The Vertical World climbing team flew to Atlanta Georgia for the 2014 SCS Youth National Championships. Just as the last 4 years the event was held at Stone Summit Climbing Gym which is the largest gym in the country: boasting walls that are 65 vertical feet and 85+ linear. Not only do they have the most varied terrain but also an official IFSC speed wall where you will see some of the fastest climbers in the world. The event consists of 2...

So there has been a story floating around for the past eighteen years about a weird party that was held at the Vertical Club.  Back in 1988 we would rent out the gym to groups that wanted to hold private after-hours parties. In those days we needed the cash and as long as the place was cleaned up for the next morning, what the heck ­ well, sort of.  I got a reservation one day and a deposit for a Saturday evening after-hours social party....

We are very accustomed to a large variety of hand-holds, taped routes, and a forum for giving an opinion on the latest sandbag. That world did not always exist, of course. In 1987 when we were starting the first rock gym in the country there were no such things as hand-holds.  We had to use rocks brought in from our buddies that they picked up on their latest climbing trip. Hand-holds didn’t come about until late ’88. Metolius was the only...