Join Us in the Fight Against Hunger!

Together, Stone Gardens + Edgeworks are hosting food drives to support our local communities during this time of increasing need. 

While this is a combined effort across all 3 locations, donations will support the following food banks, local to each of our communities:

Bellevue: Renewal Food Bank
Seattle: Ballard Food Bank
Tacoma: Nourish Pierce County

Collection boxes have been set up at each location – Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma – and donations are being accepted anytime Monday – Friday between 10am-5pm; plus Saturday + Sunday in Tacoma.

Receive 20% OFF Retail!

As an added incentive, those who donate 5+ food items will receive 20% off any full-priced retail item to be used now or at a later date. 

Most Needed Food Items

Below is a list of the most needed items as well as a list of kid friendly recommendations: 

• Soups and chili
• Peanut Butter
• Individual cereals and full box cereals
• 8 oz shelf stable juice boxes
• Shelf stable milk boxes
• Shelf-stable alternative milks
• Meal in a can: chili, ravioli, spaghetti-o’s 
• Mac and Cheese*
• Granola bars’*
• Individual packages of nuts or trail mix*
• Single-serve instant oatmeal*
• Snack size fruit cups (in their own fruit juices)*

*Especially needed for weekend food for kids meals

2020 has been a difficult year for so many throughout our communities and every little bit helps. Thank you in advance for your donations and support!

Give the Gift of Climbing!

November 28 – December 31, 2020

Shop small. Shop local. Save BIG! We’re offering specials and discounts on something for everyone – from punch passes and gift cards, to climbing gear! Edgeworks has something for all the climbers and adventure seekers on your list this year.

Buy a GIFT CARD, Win COOL GEAR!

The perfect gift! Gift cards can be used to purchase anything in the gym – day passes, memberships, gear, instruction courses, and MORE.

Plus, when you BUY A GIFT CARD this holiday season, you (or someone you choose) will be entered for a chance to WIN COOL CLIMBING GEAR! 

1st Prize: Tenaya Climbing Shoes
2nd Prize: Entreprise Hangboard
3rd Prize: Climbing Gift Set

Gift card values start at $25.
$25 gift card = 1 raffle entry
$50+ gift card = 2 raffle entries

Drawing will take place January 01, 2021.

PUNCH PASS + 1 FREE INTRO CLASS: only $180!

SAVE $70 on an experience the whole family can enjoy!

This package includes a total of 10 PASSES accepted at all 3 gym locations – Bellevue, Seattle + Tacoma; plus 1 FREE Intro to Climbing Course at the location of your choice. 

Transferable | Intro Course participant must be 14+ | 3-year expiration

CLIMBING GEAR SALE!

Save BIG: up to 25-40% OFF climbing gear!

Harnesses + Belay Devices: 25% off
Petzl, Black Diamond, Mammut, Pilot Belay Devices, GriGris and Smart 2.0.

Accessories: 35% off
Boulder Brushes, Compact Clippers, Piranha Knife, Crag Half Finger Glove, MTape, Splitter Glove, Skin Maintenance Kit, Hand Repair Cream/Balm, Belay Glasses and more!

Training Items: 35% off
Project boards, Wood Grips, Training boards, Hang Boards, Grip Savers and more!

Chalk Bags + Chalk: 30% off
Stock up on your outdoor chalk! (liquid chalk not included)

Packs + Bags: 40% off
Exped Summit Lite 15, Black Diamond Creek Transit 22L, Mammut Neon Speed 15L Pack, and Metolius Dirtbag ll Rope Bag

Offer valid on select, in-stock items only; excludes special orders.
Quantities limited at varying locations; call in advance for specific items.
Offer ends December 31, 2020.

2020 Virtual Climbing Competition

November 9-23, 2020

Edgeworks has always been dedicated to providing opportunities for youth climbers to advance their skills and become strong competitors on a local, regional and national level. That is why we’ve chosen to partner with USA Climbing and other gyms in our region to offer a Virtual Youth Climbing Competition, November 9-23.

