The sport of bouldering requires balance, strength, finesse, and a commitment to problem solving – qualities that could just as aptly apply to the mission of the Kalispell Boulder Project as they do to rock climbing.
The nonprofit organization debuted its bouldering park April 22 in the center of town, at Kalispell’s Lawrence Park, where climbers young and not so young convened to ascend various features etched into the newly installed pair of artificial boulders, smearing and stemming and crimping their way up the craggy routes that are now a permanent outdoor fixture here.
“I wish we had rock like this in the backcountry,” seasoned climber Jack Beard said, referring to how the synthetic boulders contrast with the natural sedimentary rock in the region. “This is sweet.”
Bouldering is a form of climbing that is performed without the use of ropes or harnesses. It can be done without any equipment, but many climbers use special climbing shoes to help secure footholds.
The concept of bouldering parks is growing in popularity in Montana and across western states, and artificial features designed to mirror a region’s natural rock formations have cropped up in Bozeman, Helena and Great Falls, adding a fun and aesthetically pleasing element to the landscape.
Kalispell’s new park was spearheaded by a group of Flathead Valley climbers who bandied around the idea of a bouldering park over beers, then mustered the resolve to make their dream a reality.
The climbers began mounting community support two years ago through a series of fundraising events in the Flathead Valley, and it wasn’t long before their fundraising goal became attainable.
Jandy Cox, the project’s founder, said he was amazed by the level of community support every step of the way, particularly as business owners, philanthropists, community organizations, and nonprofits turned out to raise more than $100,000 to complete the park.
Others donated their time and effort, which was on full display during last week’s installation of the boulders, when the site construction, design, materials, and crane operations were all contributed free of charge.
“The community has rallied behind this since day one, and there are so many examples of how this has just come together so fantastically,” Cox said.
Through the Kalispell Community Foundation, the Kalispell Boulder Project established a fund in January 2015 and worked with the Kalispell Parks and Recreation Department to secure the real estate at Lawrence Park. The city, which was supportive from the outset, will now assume responsibility for the park.
The Daybreak Rotary Club offered to put up a $20,000 matching grant, which gave the project an enormous boost, while scores of local businesses and individuals also helped out.
Another funding boost came through a $25,000 donation from Flathead Valley philanthropist Michael Goguen, effectively completing the project’s fundraising endeavor.
“We are ecstatic,” Cox said of the grassroots effort bringing the park to fruition.
The new boulders bear lichen-stained patterns and fern-and-fossil impressions, which are designed to ape the Precambrian geologic period, while offering both natural looking features for hand and footholds, as well as bolted grips that are colored to indicate a specific route.
“The natural features are designed by climbers, for climbing,” Cox said. “There’s something for everybody. There is desperately hard stuff that I’ll never have a chance of getting up anymore, and there’s more simple routes.”
Climbers of all ability levels flocked to the bouldering park over the weekend, which Cox said was no surprise. His own two sons, Fynn and Gus, came directly to the park after school, plying the different routes, challenging one another and attempting to circumnavigate the boulders.
“It’s just like bees to a hive,” Cox said, grinning.
Experienced local climbers said they could now tap into the fun and fitness of daily climbing without having to drive the distance to an outdoor climbing area, or pay admission to a climbing gym. One of the nearest, most popular climbing areas is near Kila, and while the Stone Hill Climbing Area along Lake Koocanusa affords the best climbing, it requires a longer drive.
The boulders at Lawrence Park, therefore, are a welcome alternative.
“We live just a five-minute bike ride away,” said Steve Normile, a climber whose 4-year-old son, Kieran, was scaling the boulders with aplomb. “This has been needed for a long time.”
Cliff Thorsen is an avid climber and caver, and said his two boys have begun to try sport climbing indoors at the Summit Medical Fitness Center in Kalispell, but haven’t climbed any roped routes outside.
“This is the perfect transition, where they get the outdoor feel and still have the comfort and the grips of a climbing gym,” Thorsen said.
Leah Crout, of Lakeside, has never tried rock climbing, but she couldn’t resist the accessibility of the bouldering park last week, and declared her intention to take up the sport from atop one of the boulders.
“I have no idea how to do this, but I want to learn,” she said.
Kalispell Parks and Recreation Superintendent Fred Bicha stopped by to admire the progress of the park, and to watch climbers whose ages spanned four decades enjoy the new boulders.
“I love this. You’ve got the big kids on it and you’ve got the little kids on it,” Bicha said. “It’s such a great gift to the community.”