Touchstone Blog Archive
Friday, December 23, 2011
El Cap Challenge at Metal Mark
On Wednesday, December 21st, the Suvanto brothers made an impressive assault on the routes at Metal Mark. In just a few hours, the pair each climbed 150 routes 5.10a and harder, climbing over 6,000 feet of vertical terrain.
The Suvanto brothers arrived at the gym before sunlight. While they waited for MetalMark to open, they made oatmeal in the back of their Subaru. Spencer, a 16 year old attending Buchanan High School in Clovis, and Danny, a 20 year old who just began a job working the front desk at MetalMark, began climbing in the past year.
Danny began climbing after taking a climbing class at the California State University of Fresno. Danny enjoyed the class immensely and joined the old rock gym immediately.His brother soon joined him.
At 5:11 am, the pair started an El Cap challenge. They climbed 75 routes each, completing 150 routes between them, in 2 hours 37 minutes. After taking a break, showering, and resting, they did another El Cap Challenge, finishing their day at 1:10pm.
The pair were motivated for a couple of reasons. “I knew that my mom would do my lunch,” said Spencer. “And I knew that a fence had blown over in our yard and we would have to repair it if we weren’t doing anything that day.” They have the makings of solid dirtbag climbers.
They hope to keep their record for awhile. “There’s some guys nipping at the heels of our speed record so we might go back and do it again,” Danny said.
Labels: Danny Suvanto, MetalMark, Spencer Suvanto
¶ Friday, December 23, 2011 0 Comments
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, October 25, 2011
Hybris Bake Sale- Youth Climbing Team Fundraiser at Metal Mark
The climbing community in Fresno is rapidly expanding. As more and more climbers head to MetalMark, there has been an increase in the competitive aspects of climbing. MetalMark now has its own youth competitive climbing team- Hybris.
The team of 8 kids named themselves after the Greek Mythologic term Hybris, which means "the spirit of outrageous fun."
Joe Diaz began climbing in 1996 and started a climbing team at Yosemite Fitness in Fresno. He left the team to become a firefighter but has recently reinvested into the Fresno climbing team. The team meets twice a week for two hours on rotating days throughout the week. Hybris will be fund raising for their travel expenses to comps. Their first comp as a team will be in Sacramento on Saturday.
Joe Diaz and some team members
To help with the expenses of their upcoming comp, Hybris will be having a bake sale at MetalMark's Great Monster Bash on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6-9 pm. The team is happily accepting donations of baked treats to sell. Simply drop them off before 6 and help the little Goblins. Help out the team and have a great time at MetalMark
The team of 8 kids named themselves after the Greek Mythologic term Hybris, which means "the spirit of outrageous fun."
Joe Diaz began climbing in 1996 and started a climbing team at Yosemite Fitness in Fresno. He left the team to become a firefighter but has recently reinvested into the Fresno climbing team. The team meets twice a week for two hours on rotating days throughout the week. Hybris will be fund raising for their travel expenses to comps. Their first comp as a team will be in Sacramento on Saturday.
Joe Diaz and some team members
To help with the expenses of their upcoming comp, Hybris will be having a bake sale at MetalMark's Great Monster Bash on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6-9 pm. The team is happily accepting donations of baked treats to sell. Simply drop them off before 6 and help the little Goblins. Help out the team and have a great time at MetalMark
Labels: Hybris, Joe Diaz, MetalMark
¶ Tuesday, October 25, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wellspring Academy Heads to MetalMark
Climbing is a great way to get into shape and have fun. With movement that requires strong muscles from fingers, back, to calves, rock climbing provides the exercise needed to lose weight and tone your body. Recently, MetalMark had a group of students from Wellspring Academies, a weight loss boarding schools for overweight teens and young adults. The school focuses on helping students change their lifestyles to maintain a healthy body and mind.
"I work with a weight loss academy for young adults and finding activities that everyone in our diverse group can enjoy can be challenging at times," wrote Tyler Johnson, the director at Wellspring. "The exceptionally friendly staff at Metalmark has made us feel extremely welcome and our group can't wait to go back. There really is something for every skill level and the facilities are the most impressive I’ve experienced in all of central California. If you or your group is looking to learn about climbing and develop your skills and fitness, Metalmark is the place to be. The huge bouldering area, super tall technical walls, state of the art equipment, and supportive staff make Metalmark the definitive leader in its field."
MetalMark is an awesome place for group trips. Stop by the gym for some serious fitness and a ton of fun!
