We’re celebrating our 20th Anniversary on Friday, October 2nd. We caught up with long time member Natasha Barnes and she shared her favorite Touchstone Climbing memories. I started climbing in 1999 and competing seriously in 2001 in Southern California. I would travel all over California and Arizona just to find new gyms to climb and compete at. […]
When did you work at DRG? Officially, I started working at Touchstone Concord (now Diablo Rock Gym) when they opened in September of 2002. There was a wonderful grand opening party! Prior to that, I would occasionally work as a trade staff at Berkeley Ironworks. I worked at DRG until September 2009. During my time […]
If you’ve been thinking about joining our community – here’s your chance to do it on the cheap! In honor of Touchstone Climbing’s 20th Anniversary, we’re offering a $20 initiation fee special. That’s right! Save beaucoup bucks this week at any Touchstone Climbing Gym, and get free addmision to our Anniversary Parties on Friday, October 2nd. Not […]
Last week, Team Touchstone held its first ever team tryouts at Berkeley Ironworks. The event drew climbers of all ages and ability levels, testing their strength, technique, and ability to work as a team. Climbers who participated in tryouts were vying for spots on every level of the Berkeley Ironworks team, from the recreational level all the way […]
We sat down with Dogpatch Boulders member Jenny Lao to talk about why she’ll be swimming across the Bay this Saturday! How did you start climbing, and how long have you been climbing for? After I moved home from college, my best friend took me on one of my first hikes in Big Sur. We got lost […]
From routesetters to desk staff, climbers to pizza makers – SO much work goes into putting on a Touchstone Climbing Series Competition. This Richmond Youth Media helped us capture a bit of the chaos in this awesome video. Check it out!
Who are you? I’m Emily Dionne! When did you work at Diablo Rock Gym? I think I started around 2009. I worked full time for DRG until 2013 when Grad School got in the way! I continued to help out until I moved to Oregon last year. What is your favorite memory of working at DRG? I loved […]
By Jayme Moye On Saturday September 12, Hans Florine climbed the Nose route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park for the 100th time. The Nose, one of the most challenging climbs in the world, follows the massive prow of El Cap, a 3,000-foot sheer granite monolith. Florine’s accomplishment is a new world record in […]
At 6’6” and towering high above the heads of most people, our next Member of the Month out of Sacramento Pipeworks tells us tales of the early days. An avid outdoor climber, once in awhile you can find him indoors too! We had a moment to chat about the future of our sport, and the […]
To celebrate Touchstone’s 20th Anniversary on October 2nd, this month we’re taking a walk down memory lane. Long before The Studio Climbing was Downtown San Jose’s premier indoor climbing gym, there was Touchstone San Jose. Art Balaoro shared some of his memories from this gym that closed in 2009. Oh man… There are so many […]
