They started with a wall in a member鈥檚 house in 2008, then moved on to carve out their own space.
Now the Grand Wall Bouldering Co-op on Loggers Lane is faced with a need to get people into their space.
The problem is not the facility, say members. While the co-op is small, it is not designed to compete with larger private climbing centres, but instead offers a more intimate place for climbers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 less crowded than the commercial gyms,鈥� member Thomasina Pidgeon said.
Since it opened, the co-op has added cushioned flooring in the space to replace the old tires and mattresses that used to provide a base. They have also erected a half dozen walls to provide different challenges.
A new feature during the summer is the moonboard, which has lights installed that interface with a phone app to set out routes, or 鈥減roblems鈥� for climbers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our greatest feature,鈥� said member Peter Michaux.
The co-op has the reputation of being a facility for the more advanced, but members emphasize it is designed for beginners too. Pidgeon says there are lots of holes in the different climbing walls, which makes it easier for kids to climb.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good place for beginners, and it鈥檚 also a good place for professionals,鈥� said Pidgeon, who added that the co-op has let her train here for free as a member of Canada鈥檚 national climbing team.聽
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 an important part of the 麻豆社国产climbing community.鈥�
There are different angles, including vertical and 10 degrees up to 60 degrees. There are set problems marked on the walls, though climbers can also make ones on their own.
鈥淪ome people like making up their own thing,鈥� Pidgeon said.
The atmosphere, she adds, is small and friendly, though it鈥檚 also the kind of place that someone who is anti-social can just come and climb. Members also have access for any time during the day.
鈥淵ou just get a key and come in whenever you want,鈥� Pidgeon said.
The organization also used to have a requirement that people need at least two years of climbing experience before they can join, but this clause has recently been waived to encourage more people to join.
The group鈥檚 year-end was Oct. 31, and the question of needing members among Squamish鈥檚 year-round climbing community is not a new one and continually poses a challenge for the co-op.
鈥淲e need to get about 70 members to survive,鈥� Pidgeon said.
In the short term, it needs at least 60 of them to take advantage of a full-year membership fee and join before the end of November. Beyond that, it can manage if some others come trickling in through the course of the year.
Typically, the group鈥檚 membership numbers run in the high 70s. As of last weekend, only 11 had renewed, and Pidgeon is hopeful that many just need a reminder this is the time of the year to rejoin.
鈥淭hey probably just haven鈥檛 gotten around to it,鈥� she added.
The group has held events, such as a mobility class this past week and it is also bringing in Jeff Thomson, a top athlete from Gymnastics BC, to conduct a workshop Nov. 20 on gymnastic strength training for climbers.
Memberships are for sale at Climb On Equipment on Second Avenue. The co-op will be setting up a website and it is on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
