Pacific Pipe Climbing

Meet our newest Touchstone Athletes, Malcolm and Pierre Alcutt! They both come from 8+ years of indoor trampoline experience, which they say helps a ton for their general fitness base and body awareness. After years of bouncing and tumbling, the two brothers found a new challenge in climbing and a new community in their home gym, Diablo Rock. Climbing is just like a more grown-up version of what we were already doing, Pierre says. A self-identified boulderer, Malcolm oft...en runs out of projects in the cave & Kilter Board. I love how each climb is a puzzle to be solved both physically and mentally, he says, and how each climber’s strengths and weaknesses often allows them to unlock the same puzzle, but in different ways. While Pierre can often be found quietly scrolling through his Instagram feed (or respectfully avoiding yet another lap on your project), don’t let his modesty fool youhe’s got incredible determination and laser-like focus. But climbing is about more than sending the gnar for him: It’s the best excuse to be outside, discover a different view and perspective of nature, and spend time with my brother. On top of putting down big numbers in the gym, they’ve also both just recently done Ill Cave (V10) in Tahoeafter only 1.5 years of climbing. We can’t wait to see what they do next. Say hello to these crushers out at the rocks or in our gyms when they reopen! : Steve Babuljak

When we say climbing is for everyone, we are taking a stance. We are saying that we believe in everyone’s right to access to our sportand that we know we haven’t gotten there yet. Access is not about opening our doors and expecting people to walk through. It is about recognizing the barriers to entry and working to take them down. And there is no greater barrier than being denied your basic humanity. Black people in America can’t expect to feel safe jogging in their neig...hborhoods, buying candy from a corner store, holding cellphones in public, or even relaxing in their own homeshow could we expect them to feel safe rock climbing? To our Black community: We stand with you. We recognize our role in creating a more just society, starting with our gyms. We are reiterating our commitment to do better. We will continue to do the work within Touchstone to cultivate social equity at every level, from hiring practices to employee trainings and staff support. We will continue to work with organizations and support local leadership who fight for equity and access to rock climbing, both indoors and out, for all. We hope everyone in the Touchstone family feels empowered to speak out in this painful moment. It can be hard to know what you can do to fight systemic racism as an individual. It feels scary and impossible to change a system, but it CAN be changed. Here are ways that you (yes, YOU) can fight racism today: VOTE. Laws are made by lawmakers. You choose who those lawmakers are. https://registertovote.ca.gov/ Support Black-owned businesses https://bit.ly/supportBlackbizBayArea Support on-the-ground activist groups https://bit.ly/supportactivists

Sneak preview of tonight's sneak preview wall renderings AND a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Touchstone Climbing wall design so special? Yes please! Check out our Q&A with Lyn Barraza and Justin Alarcon on the blog

Don't forget: Our very first open house is happening TOMORROW No climbing, but even our (mostly) empty soon-to-be gym building is VERY impressive. Instructions for getting into the building are included in the event description, so peep the deets before rolling up unsure how to get in!

Don't forget: Our very first open house is happening TOMORROW No climbing, but even our (mostly) empty soon-to-be gym building is VERY impressive. Instructions for getting into the building are included in the event description, so peep the deets before rolling up unsure how to get in!

Happy Birthday and Nonprofit Status, The Brown Ascenders! This Outpost Digital Cinema video of their after hours fundraiser party at Great Western Power Company is like getting a big hug from the community. Thank you TBA!

Our wall renderings got us Can’t wait time start climbing on this beautiful Walltopia terrain! Did you know that our bouldering walls are on their way at this VERY MOMENT?? Keep following us for updates and news as it comes in!

PACIFIC PIPE UPDATE! We are SO VERY STOKED to share that Pacific Pipe is well on its way to becoming the climbing gym of our dreams. Check out the Touchstone Climbing blog for some wall renderings, interior shots, and more.

Touchstone Tips Outdoors: Clean Your Tick Marks Be sure to clean your tick marksand if we had our druthers, ALL tick marksbefore leaving a boulder, route, or area.

Touchstone Community Spotlight | Episode 4 Summer Winston is a professor, tiny house builder, and all-around powerhouse of a human being. After experiencing a true sense of belonging at the 2017 Color the Crag festival, Summer and co-founder Darrick Broudy created The Brown Ascenders, a climbing meetup group for POC superheroesthey’ve been meeting up all over the Bay and in Touchstone gyms ever since. Check out our spotlight video on them!

What another INCREDIBLE Woman Up Climbing Festival! Thank you to everyone who came out and made this year so very special. If you missed the events of 2019, check out our recap of this past weekend celebrating womxn in the rock climbing community and industry.