Touchstone Blog Archive
Sunday, November 20, 2011
TBS 7 Videos
The Touchstone bouldering series comps have been blowing up California. The great climbing, the awesome atmosphere, and the guarantee fun has made the seventh year of the Touchstone Bouldering Series one of the best. A series of videos have been made of the comps. Here's two of the latest and greatest comps.
A little Ironworks action:
More from MetalMark
The next bouldering comp will be December 9th at Mission Cliffs. Get pysched!
A little Ironworks action:
More from MetalMark
The next bouldering comp will be December 9th at Mission Cliffs. Get pysched!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, MetalMark, TBS 7
¶ Sunday, November 20, 2011 0 Comments
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Comp Season in Full Swing
The Touchstone Bouldering Series is in it's 7th year and the comps have been getting better and better. The recent Ironworks comp had a record number of competitors with 469 scorecards and at least 500 competitors.
There was a mantel competition won by the youngest competitor, Bella. Nesquik came out to provide all the climbers with chocolate milk. Pyramid Brewery provided the climbers with great beer.
Ironworks had over a hundred pizzas for all the hungry climbers and Akiva sold his amazing ice cream sandwiches.
Needless to say the Ironworks comp was amazing!
Earlier this summer, there was a ton of spray from the Pipeworks comp. The hot August weather didn't detour the 250 competitors and the antics were high.
Pipeworks staff member, Diane Ortega came up with a great end of the comp game. A dozen climbers were given 4 ounces of soda and a tab of Alka Selzer. They had to hold both in their mouth without swallowing. Needless to say there was a lot of spray coming out of people's mouths. Local boy Matt Amicucci took the prize for that section of the comp.
At every comp, the setters work hard to put up new and awesome boulder problems and routes. This year was no different. The setters put up a great selection of climbs at all the gyms.
Diablo Rock Gym will be hosting the next comp on October 21. DRG Manager Hans Florine, a long time competitive rock climber, will definitely make their comp one of the best.
The final comp will be at Touchstone's newest gym The Studio in San Jose on January 7th. Get pysched for another round of great climbing competitions!
To see more comp photos check out the Ironworks Flickr page
There was a mantel competition won by the youngest competitor, Bella. Nesquik came out to provide all the climbers with chocolate milk. Pyramid Brewery provided the climbers with great beer.
Ironworks had over a hundred pizzas for all the hungry climbers and Akiva sold his amazing ice cream sandwiches.
Needless to say the Ironworks comp was amazing!
Earlier this summer, there was a ton of spray from the Pipeworks comp. The hot August weather didn't detour the 250 competitors and the antics were high.
Pipeworks staff member, Diane Ortega came up with a great end of the comp game. A dozen climbers were given 4 ounces of soda and a tab of Alka Selzer. They had to hold both in their mouth without swallowing. Needless to say there was a lot of spray coming out of people's mouths. Local boy Matt Amicucci took the prize for that section of the comp.
At every comp, the setters work hard to put up new and awesome boulder problems and routes. This year was no different. The setters put up a great selection of climbs at all the gyms.
Diablo Rock Gym will be hosting the next comp on October 21. DRG Manager Hans Florine, a long time competitive rock climber, will definitely make their comp one of the best.
The final comp will be at Touchstone's newest gym The Studio in San Jose on January 7th. Get pysched for another round of great climbing competitions!
To see more comp photos check out the Ironworks Flickr page
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Sacramento Pipeworks, TBS 7
¶ Tuesday, September 27, 2011 0 Comments
Monday, September 19, 2011
Ironworks Comp this Friday
This week is Touchstone Bouldering Series comp time at Berkeley Ironworks. The setters will be taking down the old problems Tuesday evening and readying the walls for the hundreds of climbers who will be heading to Berkeley on Friday night.
Last year's comp at Ironworks marked Touchstone's 10th anniversary. This year the festival will be even better with tons of new boulder problems, lots of great beer and food.
For those that want to check out a little bit about Training for Climbing Competitions- take a look at this article. Here's a cool visualization exercise that Mike Doyle, the head coach of the Canadian Youth Climbing Team, uses.
Stop by 800 Potter Street on Friday evening and check out the festivities!
Last year's comp at Ironworks marked Touchstone's 10th anniversary. This year the festival will be even better with tons of new boulder problems, lots of great beer and food.