In preparation, we’re also excited to announce a new combined effort of Edgeworks and Stone Gardens route setters who will be working to reset both our boulder and rope walls! 

Starting November 2, you’ll notice focused attention on our boulder walls as these teams work to reset for the competition. The benefit will be 60+ new competition problems for all to enjoy! You don’t have to be a youth climber to get your hands on these stellar new routes. 

And, while we’re working with other coaches and climbing teams to reduce any impact on our reservation system, it’s important to note that during the 2-week comp period (Nov 9-23) reservations for ZONE 4 could fill up faster than usual.

Please make sure to adjust your plans accordingly.

SAVE up to $110 on new memberships!

Offer valid: September 1-30, 2020

It’s the end of summer and this year we’re extending our annual student membership sale to EVERYONE! Offering a savings of up to $110 with ALL AVAILABLE MEMBERSHIP TYPES qualifying for the $0 Start-Up Fee.

Did you cancel your membership because of our COVID closure?
Now’s the time to rejoin!

Are you looking to start something new, active, fun, healthy + safe this Fall?
Now’s the time to join!

Here’s How It Works:
Sign up online or in the gym for an AUTOPAY Membership with only a $0 Start-Up Fee!

All AUTOPAY Memberships are included: 

✅  Individual – save $60
✅  Student – save $50
✅  Family – save $110
✅  Military – save $50

New members are strongly encouraged to review our COVID Health + Safety information before completing the membership agreement.

Offer ends September 30, 2020.

Wednesday + Friday Evenings

Just because we have to practice social distancing, doesn’t mean we can’t also teach some climbing skills. Every Wednesday at 6pm and Friday at 7pm, we will host free online clinics for our members.

Our experienced, professional, and AMGA certified climbing instructors will lead a different clinic – from clipping and un-clipping quickdraws to hauling and raising systems. These clinics will be taught virtually via Google Meet with sign-in links and instructions emailed with registration.

Clinics are FREE for members but space is limited so be sure to SIGN-UP early to claim your spot and take advantage of this cool member perk!

Registration for each clinic will be made available 6 days in advance of the scheduled date.

Cancellations + No-Shows

Because the response to these clinics has been very popular, we ask you to do your absolute best to show up for the clinic you register for. If you cannot make it, please cancel as soon as possible so that we can open up the space for others.

NEXT UP:

Wednesday 6pm | June 12, 2020: Multi-Pitch Rope Management w/ Andrew
Ledge stack or lap coil? Come find out! We are going to be demonstrating and discussing rope management practices.

Suggested equipment: Anchor, Harness, Belay/rappel device, PAS or 120cm sling, 3 locking carabiners, Prussik loop or 60cm sling, Rope

Don’t have the listed equipment? Feel free to watch and contribute with questions.

Space is limited. Sign up online to reserve your spot!

Calluses gone and finger strength waining? Time to dust off the old hangboard and start re-building your strength. But where do you start?

Join route setter and Team Edgeworks new head coach, Michael, for a weekly live video series all about HANGBOARDING – Fridays at 7:15pm on the Edgeworks Fitness Facebook page.

Each week, Michael will focus on different tips n’ tricks of hangboarding, and each week will have a different theme; starting with the basics of hangboarding, who should hangboard, how to safely hangboard and more.

Miss a session or want to take it again? No problem! These videos will remain on our Edgeworks Fitness page, available for you to participate whenever is convenient for you.

The ALL NEW Member Challenge!

Report your weekly challenge points here.

Because we’re all missing the climbing gym, our friends and the member challenge … and because we can all do our part to #flattenthecurve while still having some fun …

We’re excited to announce an ALL NEW LIST of 140+ social distancing approved member challenge items to help keep everyone active, engaged and SANE during this time of community health isolation.

We present to you: EDGE OF SANITY!

Here’s how it will work:

1. New challenge sheets can be found HERE. Print one out and join the fun!

2. Each box = 1 point; unless otherwise marked with an # on the form.

3. Members are responsible for recording and reporting their points each week.

4. This link will be updated weekly for members to log in and report their points; it will also be shared on Facebook and Instagram.

