan. 22 2008 did not get a confirmation e-mail sent to them.

We have fixed this and you should be able to register now. We have deleted all the old, non active accounts so you should be able to register with your preferred user name and e-mail. If you tried to join between Jan. 3 - Jan. 22 you will need to register again.

Labels: touchstone

Just a reminder, our gyms will close early on Christmas Eve and be closed Christmas day. The same is true for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Labels: touchstone

Labels: staff, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing will once again host the Touchstone Bouldering Series, now in its third season. With the opening of the Great Western Power Co. in Oakland, the series will expand to seven comps this year, that will be held on Friday evenings, one at each of the Touchstone locations. All events will include a red point Bouldering comp as well as refreshments, games and prizes. Points will be award for each comp with overall winners being announced after the final comp. The first event will be held in October in Concord and will conclude this year at Berkeley Ironworks.

These comps are FREE for Touchstone Members

Concord
October 26th, 2007
in Concord

San Jose
November 16th, 2007
in San Jose

Pipeworks
December 14th, 2007
in Sacramento

G.W.P.C.
January 11th, 2008
in Oakland

Mission Cliffs
February 8th, 2008
in San Francisco

Class 5
February 29th, 2008
in San Rafael

Ironworks
April 4th, 2008
in Berkeley

Labels: class 5, climbing, comps, concord, ironworks, mission cliffs, oakland, pipeworks, san jose, touchstone

In celebration of our newest gym opening later this fall, all Touchstone gyms will be offering a zero initiation fee deal. Take advantage of this great opportunity to save from $50 to $150 off the regular sign-up fee by becoming a member in October.

Those folks wanting to become members at the new Great Western Power Company should contact manager, Lyn Verinsky, to get their names on the pre-opening list. Everyone on the list will be eligible for the zero initiation deal immediately after the gym opens. Or better yet, sign up now at Berkeley Ironworks and start enjoying Touchstone today. Once G.W.P.C. opens, you can transfer you membership to the Power Company for no charge. Remember, the days are just getting shorter and wetter, so sign up soon

Labels: class 5, concord, ironworks, mission cliffs, oakland, pipeworks, san jose, touchstone

It’s easy to get into a training rut. You find something that yields good results, and you want to stick with it. But after a while, the old motivation doesn’t seem to be there anymore.

That’s when it’s time for a drastic change. If you’ve been climbing, switch to bouldering. If you have been doing hard routes, take some easy ones. Or challenge yourself with an even harder one.

Or you can stick with your old workout routine and introduce a few variations. Try to climb up and down five times without stepping off the wall. Set a goal of 20 routes. Try doing a route as fast as you safely can. Or take it as slow as you can. Trying combining parts of your workout that you haven’t before. Boulder for 30 minutes then lift weights, and so on. Keeping it interesting can solve the motivation problem. And having the right people with the right atmosphere helps too. The right music in your iPod can motivate you so much that you might hurt yourself. Try climbing to Ministry’s “New World Order” and you’ll see.

Labels: climbing, tips, touchstone

Did you know that Touchstone Climbing has a help wanted page? You can see the current positions that Touchstone has available on this page. We are always looking for quality staff for a variety of positions at our various locations. Currently, Touchstone Concord is looking for a full-time front desk employee. We are also looking for a part-time IT person to help maintain our computer systems. There are always new positions opening up, so if you are looking for a job, be sure to check here often.

Labels: concord, staff, touchstone

Sore muscles and other pains are part of the climbing experience. When you push yourself to the limit, you’re going to feel it, and that’s all right.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore every ache, however. Pain is your body’s way of getting your attention, so take some time to find out what your body is telling you.

Some tweaks and twinges you can climb through. Others may be signs of real trouble. The classic mistake is to let enthusiasm eclipse common sense, whether on a climb or just working out. It’s hard to describe how to tell the difference, but with experience you’ll learn to read your own body’s signals.

It’s pretty common for climbers in their first few years to have problems with finger tendons, for instance. Tendons and ligaments don’t grow as fast as muscle, and they don’t get a lot of blood. So give yourself time to condition them for the high, dynamic loads of climbing movement. Once you’ve built up your strength, you may only need some climbing tape to support a finger tendon that’s acting weird or hurting a little bit.

One thing to remember is that when your muscles are warmed up and flushed with blood, an injury may not reveal itself as much as it will the next morning.

If you tear a tendon, pull a muscle or otherwise really hurt yourself, you simply have to lay off the hard climbing. Some light movement after an initial immobilization period can help a lot. When you come back, start slow, use tape, and build up gradually.

It’s common sense, but sometimes we need reminders.

Labels: climbing, tips, touchstone

Climbing takes a lot of energy, so it’s only natural that climbers would want to put the right fuel in their bodies, in the right amounts.

But finding nutrition tips specifically for climbers can be tough. The most common advice is “eat right,” with no specifics about what’s right for the day of a big climb vs. the night before, or what’s best to keep handy for an energy boost in the middle of a climb.