For those that want to check out a little bit about Training for Climbing Competitions- take a look at this article. Here's a cool visualization exercise that Mike Doyle, the head coach of the Canadian Youth Climbing Team, uses.
Stop by 800 Potter Street on Friday evening and check out the festivities!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Climbing Competitions, TBS 7
¶ Monday, September 19, 2011 0 Comments
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Temporary Work at Ironworks
As part of a rewiring project at Ironworks, the treadmills and other cardio equipment will be down for part of the day on Wednesday and Thursday. The women's locker room will also be partially sealed off for workers to access electrical wiring. Some showers and the sauna, lockers, and bathrooms will all be available for use.
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, construction, rewiring project
¶ Tuesday, September 13, 2011 0 Comments
Monday, August 15, 2011
Profile of Paul Shain- Ironworks Member
Paul Shain, a long time Ironworks member, began climbing with his 12 year old daughter when he was 57 years old. Shain is now retired but works part time for a non-profit that teaches young people in Richmond television production. Twice a week, Shain heads out to the Berkeley Touchstone gym to climb and stay fit. He took a few moments to share his climbing experience with the blog.
My membership with Ironworks dates to the opening of facility (I was amongst the first few hundred who joined.) At the time, my main motivation was my 12-year old daughter Emily’s interest in climbing and my desire to spend quality time with her and reinforce her interest in physical activity. I was 57 years old. Our joint climbing experience was a special one and both we cherish those experiences. She’s now out of college and living in Chicago but a joint trip to Ironworks is a mandatory event every time she visits.
Twice a week we religiously took to the gym, sharing the challenge of the wall and the special closeness what ensued for our shared experience. We both fell in love with climbing. One lovely aspect of the experience was that she was a natural and I was a natural klutz. In the first year, she was doing 5-11’s and I was struggling (and I mean STRUGGLING) with 5-9s. It was particularly sweet to share an activity where my daughter was so clearly the leader at a time when she was entering her teen years. It was empowering for her to star and to be the one who mentored me in the gym. I, of course, loved it all.
Shain and his daughter
Over time, I began to learn a bit and became a respectable but not particularly advanced climber. Time passed, my daughter grew up, and went away to college. Although she was no longer around to partner with, by then I was hooked and continued to climb, introducing a friend to the sport and meeting regularly with him and with my niece to ensure that I got a couple of climbs in every week. I was now over 60 and the health benefits that climbing provided; flexibly, range of motion, strength, balance, and breath control had become the centerpiece of my exercise regimen.
Little did I know that climbing would literally save my life.
When I was 62 years old I began to experience symptoms of heart distress. Fortunately, I heeded the warning signs and after extensive testing, I underwent open-heart surgery for a quintuple heart bypass operation. My arteries looked like shredded spaghetti with a myriad of tiny capillaries that had developed in their place to keep my oxygen flowing. I am convinced that the years of rigorous exercise climbing fostered and nurtured those alternative capillaries and, in effect, saved my life.
Ten weeks after my surgery, I was back at Ironworks, rehabbing and continuing to grow as a climber. That was 6 ½ years ago.
I have just passed my 69th birthday and continue to climb twice a week. While my degree difficulty has remained pretty constant (making most 5-10 Cs and Ds with occasional hard earned 5-11s). What’s cool is that I continue to improve and am making many more climbs without stopping than I used to. My technique continues to improve and I’m as enthusiastic and energized by climbing as I was as a novice 11 years ago.
My membership with Ironworks dates to the opening of facility (I was amongst the first few hundred who joined.) At the time, my main motivation was my 12-year old daughter Emily’s interest in climbing and my desire to spend quality time with her and reinforce her interest in physical activity. I was 57 years old. Our joint climbing experience was a special one and both we cherish those experiences. She’s now out of college and living in Chicago but a joint trip to Ironworks is a mandatory event every time she visits.
Twice a week we religiously took to the gym, sharing the challenge of the wall and the special closeness what ensued for our shared experience. We both fell in love with climbing. One lovely aspect of the experience was that she was a natural and I was a natural klutz. In the first year, she was doing 5-11’s and I was struggling (and I mean STRUGGLING) with 5-9s. It was particularly sweet to share an activity where my daughter was so clearly the leader at a time when she was entering her teen years. It was empowering for her to star and to be the one who mentored me in the gym. I, of course, loved it all.
