Longmont Climbing Collective 2.0
Longmont, Colorado
Specs: In October, Longmont Climbing Collective (LCC) moved to a new, larger location. The owners of LCC built the facility from the ground up on 12 acres of land. The property allows the gym to host events for 5,000-20,000 people, according to CEO and part-owner Bryan Hylenski, with room for concerts and food trucks, three outdoor patios, and “event space for larger national and global climbing comps.” In February 2025, for example, LCC is “bringing the Ice Climbing and dry tooling World Cup back to the U.S.,” he says, “and it looks like for the first time since 2019.”
The climbing portion of the gym features the tallest new North American walls of 2023, with lead, top rope and auto belay options indoors and outdoors, and dry tooling on the outdoor wall. The building also contains bouldering walls and fully adjustable training boards, including a Moon Board, Kilter Board, and spray wall in a separate board room. For climbing-specific training, there are hangboards in the board room and fitness room, as well. “We don’t just have a fitness room tucked away in the back,” Hylenski describes. “We have a full, open-air fitness area, enclosed training room, yoga studio and cardio loft—all designed to meet the needs of each individual’s fitness or health goals.”
In terms of programming, the gym offers a range of yoga and fitness classes, and small group sessions. LCC 2.0 has personal trainers, climbing-specific coaches, and a “globally ranked Obstacle Course Racer trainer,” says Hylenski. The programs area includes a warp walk for ninja warriors, slacklines and a slide. There’s also a party room, full-service break room, and recovery room with a sauna and plunge pools.
After launching HMH and Butora in 2015, Hylenski traveled to nearly 300 gyms before starting LCC. “Our shoe company, our first endeavor, allowed us to hear from gym owners what they needed, what their gyms lacked, but also what was working, what was successful,” Hylenski says. “Unfortunately, launching a gym like this is incredibly expensive, so we first had to prove to the bank we could launch a smaller version,” which was LCC 1.0, a bouldering gym formerly located a few miles from the second, full-service facility.
Hylenski notes there were amenities that didn’t make the cut. For example, the leadership team was hoping to include a café or small restaurant but did not believe they would be the best owners for that business. Instead, they opted to partner with local vendors. Other amenities are on the way: Hylenski revealed the LCC team is working to add a summer concert series, dog park, outdoor ropes course, and more. “It made the gym incredibly expensive,” Hylenski says of the gym’s features. “The outdoor wall alone was made of marine-grade wood, to try and keep the elements from damaging the wood…This increased amenity list has also taken a project that was supposed to be a 10-month build into nearly 18 months by the time we are complete.” The buildout of the gym was impacted by weather conditions as well, as an outdoor project.
As for opening a new climbing gym in a comparatively crowded Colorado market, for Hylenski it’s been more about collaboration than competition. “Many people would view the other gyms as competitors, but in Colorado they are my friends. When I need something, I reach out to them for help. And I have never been disappointed…They care about their community, they put their customers first, and we all help one another to be sure our product remains relevant. I can’t say enough how amazing all of the local climbing gyms are in Colorado. I would not have been able to open this gym without our team and our ‘competitors!’”
Currently, Climbing Collective operates gyms in Loveland and Longmont, with a planned Greeley gym expected to open in May.
Walls: Vertical Solutions
Flooring: UCS (main) and Habit
CRM Software: Approach
Website: www.climbingcollective.co
Instagram: @Climbing_Collective
In Their Words: “This community of climbers in Colorado is incredibly special. The world has fallen in love with the word “community,” it is thrown around with ease, but very few people understand its true value. Yet, the climbing community nails it. My competitors are my friends, which means supporting one another helps us all. The other small businesses in town are our partners, we work to align and create win-win situations, not to make money, but to align our goals and be sure we are all focused on our personal missions and vision statements. Our customers are a part of our family, so as we grow and increase our revenue, we reinvest in our business based on the needs and wants of that same ‘family.’” – Bryan Hylenski, CEO and co-owner of Climbing Collective
Naomi is a personal trainer and a routesetter who has also worked at climbing gyms as a youth team coach. After starting college at Colorado State University in 2017, she wanted to make new friends and found climbing, fell in love, and now climbing dictates most of what she does. Naomi earned a bachelor’s degree in Ecosystem Science & Sustainability, and when not climbing she enjoys baking, gardening and crafting.
