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                   Cliff Dweller Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(right): Cliff Dweller built climbing gym in Atlanta, GA (photo by Marc)

 

What We Do: Climbing Gym and Climbing Wall Construction; Climbing Program Consulting; Certified Course Setting; Climbing Instruction (at the gym) and Guiding (out on the real rock); Corporate Team Building; Climbing Demos, Slide Shows, Presentations, Motivational Speaking, and Ropes Course Facilitation (in-house or contract, as the lead or supporting cast).

(left): A climber ponders a challenging route at the base of one of our Cliff Dweller creations

Who We Are: To understand Cliff Dweller, we have to tell you a little about our roots: Cliff Dweller founder Marc has been a rock climber since 1992, and an industry professional since 1994 ... climbing all over the country and internationally, competing (nationally ranked in 2000; placed fourth in category at the nternational level at the Pro Am that same year), personal training, guiding, writing for the magazines, appearing in the media, and putting on slide shows. From 1994 to 2001 (and again in 2003and 4), he also worked in three different fitness centers as a programs director...two with climbing walls. In May 2002, he wrote the cover feature spread about climbing in Fitness Management magazine (click here to view it on line), the fitness industry trade magazine. Since then, Marc has been a primary contact for the fitness industry on climbing, and one of the original climbing personal trainers.

In 1997, Marc (pictured right red-pointing the uber famous Chain Reaction" in Smith Rock, OR) was the Athletics and Activities Director at Wieuca Road Baptist Church, where he served for four years. One of the first questions he was asked by the Activities Committee when he took the job was "what can be our activities niche."  For years he had sought a place to start a climbing program / ministry, so his natural answer was "adventure sports, and why don't we start by building a climbing wall?" It was the first of many that Marc built, and it was an instant hit for the summer camp program, which started to grow by leaps and bounds that first "post climbing wall" summer. The next year, Wieuca let him build a bouldering room, and the next, a ropes course in the trees out back. By now the camp program maintained a thirty family waiting list, and had spun off an after school program. The timing coincided with the mainstream rock climbing boom, and the Wieuca climbing ministry was talked about coast-to-coast as an example of how popular climbing had become. Soon, Marc was spending a lot of time building commercial climbing gyms; and climbing walls for other (mostly ministry) programs, as far away as Kenya. At some point, it was time to strike out on his own. That was when he formed Cliff Dweller, Inc. (in 2001).

One of Marc's oldest friends in climbing is Wayne C. of Radwall. Radwall invented the modern climbing gym, and had built more than 80 projects around the world, before family life inspired Wayne to 'get off the road.' The two friends started a collaboration that continues to this day. Wayne helped move Cliff Dweller out of the wooden frame era and into the steel-framed, plaster-finished artwork that characterize our climbing structures today.

Wayne still does our blueprinting, but we do our own renderings in-house, and we humbly feel that our designs are among the most modern, professional, inspired, and uniquely fitness-oriented you will find anywhere.

Whether you need a world class climbing gym; a productive use for an empty racquetball court; an addition to your gymnasium; or a basement climbing wall for your home; we can build it for you and help you get the most out of your investment.

Once thought to be the sole domain of extreme athletes, climbing has been made safe and accessible by the booming indoor climbing movement. Climbing walls offer nearly anyone - regardless of age or fitness level - the opportunity to experience rock climbing in a safe, controlled environment ... in preparation for outdoor climbing or as an end unto itself. Not only has it opened up recreational climbing to the masses,

Climbing gyms have made it possible for any city Cliff Dweller to train as often as - and if the gym is professionally run, even more effectively than - an elite climber on an intensive rockin' road trip.

WHAT a CLIMBING PROGRAM CAN DO for YOU:

Program Flexibility: The bolt-on hand holds on a climbing wall come in many shapes and sizes, and are arranged and marked creatively so that separate routes can live on the same square footage of a climbing wall. A six year old and a world cup contender can climb side-by-side but on different routes at a gym...if the course setting is done professionally. This keeps all patrons happy. Finally, with professional program offerings, climbers can attain world class levels of core power, upper body strength, and spatial awareness (note the climber on Atlanta Rocks' 80 foot ceiling!). Lastly, unlike a basketball court, your climbing wall facility itself has the unique ability to be completely new every time the hand holds are rearranged.

Uniqueness: Climbing walls are an attractive way to set your facility apart, and each wall is a custom job that can conform to nearly any space. With the growing popularity of the sport, having a climbing wall could easily be the deciding factor when patrons choose one facility over another.

Patron Retention: Rock climbing's unique movement patterns take participants to exciting new levels of coordination and motor function that cannot be achieved in any other sport. Proficiency is not quickly achieved and can be fleeting without regular climbing sessions on your wall. The "fun factor" keeps people coming back, as training on a climbing wall is far more interesting and varied than running on a treadmill or logging sets on a weight bench. That’s why the "drop out" rate for climbers is far lower than for other activities. For many, climbing becomes a lifestyle, and your facility can be where they train for it.

 

 

To view our Computer-Generated climbing wall designs in 3D, you'll need the Google SketchUp program (quick, free, safe, easy, and COOL!) and then get the file from me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact marc@marcsbasecamp.com

or call (864) 812-ROCK

 

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