Metalmark’s climbing wall design is now complete. Mark Melvin, Touchstone’s CEO says, “Our walls in Fresno are the best we’ve ever built -there’s not a bad line in the gym.” In a unique collaborative effort, Mark worked on-site full time with a brilliant design team:
Mark Benkert- a 20 year veteran wall builder, artist, and sculptor, who thrives on model-less see-how-it-works building
Simon Benkert- who might be one of the best climbers in America if he didn’t like welding so much.
Tom Ramier- also a veteran wall builder who says it’s the funnest job you could ever have.
Mark Benkert headed the construction of a model inspired by the design of famous climbing and wall designer Christian Griffith. The team thought about the placement of every stick of steel. “We’ve done things we’ve never done in a Touchstone gym before, with curves, corners, edges – it’s going to be brilliant and unlike anything else in California.” says Melvin. “What we’re learning here will shape how we do things for our future gyms.”
The opening is still a couple months hence but will be completed soon.
The Facebook page for Metalmark is the best place to stay up-to-date with photos and news for the newest Touchstone gym.
