Berkshire Boulders
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Specs: Berkshire Boulders, owned by Nick Friedman and Dan Yagmin, is holding its grand opening on November 6th in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Friedman grew up in Sheffield, Massachusetts, and learned how to climb outdoors in Great Barrington over twenty years ago. He said, “The idea of a climbing gym in the Berkshires isn’t new,” and is something that has been discussed for decades, but “finding a space and putting the resources together” in the area was difficult. When Friedman discovered the building on Stockbridge Road in northeast Great Barrington and became connected to Yagmin, “things started to click into place,” he explained. Yagmin, who won the 2024 and 2025 Favorite Shaper awards and has over 30 years of climbing experience, will manage “all things climbing,” Friedman said, including wall design, hold creation and routesetting. “Dan’s background in hold shaping and wall design through Decoy Holds, combined with my prior business experience, made for a natural fit.”
In opening a gym together, the larger vision Friedman shared is bringing “new forms of outdoor recreation into the public domain in the Berkshires.” He said developing outdoor climbing areas in the region can be challenging because a lot of the land is privately owned, but “a gym is something I can build now that serves the community while we work on the longer-term access goals.” Friedman said starting the gym has been a long time coming, as he has been climbing in the area for decades and has become deeply involved in climbing area access. “I volunteer as a board member at the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition, where we work to keep climbing areas accessible to the public,” he said. “I’ve also been involved in efforts at Farley and other outdoor climbing areas in the region, where securing and maintaining access is an ongoing challenge because so much of the land is privately held.”
The Berkshires features terrain that caters to a multitude of outdoor activities, and “while certain activities, such as hiking, have become quite popularized, others, such as rock climbing and mountain biking, have been largely overlooked,” Friedman stated. “Essentially, there are certain forms of outdoor recreation that remain underrepresented, which leaves a real opportunity on the table. This opportunity serves not only those who have an interest in partaking in these forms of recreation, but to the community at large.” Friedman believes “a climbing gym is a tangible and controllable start—a piece of a puzzle in a much bigger initiative” to bring new forms of recreation to the community.
Friedman described Great Barrington as “the cultural and commercial hub of southern Berkshire County,” with a year-round community that extends beyond seasonal tourism. “It already has a strong outdoor recreation culture, and the surrounding area is home to some of the best outdoor bouldering in New England. There was no indoor option to complement that, and the town felt like the right fit for what we’re building,” he said.
Berkshire Boulders was constructed in a preexisting commercial space with high enough ceilings for climbing walls, which Friedman said is appropriately sized for a smaller community. “It sits on the north side of Great Barrington right on Route 7, with good visibility and access,” he added. “But what made it special is the setting: it overlooks the Housatonic riverbanks with acres of open fields, creating a more peaceful indoor/outdoor aesthetic that fits the spirit of the gym.”
The 4,000-square-foot facility will feature about 2,000 square feet of climbing wall surface on walls reaching 15 feet, in addition to a Decoy spray wall with Clift light-up interactivity. Additionally, the gym will feature a fitness area, retail shop, coworking space, and outdoor space for socializing that overlooks the Housatonic riverbanks. Friedman and Yagmin plan to offer youth-focused programming, including teams and introductory classes. “We’re actively gathering input from the community on what families want to see,” Friedman added.
Berkshire Boulders is also planning to donate 100% of profits “to organizations that align with our mission to make climbing more accessible, both indoors and outdoors,” Friedman said. “That may mean funding youth programs, donating to access organizations, or subsidizing memberships for people with financial hardship.” He explained that “accessibility is the core mission” of the new gym, and putting that principle into practice has included—indoors—offering affordable and sliding scale membership options and—outdoors—supporting the organizations that maintain public access to climbing areas. “The primary partner is the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition (WMCC), which works to secure and protect public access to climbing areas in the region,” Friedman said. “We’re also looking at organizations like Railroad Street Youth Project, Greenagers and the Access Fund—all of which align with our mission around youth development, environmental stewardship and outdoor access.”
Walls: Dreamwall
Flooring: Dreamwall
CRM Software: Redpoint HQ
Website: www.berkshireboulders.com
Instagram: @BerkshireBoulders
In Their Words: “This isn’t just a gym; it’s meant to be a community space. A place for experienced climbers to train, for kids to discover a new sport, for parents to hang out while their children climb, and for someone who has never touched a wall to give it a try. We want it to feel more like a community gathering place than a corporate fitness center.” – Nick Friedman, Founder and Co-Owner of Berkshire Boulders