Shain and his daughter
Over time, I began to learn a bit and became a respectable but not particularly advanced climber. Time passed, my daughter grew up, and went away to college. Although she was no longer around to partner with, by then I was hooked and continued to climb, introducing a friend to the sport and meeting regularly with him and with my niece to ensure that I got a couple of climbs in every week. I was now over 60 and the health benefits that climbing provided; flexibly, range of motion, strength, balance, and breath control had become the centerpiece of my exercise regimen.
Little did I know that climbing would literally save my life.
When I was 62 years old I began to experience symptoms of heart distress. Fortunately, I heeded the warning signs and after extensive testing, I underwent open-heart surgery for a quintuple heart bypass operation. My arteries looked like shredded spaghetti with a myriad of tiny capillaries that had developed in their place to keep my oxygen flowing. I am convinced that the years of rigorous exercise climbing fostered and nurtured those alternative capillaries and, in effect, saved my life.
Ten weeks after my surgery, I was back at Ironworks, rehabbing and continuing to grow as a climber. That was 6 ½ years ago.
I have just passed my 69th birthday and continue to climb twice a week. While my degree difficulty has remained pretty constant (making most 5-10 Cs and Ds with occasional hard earned 5-11s). What’s cool is that I continue to improve and am making many more climbs without stopping than I used to. My technique continues to improve and I’m as enthusiastic and energized by climbing as I was as a novice 11 years ago.
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Ironworks member profile, Paul Shain
¶ Monday, August 15, 2011 0 Comments
Monday, June 27, 2011
Show Your Touchstone Pride
Touchstone is holding a great contest right now. Take the time to show some Touchstone pride- take a picture of you or your friends wearing some Touchstone logo-wear.
Touchstone at the top of Mount Shasta
Submit your photos to biwnesletter@gmail.com or post them on the Ironworks Facebook page by July 1st and your photo will be posted in a prime location in the gym AND you will win a FREE month of membership.
TRS in Canyonlands Utah
Get AWESOME with your Touchstone gear and take a pic with it. You've only got a few days left- Get Out There!
Touchstone at the top of Mount Shasta
Submit your photos to biwnesletter@gmail.com or post them on the Ironworks Facebook page by July 1st and your photo will be posted in a prime location in the gym AND you will win a FREE month of membership.
TRS in Canyonlands Utah
Get AWESOME with your Touchstone gear and take a pic with it. You've only got a few days left- Get Out There!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, free membership, Touchstone apparel
¶ Monday, June 27, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Berkeley Ironworks Comp Friday Night
This Friday, May 6th, Berkeley Ironworks will be kicking off another of its Touchstone Rope Series comps. The route setters established a ton of new climbs using holds that were bought just for the comp. From 5 pm to 10pm, climbers will be able to check out the new routes. There will be pizza from Extreme Pizza, Pyramid Brewery beer, comp shirts, booths from the Cookie Department, Mamie & Makhi Sweet Potato Pie,and Nesquick and there will even be a speed climbing competition! Stop by one of the raddest events in the San Francisco area Friday evening. Registration opens at 4:45 pm.
TRS 4 Berkeley Ironworks from Princess on Vimeo.
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, rope climbing comp, TRS 5
¶ Thursday, May 05, 2011 0 Comments
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
TRS Berkeley Ironworks Comp Date Changed
The Touchstone Rope Series Comp at Berkeley Ironworks recently changed to May 6th.
Justin Alarcon made this awesome video of the comp last year.
Get ready for the next comp at Diablo Rock Gym on April 15th. Get ready for some awesome routes!
Justin Alarcon made this awesome video of the comp last year.
TRS 4 Berkeley Ironworks from Princess on Vimeo.
Get ready for the next comp at Diablo Rock Gym on April 15th. Get ready for some awesome routes!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Justin Alarcon, TRS 5
¶ Tuesday, February 22, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, January 13, 2011
January Artist of The Month at BIW: Eric Ahnmark "Wonder of Rock"
An exhibit of fourteen photos depicting landscape photography across the United States, "Wonder of Rock: Images of the West" will be displayed on the walls of Berkeley Ironworks for the month of January. The exhibit is Eric Ahnmark's second showing at the gym.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Ahnmark became obsessed with the western United States taking many spring and summer trips to the desert southwest. Ahnmark spent two years working for the National Park Service in Tuscon, where his passion for the desert mixed with a new found desire to photograph. Ahnmark worked to capture the silhouettes of Saguaro cacti, the colors of the rock, and the beauty of the Grand Canyon State.