The second most common advice comes in the form of posts from climbers who are glad to describe what they eat and when, but with little insight as to why their preferences are better than anyone else’s. Vegan or omnivore? Clif bars or Snickers? Energy drinks or sports drinks. Or water? Before, after and/or during?

Here are some resources that offer a bit more insight:

To get some insight into what happens to all that food you eat, take a look at the description of carbohydrate loading at indoorclimbing.com. Roam the site to learn more about how muscles work and their protein requirements, and the nutritional advice for preparing for a competition. You’ll find the recommendations change as the comp date nears, with more emphasis on carbohydrates.

Energy bars are popular, but not all created equal. Even the bars from a single manufacturer aren’t all created equal. Take the popular Clif line. As graded by the Calorie Count site, most of the company’s products fare well nutritionally. But a few, such as the Mojo Honey Roasted Peanut bar, rate only a C-plus.

For some full menus, there’s Beth Bennett’s “Nutrition for Climbers.” The 1993 paperback from Chockstone Press is only about 30 pages long, but offers recipes for complete meals.

Labels: climbing, tips, touchstone

This past weekend was full of competitions for Touchstone Climbing.

On Friday night, Berkeley Ironworks hosted the 3rd stage in the Touchstone Roped Series. This was the biggest turnout yet for a TRS event with over 128 climbers turning in scorecards. You can check out the complete results here. The next TRS event will be on August 10th at Mission Cliffs.

On Saturday, the Touchstone Cycling teams took to the hills. Well, one very large hill to be exact. Eleven Touchstone team members competed in the 3rd annual Mount Diablo Hill Climb. Touchstone Climbing was a co-sponsor of this event and our Director of Operations, Markham Connolly, built a very impressive start ramp for the event. The Touchstone Women's Elite team had a strong showing by placing 3 riders in the top 10.

And finally as noted last week, Mark Melvin, founder and CEO of Touchstone Climbing, competed in the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run in Colorado. Mark finished the 100 mile run in 37 hours 56 minutes, an hour or two before nightfall the second night. He placed 44th out of 98 finishers and 134 starters.

Labels: climbing, comps, cycling, ironworks, touchstone

This weekend, Touchstone's founder and CEO Mark Melvin will be running in the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run.

The course will be run counter-clockwise - a big loop through the San Juan Mountains of beautiful southwest Colorado: Silverton - Ophir - Telluride - Ouray - Sherman (Lake City) - Silverton, 100 miles, 33,000' total elevation gain, 11,186' average elevation, low point 7,680' at Ouray, high point 14,048' at Handies Peak.

Last year's winner finished the course in over 27 hours, while only a little more than half the field finished the run. Of those that did finish the course, most of them finished well into the second night of the race. Mark's goal is to finish the race before the second night. Mark has completed the Hardrock 100 before, as well as the Western States Ultra 100 in the Sierras.

You can see a cool photo tour of last year's course here.

Once the race starts, you will be able to follow Mark's progress on the Hardrock's webpage.

Labels: fitness, staff, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing is a proud sponsor of the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial and the Lafayette Criterium this coming weekend. On Saturday, racers will roll down the Start Ramp, built by Touchstone, to start the grueling 10K climb up the North side of Mt. Diablo and finish at the junction that leads up to the summit. Last year Beverly Harper, former Touchstone Women’s Elite Team member, posted the fastest women’s time at an impressive 28 minutes flat. The next is the Lafayette Criterium in downtown Lafayette . Again, Beverly crushed the field in the Women’s Pro 1/2 race at the Lafayette Criterium. This year the Women’s Elite Team will be represented by Pat Ross, Kelly McDonald, and Janeen Thorpe. Lisa Stefke and Anne Taupier will be riding for the Women’s Cat 4 team while John Ormby, Scott Herring, Andrew Tilin, Chris Kurrle, Sean Odom and Michael McCabe will represent the Men’s team. For times and more information please visit the C4 Racing site. Stay tuned for results.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

On June 24th, Touchstone route setter HAWK made what is believed to be one of the first legal ascents of the Golden Gate Bridge by a climber. "Yeah, it's pretty big," HAWK said of the near 800 ft. structure, "It's also pretty red." The north tower route is a grueling, 300 ft. elevator ride, followed by a run-out and technical ladder section. A proud and inspirational line, for sure. "I was moved," the setter later commented, "I may never use holds that aren't red again."

We can just ignore that I happen to be wearing an Earth Treks Climbing Center shirt.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Touchstone would like to wish everyone a happy 4th of July. We hope you enjoy the holiday and take this day to get outside and do something fun.

All Touchstone Gyms will be closed on the 4th of July.

Labels: touchstone

If the pictures of the Oakland gym construction in the Touchstone gallery have whetted your appetite to see the newest Touchstone gym in person, here's your chance to be one of the first people to visit. On Friday, June 29th from 6pm to 9pm, Oakland gym manager, Lyn Verinsky, would like to invite you to the first OPEN HOUSE. This is a great opportunity to see the awesome, light-filled space, and the walls-in-progress. The address is: 520 20th St. Oakland, CA

Labels: event, oakland, touchstone

If you have a Mac, you can now have all the latest news from your favorite climbing gyms right on your dashboard. This new widget provides the latest news articles from the Touchstone news page right to your widget dashboard.

