Fargo Climbing is approaching its first full year of opening in March, having built not only walls for exploring but a community as well. While there is no organized club for adults, it’s evident that the Fargo Climbing gym is home to people who love what they do.

The gym is open daily and offers organized events, as well as youth programming. Its founders, Chris Deal and Ben Williams, were active participants in the NDSU climbing club during their college years. They brought that sense of community and social interaction to the gym and its now loyal climbers when they opened Fargo Climbing.

There are a variety of opportunities for kids to get involved at the gym, check it out!

Climbing 101

Offered every month, kids can join this four-week intro class held Mondays and Thursdays from 7 to 7:45 p.m. For ages 4 years old to 13 years old.

Kid’s Club

On Monday or Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m., children of all ages can head to the gym for an hour of instruction, followed by an optional open gym to continue practicing those skills gained. This club is open to kids of all abilities and gives the children the opportunity to take part in competitions!

Kid’s Intro Climbing Series

This class is held Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m.!

Youth Team

Held every month on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., kids of all ages can participate in the youth team. Working with children of all abilities, this beginner-focused class will have in-depth instruction for kids to learn and grow in their skills.

And more! Make sure you keep an eye on their website and social media to see what youth programs will be coming up. Learn more at fargoclimbing.com/youth.

Local youth take part in classes and competitions through Fargo Climbing’s organized club, but adults can also participate in climbing competitions.

There are climbing competitions held throughout the year locally and regionally, like in Grand Forks and the Twin Cities areas, as well as at NDSU and at Fargo Climbing. They hosted a competition at their gym last October and they plan on hosting another competition this year, so watch for updates on their Facebook and Instagram!

Here’s How It Works:

Competitive climbing is a lot like competitive swimming, an individual sport in terms of scoring and “races” or “problems,” but with an added sense of team.

At a competition, there are a series of “problems” that climbers can solve (or, a series of different climbs on the walls). As the number grows, so does the difficulty. For example, climb number 1 will be easier than climb number 30.

In a dedicated chunk of time, you will try to get your best score for the climbs that you do. There are a variety of different things that make climbs more difficult, but there are divisions for climbers who have never climbed before as well as divisions for the most experienced.

Your score is dependent on which climbs you do, how long it takes you to do them and how many “moves” you made during the climb. A move is when you go from each handhold/foothold to the other.

You do not have to be part of an organized team to participate in a competition! Oftentimes, people who go to the same gym will attend competitions together. From local competitions all the way to Nebraska, you can find a series of climbers sporting the classic Fargo Climbing shirts.

Right now, there are around 100 members in a Snapchat group for the Fargo Climbing gym, started by the owners’ good friend who has been with the gym (and climbing with them) since the beginning. They use that group chat to communicate meet-ups at not just Fargo Climbing, but all around town like at the NDSU climbing wall and even some home walls.

Because the Snapchat group has grown exponentially, and because there is a limit on how many users can be in one group on the app, Chris said they are looking to move the club to a different platform. This will allow easy access to anyone interested in the opportunity to join the community, learn more about climbing or just meet people.

Chris said that they are looking at starting the page on Facebook or possibly Discord. What truly makes the “club” is the friendly socialization within it. Outside of organizing times to climb together, the members have talked about wanting to plan board game nights, movie nights and even snowshoeing or cross-country skiing meet-ups.

Although it will be one year open in March, the unofficial climbing club of the FM area is just beginning its journey of turning a growing sport into an adventurous community. If you’re interested in anything climbing, head to fargoclimbing.com or on Facebook and Instagram at @FargoClimbing!

2325 46th St S, Fargo

Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sun 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.