By Matt Ulery. “We should get a van.” It was half-statement, half-question to my wife after another uncomfortable night of sleeping in a tent. I truly didn’t expect her to say yes…but then: “Yeah, I could be into that.” Fast forward six months of researching different van options, weighing pros and cons, and then getting […]
By Jason Bove. True story: A job is far more enjoyable if you like to spend time with your coworkers. I have been lucky enough to say that I have and still do. Not too many careers give you the opportunity to spend days, weeks, months, and even years with good friends talking about something […]
Climbing has a long tradition of mentorship. Many climbers can trace back their first time climbing back to a friend who showed them the ropes (figuratively and literally). We know how powerful that kind of relationship can be, so we really get Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the oldest and largest mentoring program in the […]
At Dogpatch Boulders, we’re lucky to have groups like Gilman Rec Connect visit us regularly. Gilman Rec Connect is an important resource for local kids that collaborates with other established youth organizations to build on school-day learning with educational after-school projects and activities. This summer program is free to kids in the community and serves some of the […]
By Samantha Feinerman. I love yoga. I love yoga a lot. In fact, I love yoga so much that I started teaching it seven years ago and decided to teach it, forever. Yoga just kind of fell into my lap when I was in high school—and by “fell,” I mean my aunt dragged me into […]
Catching falls is a tough job. Even though our workhorse gym ropes are great at what they do, eventually they all need replacing. But what to do with all of the retired ropes? They’re no longer safe to climb on, but must ropes go straight from gym to landfill? Couldn’t they find a second life […]
Supporting the kids in our community is one of the most effective ways to encourage a healthy, thriving neighborhood, and the Neighborhood Youth Association is doing just that. NYA is an after school program that “provides low-income and at-risk youth with targeted, individualized academic support, leadership development, STEM learning activities, creative writing and arts enrichment, and college […]
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: climbing is for EVERYONE. That’s why Touchstone is committed to providing safe, welcoming, and supportive spaces to all of the LGBTQ+ climbers, yogis, lifters, spinners, and fitness enthusiasts who come to our gyms. As part of that commitment, we’re thrilled to be celebrating National Pride Month […]
Women have been at the forefront of rock climbing for decades, pushing the limits of possibility right alongside the guys. We’ve always known that we have just as much to contribute; but we’ve also always faced a host of pressures and expectations that tell us otherwise. From beta spray to microaggressions (“you’re strong for […]
After years of false starts and hard work, we are thrilled to announce that Touchstone Climbing will be opening a 25,000 square foot climbing facility just north of downtown Pasadena! This will be our second roped facility in Southern California, offering world-class top rope, lead climbing, and bouldering terrain, as well as the comprehensive yoga […]