Download Here

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is required.

Labels: touchstone

Berkeley Ironworks will be hosting a 3 on 3 basketball tournament on June 16th at 10am. Put your team together and submit your team name at the front desk to be included in the Berkeley Ironworks 3 on 3 tournament for men and women. We hope to see your team submitted soon!

Labels: event, ironworks, touchstone

Did you know that Touchstone runs a 10-person route setting crew at least 4 days a week? The crews work hard to strive to change every route in every Touchstone gym every 10 weeks. This means they set 538 Routes and 531 Boulder Problems every 10 weeks. Not only does the course setting team set all these routes, they also set a competition per month at the high standard that you have come to expect from a Touchstone comp. The crews are also responsible for the constant maintenance of life critical systems such as ropes, anchors, lead bolts, and quick draws.

In case you didn't know, below is the ‘normal’ course setting weekly schedule.

Monday - Berkeley Ironworks
Tuesday - Concord
Wednesday - Mission Cliffs
Thursday - Class 5
Friday - All facilities (maintenance)

Sacramento and San Jose have their own crews, but receive supplemental assistance from the Bay Area setters for competitions or as needed.

Want to see the people behind the initials, check out the Course setting page.

Labels: climbing, staff, touchstone

This past weekend Kelly McDonald (pro 1/2) won the Kern County Women’s Stage Race near Bakersfield, California while Janeen Thorpe took second in the cat 3 field. The three day race with four stages included a time trial, two road races, and one hill climb. It’s a grueling race. Kelly’s GC win was not sealed until the last lap of the last stage of the race. In the same weekend, Jill, another pro 1/2 rider, won the Panoche Valley Road Race outside of Hollister. Jill has won 5 races this season so far, with her most impressive win at the Tour of Gila in New Mexico. The Touchstone women have won eight overall this season. Congratulations to our Women’s Elite Team. Please visit www.touchstoneclimbingcycling.com for all results and stories.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing is extremely proud to be chosen this month as the Access Funds Featured Partner of the month. Since 1991, the Access Fund has worked to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment. Today it supports and represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide in all forms of climbing. Touchstone has been its corporate partner since 1998.

Labels: climbing, community, touchstone

Member’s from the Touchstone Men’s Masters Team, the women’s cat 4 team, and the women’s elite team will be racing in the Berkeley Hills Road Race this Saturday, May 12th starting at 8am. The course is the grueling 20 mile Bears Loop that has three difficult climbs called the three bears. The men’s and the women’s cat 4 team will be doing 2.7 laps (52miles) while the Women’s elite team will be doing 71 miles. This is a brutal race for all levels. For more information please visit http://berkeleybike.org/events/berkeleyhills_2007.html. Please come out and support the Touchstone teams. Stay tuned for results.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

This weekend was another great weekend for the Touchstone Race Teams. Pat Ross of the Women’s Elite team won the Orosi Road Race by a huge margin. Known to be a climber’s race, the Orosi Road Race is a 60 mile course (two 30 mile laps) with 4,000 feet of climbing. On the first major climb Jane Despas (Klein Real Estate) set a hard pace. Near the top, though, Pat moved to the front of the group and after a minute or so she looked back to discover that no one was behind her. She immediately bolted to create a larger gap between her and the rest of the field. Low and behold she stayed away the next 50 miles to finish over 8 minutes in front of the others. Can you say stamina? Congratulations, Pat!

Closer to home the Cat 4 women’s team participated in the popular Berkeley Bike Club Team Time Trial set on the other side of the Berkeley Hills. The race is a 16.6 mile two person team time trial with 3 climbs and 3 fast descents. The time is based on the second rider crossing the finish line. Anne Taupier and Vanessa DeGier crossed the finish line with the winning time of 53:02. Jessica de Jesus and Lisa Stefke placed third with a time of 54:01. Ken Dick and Chris Ackerman raced together to cross the line with the 3rd best time of 47:31. Congratulations to all our Touchstone Racers for another great showing.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Some people say, “falling off a route.” Others prefer to say, “falling on a route.” Still others think “falling on lead” is better. But nobody wants to say, “It’s my fault I fell.”

Vaughn Medford, manager of Sacramento Pipeworks, was changing bulbs on the wall lights one day when a guy lowered off. “I overheard him tell his partner (only half jokingly) that he fell because the light was in his eyes!” Medford says.

And who can blame the mother who said she gets distracted when one of her kids starts arguing with someone below? Or worse yet, crying? “I find it hard to demonstrate cunning layback technique or raw power when that happens,” she says.

Next time you need a good excuse for taking a plunge, here are some of the best gathered by Touchstone staff over the years:

* I couldn’t do it because I’m too tall. (What’s next? “I’m too strong?”)

