Gym Design Walk Thru | February 2025 Newsletter

Aloha Maui Climbers!

Thanks for signing up for this newsletter. I'll use this forum to catch you up on gym updates and Aloha Rock Gym community projects.

I’ve kept past updates short and sweet because I know everyone is busy and, frankly, the last thing most of us want to do is read a long blog post. This time, however, I want to elaborate a bit on what went into the design of Aloha Rock Gym and, believe it or not, the story begins in 1977 when I got busted for playing floor hockey in the school bathroom with a metal puck we’d unscrewed from a urinal. 

Our punishment for the disruption, destruction and gambling was to choose a book from the library and write a book report. For some reason my elementary school in Plano, Texas had a bunch of books about mountaineering and the photos were so mind blowing that I chose one of those books for my report. 

In High Places was an autobiography about a Scottish rake named Dougal Haston who rode a motorcycle, lived on the “dole,” and managed to find his way onto pretty much every significant British expedition in the 1960s and 70s: Everest, the Eiger as well as cutting edge rock and ice climbs closer to home in the UK. Haston’s exploits resonated with me and my tight crew of reprobates who longed for something thrilling and difficult to throw our adolescent minds and bodies at. We saw that Haston trained on a railroad trestle and so we emulated him, meeting after school at a 30-foot flagstone trestle where we practiced techniques gleaned from Royal Robbins’ Basic Rockcraft with braided manila ski ropes we bought at Kmart. 

These sessions at the trestle with my grade school buddies were the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the sport. It wasn’t just the movement and workout that we craved. It was also the comradery. Climbing became a path toward health and discipline and provided friendships with folks who were similarly interested in pushing their minds and bodies in positive ways rather than getting high and the general malfeasance of many of our teenage peers. I truly don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found climbing, but I do know that it changed and shaped my life in the best way possible. 

But a big part of climbing, to me, is the social aspect, and I dreamed of bringing a topnotch facility to the island. Ten years later I connected with the best team possible to make that dream a reality. Now we’ve found a building, cleared the permitting hurdles and we’re just a few months away from opening. We can not wait to share the culmination of our vision with our community. 

The design of Aloha Rock Gym is bound up with my (and my partners) earliest experiences of climbing where the social aspects were just as important as our time wrestling through moves and learning new techniques. Allow me to walk you through the gym, share the reasons for the design and point out some of my favorite aspects.

First 10 seconds of video:

As you can see in this video, when you enter Aloha Rock Gym, we’ll have a front desk where you can check in, ask questions, get outfitted with shoes, harness and chalk bag. We’ll also have a robust retail section where, when you’re ready to take that next step, you can pick out your own climbing shoes, chalk bags and chalk, rope, quick draws, belay device and everything else you might want in order to advance your climbing to the next level. We’ll also have Aloha Rock Gym swag so you can rep Maui’s only climbing gym when you’re out there in the world. 

Note that the first wall in the gym (facing the windows) is not too steep and will provide good bouldering opportunities for all levels including kids and teams. We’ll also have plenty of seating here for parents and kupuna who’d like to hang out and watch the keiki getting after it. Finally, this wall will give our route setters space to set lower-angled problems which offer some of the trickiest (and funnest) moves.

Seconds 10-30:

As you round the corner, you enter the sport climbing corridor (I like to think of it as a box canyon) with potential for 75 routes over 35-feet tall. We put a lot of thought into this section, including steep bulges, sweeping overhangs as well as dihedrals and aretes so that our members can experience virtually all types of climbing. We also invested in AC and a variety of fans to circulate the warm air that tends to collect up high so that folks will be comfortable while cranking up there in the high places.

Seconds 30-35:

Rounding the corner you can see another section of bouldering with more aggressive angles. Setters can utilize this wall to make more advanced problems as well as easier ones that everyone can do. We’re excited about the back wall, which we designed as a “spray wall,” a 30-degree overhanging wall that we’ll load up with all kinds of holds. This area will be great for coaching and teams since we can concentrate the keiki in this back area and keep the fun level high without negatively impacting the experience of other members.

Seconds 35-40:

The cave boulder and campus boards are an area where more advanced climbers can train at the steepest angles and train fingers for the smallest crimps. Keep in mind that Tyler, our head setter, will have problems for all levels in every area of the gym.

Finally, adjacent to the cave we’ll have a full service Rogue fitness rack, free weights, hang boards and cardio machines. Our goal is to give our members a one-stop fitness facility and this area will hopefully check all the boxes. We intentionally left this area open for events such as movie nights, guest speakers and parties. 

I hope you’re getting a better idea of what Aloha Rock Gym will look like and the kind of vibe we’ll provide. All this comes out of our shared experience of climbing as both a sport and a community. 

When I look back 48 years to that railroad trestle in Texas where my friends and I spent so many hours lost in movement and friendship, I realize that not much has changed. Climbing is still such a positive force in my life. My health and friendships are still growing out of this incredible activity and Aloha Rock Gym (ARG) is simply another way to share the climbing aloha with others. That’s why we like to say that ARG will be a community center disguised as a gym — a place where bodies get stronger, minds are bolstered as obstacles are overcome and lifetime friendships are made. 

We can’t wait to share the real thing with you in a few short months!

Big Thanks

Mahalo to those of you who bought an Aloha Rock Gym t-shirt. We really appreciate the early support. Looking forward to seeing you flying the ARG colors out there in the world! 

Community Outreach 

Our mission is to use climbing to foster community. To that end, Aloha Rock Gym is already sponsoring community outreach events.

UPCOMING MALAMA AINA

Please join us on March 12th for a malama aina event hosted by Malama Maui Nui at historically and culturally significant Ukumehame/Olowalu. This spot has been used as a dumping ground for many years and needs our help! Pauwela Beverage Co has generously decided to co-sponsor this event and provide beverages for volunteers!

Where: Location at Ukumehame, Mile Marker 13.5 

When: March 12th, 2025, we will be there 8 am - 2 pm. Signups are in 2 hour shifts, if you feel called you can choose to stay longer.

Fill out MMN’s Waiver: Right here

Sign up: Right here

Other info: Ukumehame is very hot! Please bring water, sun protection and closed-toe shoes. Gloves, trash pickers, bags, water and snacks will be provided. 

Thanks for reading! Mahalo for your interest in Aloha Rock Gym. A hui hou …

Jeff Jackson