High Plains Climbing
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Specs: High Plains Climbing recently reopened under different ownership in the iconic 90-foot grain elevators in Oklahoma City. According to High Plains Climbing Co-Owner Aaron Gibson, the agricultural background of the facility “pre-dates Oklahoma statehood, as early as 1901. The silos were abandoned in the 1970s and stayed dormant until the late ‘90s before they took on a new life.” In 1997, the silos were reenvisioned as a gym, with the help of Freddy Harth, before opening as OKC Rocks in January 1999. Soon after, Gibson joined the project as an early employee, before he, his wife Lisa Gibson, and a nonprofit partner purchased the facility and operated it as Rocktown Climbing Gym. According to Aaron, “The gym later changed hands several times, first through Climb UP in 2014, then Summit following a merger in 2018, and most recently Ozark Climbing Gym/Stoneyard in 2023.”
Under Ozark Climbing Gym, the gym closed on December 21st, 2025, following an announcement that the lease would not be renewed. “Conversations immediately began to strategize what could be done to save the gym. Among those talks, a group of dedicated climbers, with a history of previous ownership of the silos, years prior, emerged,” Aaron recalled. “Freddy and Dawn Harth and Aaron and Lisa Gibson came together to form a new partnership, secure a new lease, and begin reimagining the facility as High Plains Climbing for its next chapter.” He said the team then “mobilized quickly to develop an investment strategy, negotiate improved lease terms, and plan for a new and improved version of the gym,” combining their gym ownership experience of over 100 years.
According to Aaron, none of the ownership team members “were actively looking to get back into the climbing gym business, but the idea of losing the silos felt significant—not just personally, but for the broader climbing community in Oklahoma.” He noted that all team members have deep roots in Oklahoma climbing and a history with the silos, and they believed the facility was worth preserving. “The current owners bring both historical knowledge of the facility and prior experience operating climbing gyms,” Aaron said. “That shared history made them well-positioned to step in when the gym closed and help bring it back as High Plains Climbing.”
Since deciding to reopen the facility as High Plains Climbing, Aaron stated the team’s goal “has been to reopen as quickly as possible to maintain continuity and help the climbing community see this as a relaunch rather than a permanent loss.” Additionally, Aaron said bringing the gym back makes sense “because of the gym’s location and long-term potential,” adding, “The silos sit in a high-profile area of Oklahoma City, with major surrounding development underway, including a new stadium nearby and the city’s growing visibility as a host for Olympic events in 2028.” The team believes “this is the right time to reintroduce the silos with renewed energy and a strong local identity,” he added, with some facility upgrades for visitors.
The Gibsons and Harths have remodeled the front entry, gathering room and the bathrooms, in addition to resurfacing the flooring, building a new belay-training room and building a new bouldering room. They are also wrapping up construction of a yoga room in a new location and cutting doorways into parts of the silos that were formerly inaccessible. “Some things we are keeping secret until we are ready to reveal later,” Aaron hinted, while noting many amenities are already available. Current features at the gym include top rope climbing up to 90 feet and lead climbing, both indoors and outdoors, and multi-pitch style climbing and training opportunities, contributing to around 40,000 square feet of climbing wall surface at the moment.
“Some of the most unique elements of the gym include an 80-foot crack climb that ranges from hand crack to overhanging off-width, a 5.13 drilled-pocket route called Quarry Daze, a sculpted finger crack of about 65 feet, and a dramatic roof lead climb that crosses a silo ceiling at 90 feet,” Aaron added. Most of the interior climbing walls reach 90 feet—ranking among the tallest climbing gym walls in the United States—and a 150-foot outdoor route is in the works. The team also has plans for a via ferrata “that encompasses the silos as a climbable tour,” Aaron said, in addition to developing a VRBO-like stay location in one or two silos, creating an experience unique to Oklahoma City. “The idea would be that you can stay in your own private silo loft, enjoy a day or two of climbing, and experience the rest of what OKC has to offer,” he elaborated.
Walls: Concrete, Owner/Contractor
Flooring: NoFault Surfaces, Asana
CRM Software: Clava
Website: highplainsclimbing.com
Instagram: @HighPlainsClimbing
In Their Words: “It is important to really consider your local market. With more climbing gyms opening, it’s critical to listen to what is wanted/needed and distinguish your gym, your brand, as something that people want to be a part of. That and the routes: the product is the routes. Make the routes fun, make them quality, don’t lose sight of the climbing.” – Aaron Gibson, High Plains Climbing Co-Owner