* It’s too hot (or cold, or humid, or dry, etc.)

* It must be a high gravity day.

* It’s too reachy.

* I left my other climbing shoe at home.

* I forgot to take my glucosamine.

* My arsenal of moves is so vast; I didn’t know which one to use.

* And our all-time favorite from a climber who shall remain anonymous: “It was during a dreadful period of my life but I was climbing like a fiend. I had a bad habit of chewing Redman tobacco because of my hillbilly climbing partner from Tennessee. I didn't usually climb while chewing because I didn't want to spit all over the rock. I was in the middle of the first pitch not realizing that I had this big chaw in my mouth until I had to spit. All of a sudden I had this head rush and I started gagging on the juice. At the exact moment of spitting the whole chaw out, my body flung back as if a torpedo hit me and I took a huge whipper off a No. 1 camelot. I didn't get any sympathy from my partners who were laughing hysterically.”

Oh, the name of this very easy warm-up route? Chewbacca.


FEEBACK: What is the best excuse you've heard? Send it to us and it might show up on our next Top 10 list.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Now that the space is cleared out and the keys are in our hands, we at Touchstone are very excited about the potential for an amazing climbing gym. Over the next several weeks we will be finalizing the layout of the main climbing and bouldering areas, but first some demolition and reinforcement of the building are required in order to meet updated building standards.

Look for new photos on our website as we will be posting the progress of this exciting project periodically. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the Touchstone blog for information on tours of the new space. We look forward to seeing you there.

Labels: oakland, touchstone

Wow! The Touchstone Climbing Race teams have started the 2007 season with a bang. Let’s start at the highest level. The Touchstone Women’s Elite team have won Northern California’s first two major road races. Maria Monica, one of our fine climbers, won the Pine Flat Road Race, a race for climbers in the Sierra foothills near Fresno. Jill McLaughlin, one of our fine sprinters, easily powered through to win the sprint at the Snelling Road Race. Well Done!

The Touchstone Men’s Master’s team have had similar success. John Ormsby, our power master, sprinted for 2nd place in front of a huge field at the Early Bird Criterium. Scott Herring, another power boy, etched by Eric Hoffman, a Mission Cliffs member, at the finish line of the ever so popular Snelling Road Race. As Eric came to the line, Scott snuck by him with a photo finish win. It was a pretty exciting finish.

The newly formed Category 4 Touchstone Women’s Team has started their first racing season with two wins at the Early Bird Crits. Vanessa DeGier in both races darted from mid pack to sprint for easy 1st place finishes. Amy Padula, came 4th at the Pine Flat Road Race.

Congratulations to all the Touchstone Climbing Cycling Teams to a great start. For more information, please visit the bike club page.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing is thrilled to announce that we have signed a lease on a building in downtown Oakland. The Great Western Power Company is located in central Oakland, near BART and with quick access to the freeway. At over 45 feet tall, this building promises to provide some exciting new terrain to the Bay Area climbing community. We also plan to offer a large bouldering area with a variety of terrain. With over 10,000 square feet of space, there is still plenty of room for a great fitness area and rooms for yoga and other great programs. This gym will offer everything you have come to expect from a Touchstone facility.

The current tenants are in the process of moving out and we will soon start construction. Keep an eye on the news blog for updates as this project progresses. We have also posted a few more pictures in the online gallery and will continue to add more as the building process begins. At this point we are hoping for an open date in late 2007.

As soon as we start construction of the climbing structure, we will begin to host regular Friday night tours. Until then, we ask that you please respect the current tenant and the initial construction crews, and refrain from stopping by the building.

Stay tuned...

Labels: climbing, fitness, oakland, touchstone

Are you ready to run your first marathon? Are you wondering how to train for the upcoming mountain bike, cyclo-cross, or road race season? Or…do you just want to get in shape and do it the right way? Cyclists, Runners, and Triathletes, Touchstone is here to start your training right.

One of the key components to optimizing your training time is to make sure you’re training at the right intensity. At Touchstone you can achieve your training and performance goals by finding and understanding your “training zones.” We offer scientifically based testing to determine your training zones and measure your specific response to exercise and training. Each test includes a body composition analysis (via skinfolds) and a coaching consultation to interpret your results and help guide you in applying your results to your workouts. If you are interested, download our price sheet and pre-test instructions or contact Mission Cliffs for more details.

Labels: fitness, mission cliffs, touchstone

You know you can count on a great indoor climbing experience at Touchstone gyms. To help you have good outdoor climbing experiences, Touchstone supports a national advocacy group in Boulder, Colo., called the Access Fund.

Since 1991, the Access Fund has worked to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment. Today it supports and represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide in all forms of climbing. Touchstone has been its corporate partner since 1998.

Some of Access Fund’s work is behind the scenes, such as lobbying the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service for climber-friendly policies. But there also are plenty of ways that individual members get directly involved.