Stop by Berkeley Ironworks to see Ahnmark's wonderful pictures.
To see more of his work, check out Ahnmark's website.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Ahnmark became obsessed with the western United States taking many spring and summer trips to the desert southwest. Ahnmark spent two years working for the National Park Service in Tuscon, where his passion for the desert mixed with a new found desire to photograph. Ahnmark worked to capture the silhouettes of Saguaro cacti, the colors of the rock, and the beauty of the Grand Canyon State.
Stop by Berkeley Ironworks to see Ahnmark's wonderful pictures.
To see more of his work, check out Ahnmark's website.
Labels: Artist of the Month, Berkeley Ironworks, Eric Ahnmark
¶ Thursday, January 13, 2011 0 Comments
Monday, December 20, 2010
Holiday Hours
This week, the Touchstone Gyms will have different hours due to the holidays. Check out the schedule below for a list of class times and gym hours.
Even Santa needs to climb on Christmas! Get out there!
Berkeley Ironworks
Friday, December 24th: 6am to 6pm no classes
Saturday, December 25th: Weekend Hours no classes
Sunday, December 26th: Regular hours/classes
Friday, December 31st: 6am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 6am to 6pm No classes
Diablo Rock Gym
Friday, December 24th: 5:30 am to 6pm No classes
Saturday, December 25th: closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 5:30 am to 6pm No classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Sacramento Pipeworks
Friday, December 24th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Mission Cliffs
Friday, December 24th: 6:30 to 7pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 7pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 6:30am to 7 pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 7pm No Classes
Great Western Power Company
Friday, December 24th: 10 am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 10am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 10am to 6pm Crossfit at 5pm
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 10am to 6pm Crossfit at 10am
Even Santa needs to climb on Christmas! Get out there!
Berkeley Ironworks
Friday, December 24th: 6am to 6pm no classes
Saturday, December 25th: Weekend Hours no classes
Sunday, December 26th: Regular hours/classes
Friday, December 31st: 6am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 6am to 6pm No classes
Diablo Rock Gym
Friday, December 24th: 5:30 am to 6pm No classes
Saturday, December 25th: closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 5:30 am to 6pm No classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Sacramento Pipeworks
Friday, December 24th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 6pm No Classes
Mission Cliffs
Friday, December 24th: 6:30 to 7pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 9am to 7pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 6:30am to 7 pm No Classes
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 9am to 7pm No Classes
Great Western Power Company
Friday, December 24th: 10 am to 6pm No Classes
Saturday, December 25th: Closed
Sunday, December 26th: 10am to 6pm No Classes
Friday, December 31st: 10am to 6pm Crossfit at 5pm
Saturday, January 1st: Closed
Sunday, January 2nd: 10am to 6pm Crossfit at 10am
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Diablo Rock Gym, Great Western Power Co., Holiday Hours, mission cliffs, Sacramento Pipeworks
¶ Monday, December 20, 2010 0 Comments
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday Night Cardio Boxing at BIW
Have you ever considered balancing out your cycling/running workouts with some nice upper body work? Have you considered starting your weekend right with a nice Friday evening workout? Cardio boxing on Friday nights just might be for you!
Fridays at 7:45 pm, Pat Ross will lead you through the training workouts that she learned during her stint as a professional boxer. The boxing workouts are fabulous. “It’s like taking your upper body for a run,” said Ross's former trainer
C’mon down for the superb workout minus the broken noses! -The only things we punch (hard) are the bags, the air (shadow boxing), and the mitts. Head on down and join Pat Ross for some excellent get in shape training!
Fridays at 7:45 pm, Pat Ross will lead you through the training workouts that she learned during her stint as a professional boxer. The boxing workouts are fabulous. “It’s like taking your upper body for a run,” said Ross's former trainer
C’mon down for the superb workout minus the broken noses! -The only things we punch (hard) are the bags, the air (shadow boxing), and the mitts. Head on down and join Pat Ross for some excellent get in shape training!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Cardio Boxing, Pat Ross
¶ Sunday, December 12, 2010 0 Comments
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving Hours
Touchstone climbing gyms will be observing Thanksgiving this year and many of the gyms will have different hours. Below is a list of the changes. Hope everyone gets out and has a great long weekend! Remember to eat ham!
Mission Cliffs
Wednesday, November 24th 6:30am-7pm No classes
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 6:30am-10pm No Classes
Classes resume on Monday, Nov. 29th.
