By now, you’ve surely seen the members of California’s newest competitive youth climbing team doing their thing at our various gyms. If you’ve stopped to ask “Who are these kids?” or “How are they running laps on my project?”, ponder no longer. The young climbers you see tearing up the walls in our gyms are members […]
Recently, Touchstone athlete Joey Kinder headed to Norway for a three week trip. This is his second time to the country. He traveled there last year to climb at the notoriously difficult Flatanger Cave. He spoke a bit with the Touchstone blog about his trip. Why did you want to go there? My buddy Henning […]
Last Friday the 2015 Touchstone Climbing Series at Great Western Power Company brought over 375 climbers and spectators to the gym, making it the largest turn out for a competition in Oakland to date! “Another year another record!” said GWPC manager Jeremy Yee. “We had a terrific turn out, and even though it as an […]
Touchstone employee James Lucas recently free climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan in a day. The Touchstone Blog reports on his ascent. At 6:10pm on May 6, James Lucas dry-heaved into some bushes on the top of El Capitan. He had just finished climbing his first route on the iconic monolith, and he had done it in […]
As everybody knows, there is a variety of ways to meet new people. In environments as socially diverse as Sacramento Pipeworks, many intriguing individuals surround us daily. Conversations start and new friends are made, but sometimes, you may even meet the person of your dreams…when you least expect it. In writing these featured monthly member […]
The longer days of spring have arrived. The last few storms are rolling through the Valley and El Capitan is coming into prime shape for climbing. Making an ascent of one of the world’s biggest granite monoliths requires a fair bit of motivation. There are two main ways to climb El Capitan: slow and heavy […]
Every year the kids climbing in the gym mutate a bit more. Since the introduction of the Team Touchstone youth climbing team, the kids seem to be even stronger than normal. “This is my 10th year climbing, which is kind of scary to think about because I used to think that all the guys that […]
Protecting and preserving our outdoor climbing areas is a no-brainer. It has to be done and the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the climbing community. It sounds like a heavy load but if we all work together and follow some simple and basic guidelines for limiting our impact when outdoors it’s easy! As a climbing […]
The Cal Climbing team recently returned from Nationals at Mesa Rim Climbing & Fitness in San Diego. The student run and supported program groups Cal students for climbing trips, biweekly Berkeley Ironworks and Bridges sessions, and competitions in the Bay Area and in the USA Climbing Collegiate Climbing Series. “We’re a group of climbers of […]
The Clovis Rodeo has been a tradition in the Central Valley for years, and MetalMark Climbing Gym has joined in on the fun. On Saturday, April 21st, MetalMark hosted it’s 3rd annual Round Up event. Since opening in 2011, MetalMark has become a home away from home for many in Fresno, and events like this […]