5. While we’re curious to track these points separately, points will be added to existing Member Challenge tallies.

6. Anyone not already participating in the member challenge is invited to join us now and start Earning Your Peaks!

7. The same points and peaks will apply.

8. FREE t-shirts and iron-on peaks will be awarded when we re-open*.

9. Timeline to be extended as needed!

And, don’t forget to share your photos and/or videos with us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts! Because if a challenge is done at home and no one is there to see it, does it really happen?

*Challenge REWARDS are for Edgeworks MEMBERS only!

Am I doing this right?

by: Joe Stangel

It’s a word you will hear all the time when you’re hanging out with climbers – beta.

The word comes from a long time ago; in a galaxy far, far away. It references a time when climbers used to film their climbs on beta max tapes. People would ask each other for the beta tape of certain climbs to figure out how they did the climb. Nowadays, the word is thrown around everyday by climbers big and small. What is beta? What’s the beta? What’s your beta? There is often a big difference between those questions. 

Beta is a shorthand way to reference the sequence of movements that someone used to climb their way through a route or problem. It can apply to an entire climb or even a single, specific move.  As route setters it’s our job to create sequences that appropriately challenge climbers of all skill levels. A 5.12 climber has a different bag of tricks and tools of the trade than the ones a 5.10 climber does. Experienced climbers know how to use body positioning to solve more complex sequences rather than just relying on pure strength. One of our goals as route setters is to teach these more complex sequences to less experienced climbers. By positioning and ordering hand and foot holds just right, it’s possible to lead people into unique and different body positions. This is often what is called the intended beta. Our objective is to make sure that the intended beta is appropriate for the grade and to be the easiest way to complete the climb. But, it may not be the simplest or most obvious way. For newer climbers this is where the beta is often ‘broken’. 

In a climbing gym, route setters have nearly complete control of what hand holds and foot holds a climber can use. Because of this we have more control of the consistency of grades, both in relation to climbs of the same grade and climbs of the grades directly above and below that one. This leads to situations you won’t see outdoors. The most obvious example of this is foot holds on easier climbs (think 5.5 to 5.10-). At Edgeworks, the feet on these climbs are often nearly as big as the hands, only less incut and positive. Often they are sloped or flat. The goal is for them to be not as nice to grab onto than the nice, positive jug right next to it. This is how we ‘force’ sequences on the lower grades. This is often also where people create the habit of grabbing whatever they can and muscling their way to the top. After a few months, hand strength increases and climbers start to feel more comfortable using smaller edges and crimps. Next, those climbs that ask for more technique to get to the top become a little easier to get, think 5.10- to 5.10+.

This is when grabbing and pulling isn’t always the easiest way to do a sequence.  This is where the route setters are trying to teach climbers the different capabilities of their bodies. This is where we are trying to lead you into doing something a little different. It might feel insecure or awkward or require you to do something you haven’t before, but it should feel ‘right’. It should also make you want to naturally move through the sequence. Once you are used to it, it should feel easy. Easier than grabbing on that tiny, sharp foot chip, stepping up and getting fully stretched out to grab then next good hold. Which oftentimes will put your hands out of sequence for the next move. So a clumsy hand match on an obviously single handed hold is required to keep moving. I don’t know about anyone else but that doesn’t sound like a fun climb to me. Just because you can reach something doesn’t mean you should. 

These types of situations are when we see the most complaints about a route or problem being reachy, awkward, hard for the grade or just bad. It’s tough to hear and deal with. Not because it’s a negative review of our work, but because there’s no easy way for us to address it. We can’t offer the beta. We can’t help or talk you through the difficulties. We can’t offer little tips or tricks. We can only set the challenge and then hope climbers will accept it and be open to learning new ways to work through the tough spots. 

Modern climbing isn’t about just getting to the top, it’s about the journey you take to get there. Route setters create a maze, a puzzle for your body and mind, and we are rooting for you to get to the other end.