Great Western Power Company
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 26th - 10am-6pm, No Classes.
Pipeworks
Wednesday, November 24th - 9am-6pm, No Classes
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 9am-6pm No Classes
Diablo Rock Gym
Wednesday, November 24th - 5:30 - 8pm, No evening classes except Yoga at 6:30 pm
Thursday, November 25th, Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 25th 5:30am-10pm, no 6am class
Berkeley Ironworks
Wednesday, November 24th - 6am-6pm, No classes except for spinning
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 9am-6pm, No Classes except for belay classes and spinning
Mission Cliffs
Wednesday, November 24th 6:30am-7pm No classes
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 6:30am-10pm No Classes
Classes resume on Monday, Nov. 29th.
Great Western Power Company
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 26th - 10am-6pm, No Classes.
Pipeworks
Wednesday, November 24th - 9am-6pm, No Classes
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 9am-6pm No Classes
Diablo Rock Gym
Wednesday, November 24th - 5:30 - 8pm, No evening classes except Yoga at 6:30 pm
Thursday, November 25th, Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 25th 5:30am-10pm, no 6am class
Berkeley Ironworks
Wednesday, November 24th - 6am-6pm, No classes except for spinning
Thursday, November 25th - Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 26th - 9am-6pm, No Classes except for belay classes and spinning
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, mission cliffs, Thanksgiving
¶ Monday, November 22, 2010 0 Comments
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Kids, Cupcakes, and Climbing
On Thursday evening, Berkeley Ironworks will be flooded with cupcakes, cookies, and brownies. Ironworks climbers are having a bake sale with the proceeds are going to Learning for Life, a non-profit national organization that helps urban area kids in places like Oakland with after school activities.
Students at the May 2009 Energy Fair
On December 3, Maria Schriver will be taking 30 Learning for life kids to Berkeley Ironworks. Schriver, who has worked for Learning for Life for 2 ½ years, teaches science lessons focusing on energy and the environment with Sebastien Lounis, another Touchstone climber. Schriver talked about why they wanted to take the student climbing. Schriver stated, “They can be successful and see themselves improving and accomplishing something. They can work at their own pace, but be encouraged by other kids. They can find a reason to be committed to lifelong fitness.”
The students checking out posters at the fair.
On the day of the field trip, Schriver, Jose Gutierrez, and two other Touchstone members will be helping belay the kids.
This is a great opportunity to eat some excellent baked goods, rock climb, and support a great cause. Stop by the bake sale on Thursday night and kids get into the gym.
If you can't make the bake sale you can still donate to the program by writing a check to "SFBAC Learning for Life" and mailing it to Kate Wollner at Horace Mann Elementary School, 5222 Ygnacio Ave, Oakland CA 94601 contact Kate.Wollner@gmail.com for more details.
Students at the May 2009 Energy Fair
On December 3, Maria Schriver will be taking 30 Learning for life kids to Berkeley Ironworks. Schriver, who has worked for Learning for Life for 2 ½ years, teaches science lessons focusing on energy and the environment with Sebastien Lounis, another Touchstone climber. Schriver talked about why they wanted to take the student climbing. Schriver stated, “They can be successful and see themselves improving and accomplishing something. They can work at their own pace, but be encouraged by other kids. They can find a reason to be committed to lifelong fitness.”
The students checking out posters at the fair.
On the day of the field trip, Schriver, Jose Gutierrez, and two other Touchstone members will be helping belay the kids.
This is a great opportunity to eat some excellent baked goods, rock climb, and support a great cause. Stop by the bake sale on Thursday night and kids get into the gym.
If you can't make the bake sale you can still donate to the program by writing a check to "SFBAC Learning for Life" and mailing it to Kate Wollner at Horace Mann Elementary School, 5222 Ygnacio Ave, Oakland CA 94601 contact Kate.Wollner@gmail.com for more details.
Labels: bake sale, Berkeley Ironworks, Learning for Life
¶ Tuesday, November 16, 2010 0 Comments
Monday, October 11, 2010
Join The Ironworks Crew
Touchstone Climbing is one of the best companies in the bay area to work for. The company has awesome management, a great company mission, and the company's climbing and fitness focus is unbelievablly fun. Right now, there is an opportunity for qualified individuals to join Touchstone.
