Las Rocas
Miami, Florida
Specs: Las Rocas, a bouldering gym owned by Miami locals, is expected to open soon in the city after nearly five years of development. Located in The Crest at the Pinecrest apartment complex, which has almost 300 units, the gym was intentionally positioned in the area as a community center, with a focus on inclusivity and appealing to a broad audience. The idea for Las Rocas, which is founded and owned by Kamal Daghistani and Jesse Seitz, originated during the pandemic after the team said they identified a clear market gap. “In Miami at the time, there was only one climbing gym,” Seitz said. “It was very far away, and we thought, ‘Wow, Miami really needs some more of these.’” Seitz then recruited Daghistani back to Miami to work on the project.
In proximity to the University of Miami in the southern part of the city, Las Rocas is in a residential tower and shares the first floor with other commercial tenants. “We’re really excited about the idea of having residents directly above us,” Daghistani said, emphasizing accessibility as a core location determinant. “Being right along the Metro rail line, people can easily come visit. And the building has retail parking in the garage itself for people who want to drive in to come to the space.”
The spot was also chosen because the owners wanted to “plant our flag in an area that we know so well and have a lot of history with,” Daghistani said. Seitz added that “[Daghistani] grew up five minutes away from where our location is, and I grew up probably ten minutes away.” Additionally, a lot of the development in Miami is “occurring more north of the city,” Daghistani stated, so the pair is “really excited about the idea of creating a space that has a lot of activation in this part of town, just because you don’t see as much development happening down here.”
While looking for a location for Las Rocas, Seitz and Daghistani sought out a space with ceilings high enough for a bouldering concept, and they determined the current site was suitable for their 15.5-foot walls. The gym will feature over 100 bouldering problems, in addition to a Kilter Board. Designed as a full-fitness facility with strength, cardio and functional training equipment, the owners used community feedback to inform the gym’s offerings. For example, there will be a retail area, co-working space with phone booths, and recovery area with a cold plunge and infrared sauna. Las Rocas will also offer yoga, HIIT and fitness classes.
“As you would probably guess, Miami doesn’t have as strong of a climbing community as other parts of the country,” Daghistani explained. “We want to entice folks who are maybe trying it for the first time to really feel like there’s so many other things they can get involved with if they don’t find that to be something they obsess over as I have.” To appeal to newer or non-climbers, Las Rocas will heavily emphasize programming beyond climbing, like lessons and clubs, with the goal of blending Miami’s culture with climbing.
Walls: Vertical Solutions
Flooring: Habit
CRM Software: Capitan
Website: lasrocasclimbing.com
Instagram: @LasRocasMiami
In Their Words: “We really wanted this space to symbolize the things that Miami is. So, in that way, being from here, we wanted to basically bring Miami’s culture into the climbing industry because we haven’t seen something like that really happen yet. That’s going to come out in the decor that we have and the ambiance and the other programs that we’re hoping to do, ranging from things like hosting music shows and lectures, and having local artists showcasing their art pieces in the space.” – Kamal Daghistani, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Las Rocas