“We help people all the time on a one-on-one basis,” says Touchstone member Zack Chandler, who also serves as California regional coordinator for the Access Fund. In past years that has included organizing clean-up trips to places such as the Castle Rock bouldering area in Saratoga. “We brought a bunch of people down there and picked up tons of trash all day long. We did it in co-operation with the rangers,” Chandler says.

Co-operation with landowners and managers is the key to keeping climbing areas open and maintaining a positive image for climbers, says the Access Fund. It offers plenty of advice on its Web site for climbers wishing to use private land, plus more resources for conservation and activism.

Chandler goes most often to Touchstone Concord. “It tends to be a younger crowd compared to Mission Cliffs and some don’t climb outdoors yet. But a lot of people there do know what the Access Fund is and they contribute,” he says.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Touchstone would like to announce Art Balaoro as the new manager of Touchstone San Jose. Art has been working for Touchstone San Jose since July of '03. He currently is in the process of finishing up his B.S. in Psychology with a Minor in Philosophy at San Jose State. Art has been climbing for approximately 4.5 to 5 years. He enjoys both sport climbing and bouldering, and would be psyched to learn trad. He is also an avid snowboarder in the winter, and on rest days enjoys watching movies.

Touchstone would like to wish Al Liu all the best as he moves on to explorer new opportunities in the the outdoor industry. Al had taken a job at Mountain Hardwear, in Richmond CA, as customer operations specialist.

Labels: san jose, touchstone

Are your paws black with aluminum oxide after each belay? If so it's time to wash your rope.

To safely get most climbing ropes clean (check the manufacturer's recommendations first, to be sure), put your rope in the washing machine on cold water and add a shot of Woolite.

After the cycle is complete, set aside half an hour to get the tangled mess straightened out. Hang up the wet rope somewhere at room-temperature and with low humidity - but NOT in the sun.

The rope may take a day or two to dry out completely, but the wait is worth it.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Ok...here is another hint to a location of something that you may very soon be wanting to climb. Continue to check here for an official announcement of the next 'big' thing from Touchstone.

If you think you know where this is, head on over to the Touchstone message board and take a guess.

Labels: touchstone

Touchstone will soon be proud to announce something. This something
may be rather big. And this something, that may be rather big, may
be closer than Fresno.

Keep an eye on this page for details on this new something.

Labels: touchstone

Now's your chance to check off that item on your New Year's Resolution List and get into Touchstone high fashion. We're placing a new kit order on Monday, January 29, same design. (Note that we are offering two **NEW ITEMS: a long sleeve jersey and wind jacket.)

Items offered: Wind jacket (unisex - $60-70), W's longsleeve jersey ($60-70), W's shorts ($55), W's full-zip jersey ($60), M's longsleeve jersey ($60-70), M's full-zip jersey ($60), M's shorts ($55), M's bibs ($55). View sizing chart here.

If you would like to place an order, please e-mail the bike club.

Please place your order by NEXT MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 3PM. (Pay at pick-up. Estimated delivery time to the gyms is early March.) This will probably be the only order we place this year, so hop on the train and don't get left behind!

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Hans Florine is obsessed with speed. He claims to time virtually everything: “driving distances, widget production, diaper changes, loan closings, newspaper reading.”

And climbing.

He won the first World Speed Climbing Championship back in 1991 and has been the U.S. National Speed Climbing champion nine times in the past 15 years. The 42-year-old Lafayette resident keeps setting speed records for climbing The Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite. (For the full scoop, check out www.hansflorine.com.)

While you can’t quite say that Florine wrote the book on speed, that’s only because he hasn’t finished it yet. The tentative title is “Speed is Power,” and he recently got a New York agent to represent him in finding a publisher.

He goes back to the word’s original Anglo Saxon meaning of “speed,” which meant success and prosperity. Another way of saying it is “effective speed.”

“That is the same sort of speed I teach and talk about in my book,” he says. “The speed I’m talking about, there’s no application where it doesn’t work.”

Florine’s interest in climbing fast started when he realized he was good at it. It’s still something of a novel event at the world championships, he acknowledges, but speed climbing opens up a lot of possibilities. It allows him to fit in some climbing during lunchtime or on a weekend, and lets him do more climbing no matter how much time he has.

That helps explain how he’s been able to climb El Capitan 122 times, including 62 times up The Nose.

What keeps it fresh, he says, is that instead of having a regular climbing partner he seeks out fresh partners for each trip.

“I have done The Nose with over 100 people,” he says. “Just like you might have a walk you like to do around your neighborhood, pointing it out to people. You see them experiencing it for the first time.”

That’s also his approach to Touchstone, where he has been a shareholder since he helped put screws in the wall at Mission Cliffs in 1995. More than a decade later, he still runs a Monday night training class at Touchstone Concord and teaches a few private clients at the gym.

“Introduce somebody who doesn’t know about climbing to the gym,” he suggests. “You’ll get to re-live the excitement you had when you first got interested in climbing. I take lots of people out climbing for the first time, and you see their eyes get really big. It re-excites you about climbing and fitness.”

That attitude also reflects the big change at Touchstone over the years, he says.