Berkeley Ironworks is looking for a dependable, hard-working and self motivated individual to fill a full-time (32-40 hours per week) front desk position. The ideal candidate will have a flexible schedule, who is able to work mornings, evenings and weekends. A friendly demeanor, great customer service and basic climbing experience are a must.
Interested candidates should send an application, a cover letter and resume with references to Berkeley Ironworks manager Lyn Verinsky- lyn@touchstoneclimbing.com
Berkeley Ironworks is looking for a dependable, hard-working and self motivated individual to fill a full-time (32-40 hours per week) front desk position. The ideal candidate will have a flexible schedule, who is able to work mornings, evenings and weekends. A friendly demeanor, great customer service and basic climbing experience are a must.
Interested candidates should send an application, a cover letter and resume with references to Berkeley Ironworks manager Lyn Verinsky- lyn@touchstoneclimbing.com
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Lyn Verinsky
¶ Monday, October 11, 2010 0 Comments
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Touchstone Bouldering Series 6: Iron Works Video
Check out the sweet video that was made during the first Touchstone bouldering comp of the season and get pysched for the next of the Touchstone Bouldering Series comps at Sacramento Pipeworks on September 17th.
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Sacramento Pipeworks, TBS 6
¶ Thursday, September 09, 2010 0 Comments
Friday, September 3, 2010
Labor Day Hours
Touchstone Gyms will be open for Labor Day, September 6th, but many of the gyms will be on weekend hours. There will be no fitness classes on Monday. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday.
Berkeley Ironworks: 9am to 8 pm
Great Western Power Company: 10 am to 6 pm
Diablo Rock Gym: 9 am to 6 pm
Mission Cliffs: 9 am to 7 pm
Sacramento Pipeworks 9 am to 6 pm
Have a great long weekend!
Berkeley Ironworks: 9am to 8 pm
Great Western Power Company: 10 am to 6 pm
Diablo Rock Gym: 9 am to 6 pm
Mission Cliffs: 9 am to 7 pm
Sacramento Pipeworks 9 am to 6 pm
Have a great long weekend!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Great Western Power Co., Labor Day
¶ Friday, September 03, 2010 0 Comments
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Raffle at Touchstone Anniversary Party
This Saturday, August 28, Berkeley Ironworks will be holding the first of the Touchstone Bouldering Series 6 Comps. In addition to celebrating Ironworks 10th year anniversary, Touchstone will be celebrating its 15th. There will be an awesome anniversary party held at Ironworks during the comp with live music, food, and a great opportunity to crush new problems from 11-5 pm.
There will be a huge raffle with a ton of great prizes. Tickets will be $1 and all proceeds will go to the Access Fund. It will be a perfect opportunity to win a $150 5.10 gift certificate, a Mammut Rope, Scarpa Shoes, Moon Packs, a pair of Evolve Shoes, a Black Diamond Satellite Pad, a Black Diamond Chalkpot, a number of great Mountain Hardwear products, and Access Fund water bottles.
Additionally, every raffle prize will come with either a Tuolumne Bouldering guide or the Bay Area Top Rope guide (until we are out of them).
Come out on Saturday for a great chance to win a number of prizes, help support the Access Fund, and hang out at Touchstone's Anniversary party and climbing comp!
There will be a huge raffle with a ton of great prizes. Tickets will be $1 and all proceeds will go to the Access Fund. It will be a perfect opportunity to win a $150 5.10 gift certificate, a Mammut Rope, Scarpa Shoes, Moon Packs, a pair of Evolve Shoes, a Black Diamond Satellite Pad, a Black Diamond Chalkpot, a number of great Mountain Hardwear products, and Access Fund water bottles.
Additionally, every raffle prize will come with either a Tuolumne Bouldering guide or the Bay Area Top Rope guide (until we are out of them).
Come out on Saturday for a great chance to win a number of prizes, help support the Access Fund, and hang out at Touchstone's Anniversary party and climbing comp!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, TBS 6, Touchstone Anniversary
¶ Thursday, August 26, 2010 0 Comments
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Nigerian Brothers Playing at Touchstone Comp and Anniversary Party!
This Saturday, August 28, the Nigerian Brothers will be playing during the first of the Touchstone Bouldering Series Comps.
The Nigerian brothers, led by Nigerian master musician, Ken Okulolo, have deep roots in African folk and highlife music. Their beats will be played from noon to three pm and will be a great background for the people who want to crank during the first of the Touchstone Bouldering Series comps.
