Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro couple is working to ensure there is a new way for residents to stay active and have fun, regardless of skill level.
Korey and Eric South are currently laying the groundwork to bring a dedicated climbing gym to town. While the project is still in its early stages, the couple is actively seeking to gauge community interest to prove a facility like this can thrive in Northeast Arkansas.
“Well, for me, it’s a bit of an obsession. I started climbing a little over a year ago, and it was just like instantly in love for me,” Eric said. “I find exercises that aren’t very engaging pretty difficult, and for me, climbing… just hits everything right. It allows me to work out, be engaged, and solve problems.”
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Eric noted that current local climbing options are mostly limited to the Earl Bell Community Center, leaving climbers to travel to Memphis or Little Rock for larger facilities.
Currently, the Souths are focusing on community feedback before finalizing a business plan or securing commercial real estate. However, the vision for the space is already taking shape. The goal is to create an inclusive environment where individuals of all ages and skill levels can experience the sport of climbing.
Eric said he envisions the facility focusing strictly on bouldering, alongside a “small climbing cave for smaller visitors” and fun kids’ climbing walls.
According to a blog from Climb on the Rocks breaking down the different styles of climbing, “Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is stripped down to its raw essentials and differs significantly from top rope climbing. With no ropes or harnesses, boulderers climb shorter routes, known as “problems,” typically less than 20 feet tall, with the focus on individual moves or sequences of moves.”
According to the blog, bouldering requires minimal equipment, essentially climbing shoes, chalk, and a crash pad. Whereas top rope climbing, where a climber is attached to a rope from an anchor at the top of the route, requires more endurance, simple bouldering focuses more on the complexity and physicality of the moves themselves.
“As far as actual top rope, I’d rather not in part, because I feel like it’s a little less approachable and just an additional expense that’s harder to justify,” South said, explaining that bouldering space can serve more people per square foot.
To ensure beginners feel at home, the gym will focus heavily on an onboarding process where staff show newcomers around and spend one-on-one time making sure they are comfortable.
“It’s not necessarily that we’re looking to bring all of the climbers here to our gym,” Eric explained. “It’s that a big part of it is going to be creating those climbers, right?”
Since launching a Facebook page and online survey earlier this week, the couple has already seen strong interest, particularly from local mothers and families looking for an engaging “third space.”
Eric said he believes the timing is right, citing year-over-year growth in bouldering across America and noting that local facilities like Earl Bell can quickly become crowded.
If community support is strong enough, Eric said the next milestone is to begin working with a commercial realtor to find a suitable space. From there, a total build and planning process would take roughly 12 to 14 months.
“The more people that fill out the survey and are able to provide us data that helps in the future, secure a loan… that’s going to be the best way as well as just sharing our page,” South said.
Those interested in supporting the initiative and staying updated on the gym’s progress can visit the gym’s Facebook page and complete the interest survey.
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