Vertical Climbing & Fitness
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Specs: Vertical Climbing & Fitness, a mixed-discipline climbing gym, is under construction in Kannapolis, North Carolina, in the Afton Ridge Shopping Centre. The idea for Vertical Climbing came from “a desire to offer more to the community,” Vertical Climbing Partner and CEO Dustin Griffin explained. “I would hear, ‘I wish we had this, I wish they would do this, why don’t we have this.’ We kept hearing the community’s desire for more offerings and the light bulb went off.” The ownership team, which includes Griffin, Tristan Bithell, Jason Reynolds and The Knox Group, researched opening a gym while communicating with their community and collecting input. After years of planning and feedback, Vertical Climbing is tentatively opening in the next year. “The industry is changing and growing; we wanted to do this before someone else had a chance to. We also knew the demand in our area was there, especially for the additional offerings,” Griffin said.
The planned gym is a 30,000-square-foot ground-up build in Kannapolis, which Griffin said is “one of the fastest-growing communities in North Carolina.” For the group behind the project, the leadership, accessibility, and continued investment into the city made it an “ideal place to build a destination climbing facility that will serve the greater Charlotte region,” Griffin told CBJ. “Our goal was to provide something special and great for Cabarrus County as a whole as well.” While looking for a suitable spot for their vision, the Vertical Climbing team focused on design, convenience, and travel time. “While we wanted a beautiful building, we wanted it to flow, tell a story and be functional,” Griffin stated. “The location is perfect in a very popular and busy shopping center. Food and shopping are nearby. Easy access from the interstate. We wanted it to be convenient for our community, even in design.”
Vertical Climbing features 19,800 square feet of climbing wall surface, including roped climbing on 55-foot walls, speed climbing and two floors of bouldering. The gym will host a full-service café, with coffee, food and treats, functioning as a standalone business. There will also be a coworking space, which Griffin said was included as a “thank you” to the community. “People deserve a place to work, eat, live and play,” he explained. There will also be a physical therapy and body work massage studio for recovery and rehab needs, in addition to a sauna and weight room with machines and free weights. “Our Yoga/Group Fitness studio will have classes and come-as-you-wish hours; this way you can use it on your own or with friends,” Griffin said, adding that fitness was considered heavily in the design of the space. “We believe people will likely use our other offerings just as much as our climbing,” he continued. “Something for everyone.”
Including adaptive and sensory-friendly amenities was very important to Griffin and the Vertical Climbing leadership team. From a design standpoint, for example, the team used warm lighting and will play calming and lo-fi music to be sensory-friendly. “We will have fidgets, earplugs and other tools free for all who need them,” Griffin added. “If people want loud music, we are going to ask that they wear headphones. But our idea behind our space is to push for connection and communication.” While all climbs are open to everyone, within the gym’s climbing areas will be routes set specifically with adaptive climbers in mind. “We’re going to have special harnesses, laser pointers, radios and other equipment to fit their needs. We will also be consulting with adaptive climbing groups to make sure we are providing the tools and access,” Griffin said.
Walls: Dreamwall
Flooring: Flipp
CRM Software: BETA
Architect: Workplace Architecture + Design
Website: verticalclimbinggym.com
Instagram: @VerticalClimbing
In Their Words: “Every major decision—from the wall design and routesetting to the café, coworking space, fitness center and recovery amenities—was shaped by feedback from the climbing community. Our goal is to create a destination where people come not only to climb but to connect…We wanted our space to be warm, cozy, full of plants and chill. Being sensory friendly was a huge part of our focus. We will also have a lot of options and tools in mind for adaptive climbers…Our gym is built intentionally for everyone. We truly believe climbing is for everyone.” – Dustin Griffin, Vertical Climbing & Fitness CEO and Partner