“I think we have learned that our business is teaching people who don’t know how to climb and people who are just interested in fitness, instead of ‘let’s find the climbers in the community and make a place for them to play and exercise,’ ” he says.

His wife, Jacki, appreciates speed too. She holds the fastest time for Female Unsupported Solo Hike of the John Muir Trail. And a new generation of Florines is on the way up. At ages 3 and 6, however, the Florine children are mostly just climbing furniture at this point.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Question: What’s better than being stocked up on all your climbing attire essentials?

Answer: Knowing you purchased everything at the Touchstone Clearance sale for 40% off the regular price! Don’t kick yourself later for missing the biggest sale of the year on cool Prana, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets and more. Get to your nearest Touchstone gym where ALL* clothing, hats and scarves are on sale for 40% off! If you’re doing the math that means you can get those awesome down vests for $60 and women’s down jackets are a crazy-inexpensive $87! This sale is going on NOW, so hustle if you want the best selection!

Labels: retail, touchstone

Do you have friends, relatives, co-workers or classmates who are looking to get in shape after the holiday season? Let them in on the secret: Touchstone gyms are an awesome place to get a great work-out, be it on the climbing walls, in the cardio/fitness area or by taking one of our excellent fitness classes.

Touchstone gyms have everything a person needs to get healthy in 2007; plus a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with inviting, not intimidating, staff and members. And with no contracts ever and $0 initiation in January, there's no excuse not to try it out. So get yourself a new climbing or workout partner and invite someone to check out the gym today!

Remember, membership has its privileges: 15% off your beginner climbing package, 10% off any retail purchase over $75, one free guest per month, reciprocal membership to all Touchstone gyms . . . and much more!

Labels: climbing, fitness, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. We had an exciting 2006 at Touchstone. We saw the finale of our 1st annual Touchstone Bouldering Series, which had an amazing 440 unique competitors. The Touchstone Roped Series started with our biggest rope climbing comp ever at Mission Cliffs. There were many changes to the gyms including a complete bathroom remodel at Ironworks. 2006 was a huge year for both our men's and women's cycling teams and we are very excited for the 2007 season. The Touchstone Bike Club continued to grow and remains a favorite among members. Last year also saw the passing of Todd Skinner, Steve Karafa and Jeff Schoen, who all will be deeply missed. Touchstone's commitment to reach out to the community continued in 2006 with the Bike Corral in Sacramento, a blood drive in Concord, food and toy drives at Mission Cliffs, a climb for breast cancer research at Class 5 and a charity climb for homelessness at Ironworks.

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2007 including an exciting announcement during the first part of the year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Labels: climbing, cycling, event, members, touchstone

We here at Touchstone wish you a happy holiday and a healthy start to 2007.

All Touchstone Gyms will be closed on Christmas and New Years Day. Regular gym hours will be in effect for all other days in December and January.

Labels: touchstone

Touchstone Climbing held its annual holiday party this past Saturday, December 16th, at Berkeley Ironworks. The highlight of the evening was the arrival of the Touchstone San Jose outfit. Arriving fashionably late, en masse and clad in black, the South Bay crew showed off their bling in the form of a gold chain and Touchstone logo “T”, complete with ice. When asked about their bling, the San Jose staff simply replied, “Gangsta.”

Witnesses described the San Jose group as close-knit, friendly, outgoing, and, um, colorful. One may ask, what conspired in the forming of such dynamic solidarity? Could it be the unforgiving streets of San Jose? Could it be the downtown’s Christmas in the Park or the ice skating under palm trees? Is it the thoroughfare of diversity or the bad driving of the tech geeks? Maybe it’s the burritos and orange sauce at La Vic’s?

We’ll let you decide for yourself. Come downtown to Touchstone San Jose and experience the best bouldering sessions in South Bay. The staff and members won’t let you down.

Labels: event, san jose, touchstone

The Grimper Game is the perfect holiday gift for your favorite climber. At 29.95 this tabletop game strengthens your grip as it humbles and humiliates even the most serious climber. To play this game that pits climbers' grips against each other simply line up the center marks and using your hand's gripping strength pull your opponent off sides, you can also even the odds by assigning the (presumed) stronger player a more difficult finger positioning.

Don’t miss out on hours of fun with this fingery game of tug-o-war.

Labels: climbing, retail, touchstone

Now in a Touchstone retail area near you are 4 new DVD's, perfect for
stocking stuffers:

"Best of the West" features Boone Speed, Chris Sharma, and Nate Gold making a 2-week side trip to Hueco and sending crazy-hard problems en route to New Zealand. "The Big Game" finds the trio finally making it to New Zealand and has beautiful footage of the boulders with a lot of high adrenaline climbing. "First Ascent" is all about today's top rock climbers as they lay siege to steep faces and soaring alpine walls in pursuit of climbing's pinnacle achievement - the First Ascent.