While the beats are being played, food and refreshments will be served as the comp marks the 10th anniversary of Berkeley Ironworks and Touchstone's 15th. There will be all kinds of great food supplied by Andy & Cindy's Thai. Not only will there be free samples of great bars like Kind Bars, and Clif Bar but Guyaki Organic Yerba Mate, and Bear Naked Granola will be providing food as well. For vegan athletes, and those who want a gluten free option, there will be food for them as well. For those that don't like any of those terrific options, there will be a lot of BIRTHDAY CAKE!
The standard seventy problems will be set by the Touchstone team of route setters. There will be approximately: 10 V0's, 10 V1's, 10 V2's, 10 V3's, 10 V4's, 8 V5's, 6 V6's, 4 V7's, 3 V8's, 2 V9's 1 V10, 1 V11 as well as an onsight final with three problems for the top five men and women. For those who want some great beta on how to prepare better for a comp, check out Natasha Barnes' comments in a brief interview with the Touchstone Blog.
Come by from 11-5 pm to check out the comp and then see the onsight final at the end. Also there will be a rad raffle with a number of great prizes and all proceeds going to the Access Fund. A list of the prizes is coming soon.
Stop by Ironworks for Touchstones amazing anniversary party!
The Nigerian brothers, led by Nigerian master musician, Ken Okulolo, have deep roots in African folk and highlife music. Their beats will be played from noon to three pm and will be a great background for the people who want to crank during the first of the Touchstone Bouldering Series comps.
While the beats are being played, food and refreshments will be served as the comp marks the 10th anniversary of Berkeley Ironworks and Touchstone's 15th. There will be all kinds of great food supplied by Andy & Cindy's Thai. Not only will there be free samples of great bars like Kind Bars, and Clif Bar but Guyaki Organic Yerba Mate, and Bear Naked Granola will be providing food as well. For vegan athletes, and those who want a gluten free option, there will be food for them as well. For those that don't like any of those terrific options, there will be a lot of BIRTHDAY CAKE!
The standard seventy problems will be set by the Touchstone team of route setters. There will be approximately: 10 V0's, 10 V1's, 10 V2's, 10 V3's, 10 V4's, 8 V5's, 6 V6's, 4 V7's, 3 V8's, 2 V9's 1 V10, 1 V11 as well as an onsight final with three problems for the top five men and women. For those who want some great beta on how to prepare better for a comp, check out Natasha Barnes' comments in a brief interview with the Touchstone Blog.
Come by from 11-5 pm to check out the comp and then see the onsight final at the end. Also there will be a rad raffle with a number of great prizes and all proceeds going to the Access Fund. A list of the prizes is coming soon.
Stop by Ironworks for Touchstones amazing anniversary party!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Nigerian Brothers, TBS 6
¶ Thursday, August 19, 2010 0 Comments
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Touchstone 15h Anniversary and Bouldering Comp
Touchstone Climbing will once again be hosting the Touchstone Bouldering Series this fall. This season, we will kick off the series with a special Saturday comp at Berkeley Ironworks to celebrate the gym's 10th anniversary, as well as Touchstone's 15th. The Ironworks comp/party will be from 11-5 this Saturday the 28st of August.
Andy & Cindy's Thai will be providing the food. There will be a ton of curries, chicken skewers, etc. There will be vegan and gluten free food for the vegan athletes who want to stay fueled and still crush. Kind Bars, Guyaki Organic Yerba Mate, Bear Naked Granola, Clif Bar and more will be there giving out free samples. A raffle will be held with all of the proceeds from the $1 tickets going to the Access Fund. With great prizes from Mt. Hardwear and Touchstone, the raffle will be awesome. There will be an onsight final with the top 5 competitors from the men's and women's advanced categories receiving CASH PRIZES!
These comps are FREE for Touchstone Members
You can see pictures from the previous TBS season now in our online photo gallery.
Andy & Cindy's Thai will be providing the food. There will be a ton of curries, chicken skewers, etc. There will be vegan and gluten free food for the vegan athletes who want to stay fueled and still crush. Kind Bars, Guyaki Organic Yerba Mate, Bear Naked Granola, Clif Bar and more will be there giving out free samples. A raffle will be held with all of the proceeds from the $1 tickets going to the Access Fund. With great prizes from Mt. Hardwear and Touchstone, the raffle will be awesome. There will be an onsight final with the top 5 competitors from the men's and women's advanced categories receiving CASH PRIZES!
