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Where It All Began: Memories From America's First Climbing Gym

Seattle-based Vertical Club—now Vertical World—became the first commercial climbing gym in the United States when its doors opened in 1987. Indoor climbing was much more rustic back then, and co-founders Rich Johnston and Dan Cauthorn were starting from scratch, but Johnston says, “I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.” (All photos are courtesy of Rich Johnston) Intro by John Burgman It’s almost hard to envision what the landscape of cli…
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climbingbusinessjournal.com broke the news on Friday, May 29, 2026.
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