Dosage Volume IV follows the biggest names in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and bouldering as they make historic ascents at spectacular locations around the world. Highlights include: Tommy Caldwell freeclimbing both The Nose (5.14a) and Freerider (5.12d) in under 24 hours; Chris Sharma's first ascent of Dreamcatcher (5.14d) in Squamish, BC; Lisa Rands on first female ascents of scary grit routes in England's Peak District; Dave Graham doing his beautiful Coup de Grace (5.14d) in Ticino, Switzerland; and Berkeley Ironworks members Randy Puro and Courtney Hemphill pulling down hard on the gorgeous granite boulders of Switzerland.

Labels: climbing, retail, touchstone

When a tired, old fruitcake just won't do, surprise a family member or friend with the gift of climbing. Gift certificates are available and can be purchased at the front desk in any amount. They can be redeemed for climbing lessons, parties, gear or anything in our retail area and gift certificates never expire.

Climbing DVDs, warm hats and logo shirts all make great stocking stuffers, as do many other items in our retail area. The climber in your life will be incredibly psyched to receive a new crash pad, piece of pro or new harness this holiday. And who can't use extra warmth when they are in-between attempts on their latest project? Clothes from Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear will keep even the most frigid chill from blowing the send. If our retail area doesn't have the particular item you want in stock, ask at the front desk to have it special ordered for you.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Evolv is coming to your gym so mark your calendar. For one night you will be able to climb in the latest and greatest shoes from Evolv. If you fall in love with a model we do not carry in the retail store we will special order it for you and you’ll be climbing in it in a few days!

Stop by and slip your feet into these awesome shoes.

Friday November 10- Concord demo 6-9
Monday November 13- Class Five demo 6-9
Tuesday November 14- Berkeley Ironworks demo 6-9
Wednesday November 15- Sacramento Pipeworks demo 6-9
Thursday November 16- Mission Cliffs demo 6-9
Tuesday November 21- San Jose demo 6-9

Labels: climbing, touchstone

As many of you have already heard, Todd Skinner was killed October 23 while descending fixed ropes on the Leaning Tower in Yosemite. Details of the accident are incomplete, but he and his partner Jim Hewitt were working on a free route on the 1,200-foot monolith. Skinner and his partner, Jim Hewitt, were rappelling the route Jesus Built My Hot Rod, and were several hundred feet above the base when the accident occurred. Apparently, Skinner went first, and suddenly fell; his rappel device and locking carabiner remained on the rope.

His 300 ascents in 26 countries included the first free ascent of the 3,600-foot Salathé Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite (with Paul Piana) and also the first free climb of a route called the Great Canadian Knife in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in Canada's Northwest.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Todd’s family and to Jim.

A memorial fund has been established for Todd Skinner's wife and three young children. Donations may be sent here:

Skinner Memorial Fund
c/o Atlantic City Federal Credit Union
704 West Main Street
Lander, WY 82520
U.S.A.
Phone: +1 307 332 0299


SFGate has more on this story.

Associated Press photo by Bill Hatcher.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

What do Touchstone’s staffers and members do when they aren’t climbing, training for climbing or thinking about climbing? This past summer a lot of them were heading out on the John Muir Trail. Stretching 211 miles from Yosemite Valley through Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks to Mount Whitney, the JMT takes hikers through some spectacular Sierra scenery.

“The members of Touchstone have done it all,” says retail manager Patti Phillips, “Everything from 6 days to 5 1/2 weeks, ultra-light to ultra-heavy, from start to finish, or in sections over time.”

In fact, Jacki Florine, wife of board member Hans Florine, holds the women’s solo-unsupported record for the trail: six days, six hours and 53 minutes on a trip in August and September of last year.

Phillips herself hit the trail this summer with Touchstone controller and co-founder Debra Melvin. They had taken a mini-trip last year around Glacier Point and decided it was time to make a longer visit.

“It was perfectly planned around the full moon, thanks to Debra,” says Phillips. And while the pair never did venture out into the night, “it was great not to use our headlamps on our early morning departures.”

They prepared for everything, including bears and rain. Fortunately, they encountered neither. It’s always hard to go at someone else’s pace, notes Melvin. She suspects that’s why they saw a lot of solo hikers along the trail. The Touchstone duo was well matched, however.

“If Patti was impatient waiting for me at the intersections, she hid it well!” Melvin says.

Labels: touchstone

Coming October to your Touchstone Retail Store:


The DEFY priced at $79 combines the benefit of a comfortable multi-purpose climbing shoe and the convenience of a Velcro closure. With the feel of a sensitive slipper, the DEFY will smear on any slick sloper or stick on overhanging faces while being comfortable enough to wear during gym marathon-training sessions. The DEFY is a must-have for every climber.

The newly redesigned RAVE $75 (formerly the RAGE) has an improved fit in the heel and arch to feel more form-fitting to your foot and sensitive on the rock. A thin teardrop shaped half length midsole has been added to improve edging power without compromising the pliability in the midsection. The unlined synthetic upper allows for the ideal amount of stretch to conform to the foot without getting sloppy over time. The RAVE is perfect for soft synthetic shoe lovers.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

As reported last month, Steve Karafa, along with local Yosemite climbing legend John Bachar and his girlfriend Anastasia Frangos, were involved in a tragic car accident. Sadly, Steve did not survive the accident. While Anastasia was fortunate to have escaped with only minor injuries, John sustained multiple spinal fractures and will be faced with insurmountable medical bills, as well as a long road to recovery.

