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The campus bouldering gym
The Caltech Athletic Department runs a small bouldering gym, located on the eastern-most side of Brown Gymnasium. The gym is not (to our knowledge) maintained by the Athletic Department (witness the cobwebs), so most of the maintenance is done by the Alpine Club, using our funds and volunteer labor.
The front desk at Brown Gym does have a motley collection of climbing shoes. Most of these are not quite 2008 models, but their rubber is still good, so we encourage new climbers to take advantage of this resource. You can borrow these shoes for free, even over the weekend, just by showing your Caltech ID. We have the following shoe sizes: 4, 5, 5.5, 7.5, 9 and 11; we also have some unmarked shoes, whose approximate sizes are 9, 10, 10 and 11. If you would like the club to purchase more rental shoes, please let us know and we will consider it.
To use the gym:
The system is simple, though unusual. There is no one "on duty" at the wall, and there are no set hours (though you can only use it when the main gym is open). Anyone may use the wall, regardless of experience. Here are the gym's hours.
Go to the front desk at Brown Gym (not Braun) and ask for the key to the rock climbing wall. They have you sign a form and leave a student ID or athletic center card, and give you the key. They also have some rock shoes they loan out. With the key, walk to the East side of the building. The two sets of double doors are for the bouldering cave. The key works on the left door on the right pair of double doors.
In the gym, there is a light switch to the left of the main door. Please switch it off when you leave. There is also a surge protector in the northern corner (near the stereo); if you flip this on, you'll get some more lights. You're welcome to use the radio.
The other set of double doors can be opened from the inside. Please close all doors when you leave, and turn off all lights and surge protectors. The main doors need to be pushed shut hard in order for the latch to catch.
What the gym is like
This is a bouldering gym only -- no roped climbing. No one is paid to maintain the gym, hence a sometimes shabby appearance, but the gym is pretty good for strength training. There are some marked routes; feel free to add your own. There are also some sequences of similar holds. There are two vertical concrete walls, a gently overhaning wood wall, and 30, 45 and 60 degree overhanging wood walls, as well as two ceilings.
The Alpine Club has maintained the gym a bit in the last year. We have done the following:
- Purchased new hex wrenches and ladders for routesetting
- Purchased tape for routesetting
- Taken down and cleaned the holds in the North room
- Added $400 worth of new Metolius holds (thanks to a Moore-Hufstedler grant)
- Put up about a dozen new problems
- Purchased two new box fans
- Purchased three new flourescent lights
- Replaced old light bulbs
We'd be very happy to have volunteers help with maintenaince. Send is a note at alpine [at] caltech [dot] edu if you can help, or if you have comments or suggestions.