By Janet Wells. Pioneering climber and Berkeley Ironworks strength guru Dave Altman, 68, died early Tuesday morning on November 10, 2020 when the van he called home caught fire. Part of the Touchstone family for more than two decades, Dave—whose legendary feats of strength included a one-finger pull-up with 50 pounds in the other hand—helped […]
By Henry Springall. In 2012 I was living in San Jose—the same town where I grew up, working at a coffee shop after a failed attempt at college, and my dad was my boss. For some, working at a coffee shop is just another paycheck. This can be true of any job; but the strong […]
By Mailee Hung. This year Reel Rock 11 went bigger than ever with Reel Rock Fest, a full weekend of events and excitement with the climbing stars themselves. On Saturday October 1st, we were honored to have Mission Cliffs host a series of clinics with Ashima Shiraishi, Daniel Woods, Conrad Anker, and Brette Harrington, followed […]
We work hard to bring underprivileged groups and individuals to our gyms to introduce the wonderful world of climbing to those who might not have otherwise found it. Erin Johnson, a family therapist at Coyote Coast Youth and Family Therapy Center, brings his young clients to several Touchstone gyms to build trust and connection through climbing. Coyote […]
In December, Touchstone Climbing staffers from across California gathered in Berkeley for our annual holiday party. “It’s a wonderful chance for our employees to kick back and meet their counterparts from neighboring gyms,” said General Manager Markham Connolly. “They work so hard throughout the year it’s important for us to make sure they know how […]
Office workers by day, gym enthusiasts by night, and ambitious outdoor weekend warriors. Three categories that can easily describe many of us! As we look forward to the weekend, we can also sneak in some of that vertical workout throughout the week. None of these are strange topics for Megan and Keith. They can easily […]
In July, Great Western Power Company hosted a group of incredibly smart and talented young men from The Hidden Genius Project. They quickly proved to to the staff that they have the brains and the brawn as they enjoyed both the mental and physical challenge of rock climbing! “The Hidden Genius Project is a training and mentoring program for black male youth […]
We’re not your average gym – so we don’t have you average tour video. LA Boulders opened its doors in 2014, and since then it’s grown to be so much more than just Southern California’s largest indoor bouldering gym. Check out this hilarious video to get the tour of the climbing, yoga, fitness and more […]
Great Western Power Company is no stranger to Bake Sales. The Teen Team has put on hugely successful bake sales in the past, raising money to help the team buy t-shirts and sweatshirts. But this time around, the team has decided to raise money for a different cause. This year all Bake Sale proceeds will […]
When someone walks into Dogpatch Boulders for the first time, sometimes it’s hard for the front desk to get their attention. “People’s attention is immediately drawn to the towering bouldering walls just over the shoulder of the front desk staff,” said Dogpatch Boulders manager Justin Alarcon. “When we first opened, one journalist referred to our […]
