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Cascadia

Cascadia

Welcome to the Cascadia page!

Here you can find information about the sport of climbing is as well as what Project Send It is working on in the NW Oregon/SW Washington area. We also have a list of local gyms and their youth offerings so you can easily find the closest gyms to you and get started.

What's going on in PSI Cascadia?

climbing3

Sendership Applications Open

As of September 2024, the Cascadia Senderships program is now open for applications! This means that if you are a kid in the Portland/Vancouver area, you are eligible to apply for a Sendership to cover the cost of a climbing class, team, event, or program. See the Senderships page for more information and to apply.

Fundraising Director

We are currently in search of a volunteer Fundraising Director. This person would be in charge of organizing fundraising events and campaigns for the Cascadia chapter. Please email Erin at [email protected] for more information. 

Social Media

Follow us on Instagram @psi_cascadia for more info on what’s going on in our chapter!

Q&A: Climbing Edition

What?

Rock climbing is a fast-developing sport, first introduced to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020. It includes bouldering, where walls tend to be around 15ft high with mats below to fall on, as well as sport climbing, where walls are much higher and climbers use ropes for safety. The challenge of climbing comes from the physical difficulty and mental puzzle of figuring out how to get to the top of the wall.

Who?

You! One of the great parts of climbing is that it’s open to all ages, abilities, and body types. We’ve known grandparents who still climb well into their 70’s, as well as toddlers so young they can climb better than they can walk. And you don’t have to know anything to start. (Really! You don’t!)

How?

We understand that going climbing for the first time can feel intimidating. Gathering some friends or family members to come with you on a weekend is a great way to try it out and explore. Check out each gym’s offerings below to find afterschool classes for kids, and keep in mind that most gyms offer Intro to Climbing classes for adults as well.

Where?

Climbing gyms are great places to build community, exercise, and have fun. Portland, Vancouver, and surrounding areas have quite a few. Scroll down to find the closest gym to you.

Why?

Climbing is an interesting sport in that it uses nearly every kind of muscle and energy system in some capacity. Endurance? Check. Cardio? Check. Strength? Check check. 

Aside from the physical benefits, climbing gyms provide a “third space” that isn’t home or school. Climbing allows kids to find community in addition to challenging themselves and gaining confidence through learning new skills. This sport can especially appeal to kids who haven’t found passion in typical team sports, because although it’s collaborative in nature, it’s individual in performance.

Local Gyms

Portland City

The Circuit NE

The Circuit NE is one of three Circuit locations in the Portland area and is located just off NE Sandy and 17th. It has a slightly separated kids’ area with a slide and top-out boulder in addition to a variety of bigger bouldering walls. It offers several after-school classes for kids of various ages as well as a recreational youth team.

Note that the Circuit does require reservations for all kids 12 and under between 9am and 4pm on all weekends and no-school days. You can make a reservation here.

Mini Monkeys: ages 5-6, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Short Circuits: ages 7-10, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Circuit Bouldering Club: ages 11-14, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

PROGRAM INFO LINK • REGISTRATION LINK

Recreational Team: ages 9-18, 2-hour practices, 2 days per week. Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

TEAM INFO LINK

The Circuit SW

The Circuit SW is one of three Circuit locations in the Portland area and is located off Macadam, just north of Willamette Park. It has a small kids’ area with a slide and top-out boulder in addition to a variety of bigger bouldering walls. It offers several after-school classes for kids of various ages as well as a competitive youth team.

Note that the Circuit does require reservations for all kids 12 and under between 9am and 4pm on all weekends and no-school days. You can make a reservation here.

Mini Monkeys: ages 5-6, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Short Circuits: ages 7-10, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Circuit Bouldering Club: ages 11-14, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

PROGRAM INFO LINKREGISTRATION LINK

Competitive Team: ages 9-18, 2.5-hour practices, 3 days per week. Tryouts by invitation only. Email [email protected] if you have previous competitive climbing experience and would like to try out.

TEAM INFO LINK

Movement Portland is the only PNW location of a nationwide chain of climbing gyms. Located in Northwest Portland/The Pearl, it has a small kids area at the back, as well as a variety of bouldering and rope climbing terrain. It offers several after-school programs and climbing teams for kids of various ages.

After School Programs ages 6-8: 1.5-hour classes, 8-week sessions

After School Programs ages 9-12: 1.5-hour classes, 8-week sessions

PROGRAM INFO LINK

All of Movement’s teams are open to kids ages 6-18.

Intro: 1 day/week, 2-hour practices

Intermediate: 2 days/week, 2-hour practices

Advanced: 2 days/week, 2.5-hour practices

Competitve (split into younger and older groups): 3 days/week, 2.5-hour practices

TEAM INFO LINK  •  TEAM APPLICATION LINK

Portland Rock Gym

The first climbing gym to open in Portland, this location of Portland Rock Gym is located in NE Portland, just north of Sandy and 12th. It has a separate room geared mainly towards youth and instruction, in addition to a variety of bouldering and rope climbing walls, and a cafe upstairs. It offers an afterschool club for new climbers, as well as several climbing teams for various ages and abilities.

