A new facility in Langford is sure to have more people climbing the wall.
BoulderHouse, which officially opens June 17, hosted a media tour Wednesday to showcase the newest recreational addition to City Centre Park.
The two-storey facility includes a main wall spanning 150 linear feet, a dedicated training area, and a 6,000-square-foot kids area. BoulderHouse, which opened a much smaller facility in Victoria in 2016, is keen to expand the sport of bouldering, a form of free climbing done on short climbing walls without ropes. A giant mat cushions falls, creating a more accessible and much easier learning curve than traditional climbing on ropes.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said the new facility will provide another recreational opportunity for residents and people throughout the region to enjoy.
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B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very excited about the opportunity to welcome BoulderHouse to Langford,B次元官网网址� said Young. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 another important addition in achieving our goal of becoming an international destination for sports.B次元官网网址�
He said itB次元官网网址檚 a great way for young families to get their kids off the couch and involved in one of the fastest-growing sports around. Young noted that the facility was built using mass-timber design.
Jean-Marc De La Plante, one of the owners of BoulderHouse, said the $3 million project is the culmination of three years of work by BoulderHouse and the City of Langford.
B次元官网网址淲e were motivated by Mayor YoungB次元官网网址檚 commitment and vision to make Langford a national sports capital,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he West Shore was our first choice to expand, and itB次元官网网址檚 been great to work with a great group who are all on the same team.B次元官网网址�
De La Plante was also pleased to build something for kids from ages four to 12. B次元官网网址淐limbing is close to my heart. I have two young kids and realize that kids have been under-served in the climbing community. WeB次元官网网址檙e really looking forward to introducing climbing to people of all ages. IB次元官网网址檝e been involved in seven projects like this and this oneB次元官网网址檚 the best by far.B次元官网网址�
He also expressed gratitude to Verity Construction for their work on the project.
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Another owner, Rob Somogyi, said the new facility has much more to offer than the one in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e super excited that we have an area dedicated for kids to get involved in the sport,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e plan on adding some exterior walls in the future as well. The area has a long history of climbing because of the geography, mountains and areas like Thetis Lake. WeB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to introducing this rapidly growing sport to the region.B次元官网网址�
BoulderHouse has seen a steady increase in the number of people participating in the sport, Somogyi noted.
The opening of BoulderHouse in Langford is well-timed, considering the sport is set to debut at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, he added.
rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com
