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Climbers Set to Reach New Heights at Brooklyn's Tallest Bouldering Wall

By Janet Upadhye | December 5, 2012 7:16am

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Want to get high?

The borough’s newest rock-climbing wall, located inside Everyday Athlete in Brooklyn Heights, is set to be the tallest in Brooklyn at almost 18 feet high, beating local favorite Brooklyn Boulders' 15-foot playground.

“Our wall has three feet over any other in Brooklyn,” said Tomas Anthony, a Brooklyn-native and owner of the borough's newest adventure fitness space at 130 Clinton St. in Brooklyn Heights, which is set to open on Dec. 6.

“Those extra feet can really allow climbers more creativity in creating their routes,” he added.

Unlike rock-climbing walls, which can soar to 30 feet or more and require users to wear protective harnesses attached to ropes, bouldering walls are intended to be used without harnesses or ropes, experts said.

Everyday Athlete's 2,500 square foot bouldering wall, which has artificial rock faces, is being touted as the facility's central feature. Climbing holds will constantly be rearranged, giving users the opportunity to master a new wall weekly.

“That wall is actually a work of art,” Anthony said of the feature, which was designed by premier climbing wall designers Vertical Solutions. He added that its waves, curves, height and headwall create a combination “unlike anything else in New York City today.”

The center plans to offer family open climbing sessions each weekend from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. The fee is $25 per person and visitors can register in advance or just drop in. They also have adult group climbing sessions on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 15.

It’s also environmentally friendly. Most walls are built with resin and fiberglass, but Anthony went the green route using Baltic birch plywood for “lower environmental impact and toxicity levels.”

“As a small business owner, it is difficult to stay committed to being green because the materials tend to be more costly,” Anthony said. “But we did our best and are proud of the result.”

Climbing isn’t the only fitness fun to be had. Anthony spent a year designing the space so that every surface, nook, and cranny is utilized. Trapezes, yoga hammocks, rings, bungees, and pulleys can hang from the ceilings while the open floor space allows for intricate obstacle courses or room for children to play.

Some of the center’s first classes include boxing and bungee workouts, plus a "circus" class for the kids that teaches “gymnastics with trampoline skills, cartwheels, handstands and somersaults.”

“We want exercise to be playful and fun,” Anthony said. “We support a new era of fitness that is non-linear. We literally use the floors, walls and ceilings to get a great workout.”

For more information visit Everyday Athlete's website.