Introductory Youth Club: ages 9-13, 1.5-hour classes once per week, 4-week sessions

Youth Belay Class: ages 9-13, single 3-hour class to teach belay skills

PROGRAM INFO LINK

Recreational: ages 9-18, 1-2 days/week, 1-hour practices

Development: ages 9-18, 4-6.5 hours per week

Competition: ages 9-18, 4-6.5 hours per week

TEAM INFO LINK

Skyhook is Portland’s newest bouldering gym, opened in August 2024 in the southwest corner of Ladd’s Addition. While this gym belongs to the same company as Skyhook Ninja in Tigard, Skyhook Bouldering is a dedicated climbing gym, with a variety of bouldering terrain and only a bit of parkour equipment. Skyhook offers a few options of youth classes and is in the beginning stages of building its climbing team.

Skyhook is not offering any youth programs at this time.

Skyhook does not currently have a climbing team. 

Vancouver

The Source

The Source is currently the only climbing gym in Vancouver, WA. Located on Main and 12th, the facility has a rope climbing area including autobelays up front, and a bouldering area towards the back. It also has a youth climbing area upstairs. The Source offers several levels of kids’ classes for intro climbers in addition to their youth teams.

Youth Intro Class: ages 6-12, single 1-hour class

Youth Classes: ages 6-14 (classes divided by age), 1-hour classes once per week, 4-week sessions; must take Youth Intro Class first

CLASS INFO LINK

 

The Source’s current climbing team season is 9/7/24-6/6/25. 

Recreational: ages 9-18, 1-2 days/week, 1.5-hour practices

Competition: ages 9-18, 2-3 days/week, 2-hour practices

TEAM INFO LINK

Gresham

Rock Haven

Rock Haven is a bouldering gym that opened in 2022 in Gresham, OR, just off Glisan and 223rd. The gym has an excellent kids area including a little playground wall with a slide, in addition to a variety of bigger bouldering walls. Rock Haven offers several options of youth class and climbing team, as well as discounts for homeschool students and field trip opportunities for schools.

Youth Bouldering Class: ages 5-12, 1-hour classes, both weekly and monthly sign-up options

CLASS INFO LINK

Recreational and Competition Teams: ages 8-18, 1.5-hour practices, 2 days per week; email [email protected] for more information and to register. 

TEAM INFO LINK

Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro

Portland Rock Gym Beaverton

Portland Rock Gym has two locations. The newer Beaverton gym is located in Peterkort Towne Square, just off Exit 68 of US 26. It has a large bouldering area with varied terrain. In addition, a rope climbing area including a speed wall is set to open in Fall 2024. PRG Beaverton’s youth offerings include several levels of climbing team. 
There are currently no youth classes or programs offered at PRG Beaverton aside from the teams.

Recreational: ages 9-18, 1-2 days/week, 1-hour practices

Development: ages 9-18, 4-6.5 hours per week

Competition: ages 9-18, 4-6.5 hours per week

Elite: ages 11-18, invite-only, 7.5+ hours per week

TEAM INFO LINK

The Circuit Tigard

The Circuit Tigard is one of three Circuit locations in the Portland area, and is located at Upper Boones Ferry and Durham. It has a large kids’ area with two slides and two top-out boulders, as well as a variety of bigger bouldering walls. It offers several after-school classes for kids of various ages in addition to a recreational youth team.

Note that the Circuit does require reservations for all kids 12 and under between 9am and 4pm on all weekends and no-school days. You can make a reservation here.

Mini Monkeys: ages 5-6, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Short Circuits: ages 7-10, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

Circuit Bouldering Club: ages 11-14, 1-hour classes, 6-week sessions

PROGRAM INFO LINKREGISTRATION LINK

Recreational Team: ages 9-18, 2-hour practices, 2 days per week. Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

TEAM INFO LINK

Stoneworks

Stoneworks is the second-oldest climbing gym in the Portland area, opened in 1993. The gym is in Beaverton, just off Hwy 217 and SW Denney. Its concrete walls make up a variety of boulder and rope terrain, and it does have autobelays. Stoneworks offers a youth team which is open to newer climbers as well as more experienced athletes.

Stoneworks does not currently offer any youth programs apart from the Climbing Team.

Recreational Team (grades 3-6): 1.5-hour practices, 2 days per week

Recreational Team (grades 7-12): 2-hour practices, 2 days per week

Comp Team (grades 6-12): 2-hour practices, 2 days per week

TEAM INFO LINK

Beyond the Wall

Beyond the Wall is a bouldering gym that opened in June 2024 in Hillsboro. The facility is located in Shute Park Plaza. In addition to their bigger bouldering walls, they have a smaller separate room with easier climbs meant for kids and intro climbers. Beyond the Wall offers several youth classes for various grade levels.

Rock Rascals: 1st-3rd graders, 1-hour classes once per week, 6-week sessions

Send Squad: 4th-6th graders, 1-hour classes once per week, 6-week sessions

Mountain Mavericks: 7th-8th graders, 1.5-hour classes once per week, 6-week sessions

CLUB INFO LINKREGISTRATION LINK

Beyond the Wall does not currently have a climbing team.