Massive harnessless rock climbing gym to open in Langford
A popular rock climbing gym in Victoria that specializes in bouldering, a type of rock climbing done on short walls with no harness, is opening a new location in Langford.
The BoulderHouse rock climbing gym is opening a location at 1109 Langford Pkwy in City Center Park on Thursday, June 17.
The climbing gym measures 6,000-square-feet and includes a dedicated kid's section. Since there are no harnesses or ropes involved, a large padded mat is placed along the floor of the gym, which catches you if you fall. The facility is a first of its kind for Langford.
"We are so proud to have this incredible facility open in Langford," said Langford Mayor Stew Young in a release Monday. "It will provide Langford residents with more recreation options without having to leave their community."
"I am excited to hear that BoulderHouse will be engaging with local schools to encourage use of the facility for non-traditional physical education programming," Young added. "It will also be a new option for summer camps and for children's birthday parties which is another important feature for Langford as a young, growing community."
BoulderHouse first opened in Victoria in 2016 and has welcomed newcomers as well as high-performance athletes over the past five years.
Several gym regulars are part of Canada's national bouldering or lead climbing teams, and have participated in international events.
Gym member Rebecca Frangos has participated in multiple world cups and was a competitor in the Pan American Olympic qualifiers for rock climbing in Los Angeles. While she wasn't selected to go to Tokyo this year, she hopes to climb for Team Canada in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Rock climbing is one of the newest sports to be added to the Summer Olympic games. The first ever sport climbing category of the Olympics is set to debut in the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo this July.
"We are excited for the opportunity to bring climbing to the West Shore," said BoulderHouse co-owner Rob Somogyi in a statement Monday.
"There has been a long history of outdoor climbing in the area and with the addition of an indoor facility, the community as a whole will benefit from having an accessible space to learn how to climb in their neighborhood," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.