To help John with his medical bills, a benefit has been setup. Many companies in the climbing community have donated prizes and there will be a drawing for those who donate to this fundraiser. It's an important distinction to make, that this is not a raffle, but rather a voluntary fundraiser where each contributor's name will automatically be enrolled into a special prize drawing. If you would like to contribute, please visit the Bachar Benefit website. If you would like more information on this benefit, you can also read an article about it at rockclimbing.com's website.

Labels: climbing, community, event, touchstone

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC’s Web site.)

Name of Product: Speed Buckle Harnesses

Units: About 18,000

Distributor: Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., of Salt Lake City, Utah

Hazard: The harness could be threaded incorrectly. If threaded incorrectly, the webbing will easily slip when loaded. Incorrectly threaded buckles can loosen, which could cause climbers to slip out of the harness and fall.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description and Models: These Speed Buckle Harnesses were sold under the following model names: Gym Speed, Focus Speed, Momentum Speed, Vario Speed and Wiz Kid. The names can be found on a tag sewn inside the waist belt of the harnesses. The harnesses are various colors and were sold individually. Only Black Diamond Equipment Speed Buckle Harnesses with incorrectly threaded buckles are included in this recall

Sold at: Rock climbing and mountaineering specialty shops nationwide from December 2005 through July 2006 for between $40 and $75.

Manufactured In: Philippines

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using recalled harnesses and contact the firm for a free replacement harness

Consumer Contact: For more information, call Black Diamond Equipment collect at (801) 278-5533 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit the Black Diamond's Web site.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

This monday, all Touchstone gyms will be open and operating on weekend hours. Standard weekend rates will apply for all gyms. Please contact your local gym to find out the exact hours of operation and pricing.

REMINDER: East bound span of the Bay Bridge will be closed all weekend. For more info, check here.

Labels: class 5, concord, ironworks, mission cliffs, pipeworks, san jose, touchstone

Touchstone Climbing learned Monday, that Steve Karafa passed away in a car accident this past weekend. All of us at Touchstone would like to extend our condolences to Steve's family, friends and his longtime significant other, Sarah. Prior to working for Acopa Rock Shoes, Steve was the retail manager for Touchstone. During his time with us, Steve developed a great rapport with many of us and with vendors throughout the industry. We are very sad to see him leave this world so unexpectedly.

There is a thread going over at supertopo.com wishing condolences to Steve's family. If you knew Steve and would like to read what others are saying, or would like to leave your own thoughts, please visit supertopo's forum.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Starting TODAY at your friendly, neighborhood Touchstone gym, you’ll find 30% off selected clothing from Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Prana, Sickle and more. Choose from a great assortment of shorts, shirts, tanks and pants for men and women. Now’s your chance to pick up that awesome shirt for your next climbing trip! Don’t miss out on the great savings – check out the sale today!

Labels: event, touchstone

Hans Florine will be speaking at the REI in Berkeley on Tuesday evening at 7pm, August 1st. It is a free show. The title of the show is "Obsessed with The Nose." NO, - it's not about plastic surgery.The presentation will be a few nifty ice breaker stories and then focusing head on into that old un-original, best in the world, route, The Nose. From Hans' failures to ascend it, to his slowest and fastest ascents, his worst time up and his best time up. Yes, lots of pictures and video of the old granite grey.

Hans has a new multi-media product on "how to" climb The Nose. You can find out about the CD set here at Han's website or stop by REI and pick up a copy.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Touchstone member Jacqueline Florine completed climbing fourteen California 14ers on July 17th. She started on the northern most 14er, Mt Shasta, and finished on the southern most 14er, Mt Langley. It took Jacqueline just under ten days for the whole adventure. You can see her blow by blow comments on her blog relating to the adventure.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Did You Know: The Touchstone Bouldering Series in Urban Climber.

In the latest issue of Urban Climber, there is a write up on last season's Touchstone Bouldering Series. Be sure to check out page 94 for a summary of the season and photos from the Sacramento comp. Urban Climber is now offering a special discount subscribtion to Touchstone members.

Currently, Touchstone is hosting a roped climbing series with the latest edition this Friday at Class 5. Also stay tuned to this news section over the next few weeks, as we will be announcing the 2006-2007 Touchstone Bouldering Series.

Labels: climbing, touchstone

Touchstone.com has recently added a yoga page to our website. On this page we have descriptions for some of class types we offer at our different locations. You can also find a link to each gyms monthly calendar, to learn which classes are held at each location. If you are thinking of taking a yoga class and not sure where to start, this page will be your guide. You can also find a link to this page under the services menu at the top of any page.

Labels: fitness, touchstone