These comps are FREE for Touchstone Members
You can see pictures from the previous TBS season now in our online photo gallery.
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Mountain Hardwear, TBS 6
¶ Tuesday, August 17, 2010 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Kick off To Comp Season: The UBC with Natasha Barnes
On Tuesday, August 3rd, Berkeley Ironworks will be projecting the Unified Bouldering Championships on the big screen. The live show, which will be streaming from the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, will feature some of the best competition boulderers in the United States. Natasha Barnes, a San Francisco Mission local and Touchstone crusher, will be heading out to Salt Lake to compete. She'll be up against other professional climbers like Lisa Rands, Alex Puccio, and Angie Payne. She had a few tips about comp climbing- something to keep in mind for Touchstone's Bouldering Series 6 that will be coming to Ironworks on August 28th.
How do you prepare for competition climbing?
Usually a a month or two ahead I try to work on power endurance by doing as many problems as I can at my onsight level and repeating them. For example, I will go around the gym and do all the V5's-V6's and some of the V7's twice each until I've done all of them with very little rest in between. Basically I try to do a lot of climbing for the first few weeks. A few weeks before the competition I will start trying to onsight/redpoint the harder climbs at the gym especially those on the steeper walls. Once I've redpointed those I try to repeat them each time I come in to train. I also incorporate some supplemental training like hangboard, gymnastic rings, running, some specific weightlifting exercises (rotator cuff exercises etc. for injury prevention).
Natasha climbing at GWPC during one of the TBS comps.
What do you do for mental preparation- as far as pressure, crowds, and other distractions?
I've been doing comps for so long that I've become used to all of those things. I actually really enjoy the pressure to perform and the energy of the crowd. It isn't a distraction for me. I can remember at one of the last OR comps the announcer said over the loudspeaker something like 'If Alex Puccio doesn't onsight this problem, Alex Johnson wins!' and at some other comp something similar was said about Daniel Woods and Sean McColl. THAT would be distracting to know that one slip or one mistake will cost you the whole comp. That might be too much pressure. I don't think it's fair for the announcer to say something like that.
Natasha cranking down on plastic at a comp
What's the most important part to climb well at a comp?
Not worrying about how other people are climbing and to just do the best you can. It's really all you can do. Also, HAVE FUN! If you're not having fun then you're missing the point.
Watch Natasha keep at 3:30 live on the big screen at Berkeley Ironworks then get pysched and come compete at the TOuchstone Bouldering Series later in the month. It's gonna be awesome!
UBC Pro Tour: OFFICIAL TRAILER from NE2C on Vimeo.
How do you prepare for competition climbing?
Usually a a month or two ahead I try to work on power endurance by doing as many problems as I can at my onsight level and repeating them. For example, I will go around the gym and do all the V5's-V6's and some of the V7's twice each until I've done all of them with very little rest in between. Basically I try to do a lot of climbing for the first few weeks. A few weeks before the competition I will start trying to onsight/redpoint the harder climbs at the gym especially those on the steeper walls. Once I've redpointed those I try to repeat them each time I come in to train. I also incorporate some supplemental training like hangboard, gymnastic rings, running, some specific weightlifting exercises (rotator cuff exercises etc. for injury prevention).
Natasha climbing at GWPC during one of the TBS comps.
What do you do for mental preparation- as far as pressure, crowds, and other distractions?
I've been doing comps for so long that I've become used to all of those things. I actually really enjoy the pressure to perform and the energy of the crowd. It isn't a distraction for me. I can remember at one of the last OR comps the announcer said over the loudspeaker something like 'If Alex Puccio doesn't onsight this problem, Alex Johnson wins!' and at some other comp something similar was said about Daniel Woods and Sean McColl. THAT would be distracting to know that one slip or one mistake will cost you the whole comp. That might be too much pressure. I don't think it's fair for the announcer to say something like that.
Natasha cranking down on plastic at a comp
What's the most important part to climb well at a comp?
Not worrying about how other people are climbing and to just do the best you can. It's really all you can do. Also, HAVE FUN! If you're not having fun then you're missing the point.
Watch Natasha keep at 3:30 live on the big screen at Berkeley Ironworks then get pysched and come compete at the TOuchstone Bouldering Series later in the month. It's gonna be awesome!
Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, Natasha Barnes, Unified Bouldering Championships
¶ Tuesday, July 27, 2010 0 Comments