"I work with a weight loss academy for young adults and finding activities that everyone in our diverse group can enjoy can be challenging at times," wrote Tyler Johnson, the director at Wellspring. "The exceptionally friendly staff at Metalmark has made us feel extremely welcome and our group can't wait to go back. There really is something for every skill level and the facilities are the most impressive I’ve experienced in all of central California. If you or your group is looking to learn about climbing and develop your skills and fitness, Metalmark is the place to be. The huge bouldering area, super tall technical walls, state of the art equipment, and supportive staff make Metalmark the definitive leader in its field."
MetalMark is an awesome place for group trips. Stop by the gym for some serious fitness and a ton of fun!
Labels: climbing as weight loss, MetalMark, Wellspring Academy
¶ Thursday, September 01, 2011 0 Comments
Saturday, July 9, 2011
MetalMark Grand Opening
MetalMark, Touchstone's newest gym in Fresno, had a grand opening party last week. The last of the Touchstone Rope Series comps was held at the new gym and 150 people came out to check the new climbing gym. There was pizza, beer, and a ton of fun. Bay area climbers drove out to check out the new indoor crag and the local climbers stopped by to check out the forty foot walls and great bouldering.
The crew of Touchstone route setters headed out to Fresno and set some great routes and boulder problems for the comp. All the holds are new and the climbing is phenomenal out there.
The gym has a couple of great cracks for those looking to train for Yosemite but don't have the time for the drive. Lyn Verinsky is getting after it in the wide part of the crack. The walls in the gym are a little coarse still so stop by the front desk and pick up some tape to make sure you don't thrash your hands.
Metal Mark also has a number of great classes including a Zumba class, yoga classes, and more. The studio is a great open place to work out and enjoy group exercise programs.
For the rest of July, MetalMark has 0 initiation fee. Stop by Metal Mark, get involved in the Fresno climbing scene, and enjoy the new gym!
The crew of Touchstone route setters headed out to Fresno and set some great routes and boulder problems for the comp. All the holds are new and the climbing is phenomenal out there.
The gym has a couple of great cracks for those looking to train for Yosemite but don't have the time for the drive. Lyn Verinsky is getting after it in the wide part of the crack. The walls in the gym are a little coarse still so stop by the front desk and pick up some tape to make sure you don't thrash your hands.
Metal Mark also has a number of great classes including a Zumba class, yoga classes, and more. The studio is a great open place to work out and enjoy group exercise programs.
For the rest of July, MetalMark has 0 initiation fee. Stop by Metal Mark, get involved in the Fresno climbing scene, and enjoy the new gym!
Labels: Fresno climbing, MetalMark, Zumba
¶ Saturday, July 09, 2011 0 Comments
Friday, June 24, 2011
Metal Mark Opening = 0 Initiation Fee
In honor of Touchstone’s newest gym, MetalMark Climbing & Fitness, we’re offering zero initiation to new members who sign up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday!
To receive the discount, simply check out the Facebook page of your local gym.
Berkeley Ironworks
Metal Mark
Great Western Power Company
Mission Cliffs
Sacramento Pipeworks
Diablo Rock Gym
To receive the discount, simply check out the Facebook page of your local gym.
Berkeley Ironworks
Metal Mark
Great Western Power Company
Mission Cliffs
Sacramento Pipeworks
Diablo Rock Gym
Labels: 0 initiation, climbing gym discounts, MetalMark
¶ Friday, June 24, 2011 0 Comments
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Adjustable Apparatus for the Movement of Indoor Climbing Cracks
As part of the climbing wall build for MetalMark in Fresno, Touchstone wanted to create our first adjustable crack. To do this, Touchstone needed a solution for the movement of a set of interior wall pieces within a larger cutout of the walls. We observed the idea at Planet Granite in San Francisco, and whether they came up with it or not, it is very clever. As they were protective of their system, we endeavored to invent one on our own.
To do that, we turned to 18 year old Daniel Melvin. His first prototype involved a solid steel bar with a sleeve fit to a few thousands of an inch. The bar is welded to the sides – or the main wall. The sleeve is attached to both the interior wall section, and an acme threaded rod via a long nut. Turning the screw (rod) moves the wall section. The implementation is such that one of these units is placed at the top of a wall section behind the wall. This necessitated a method of linking the top of one section with the bottom of another, achieved initially with a set of bolts threaded between sections.
The first prototype works fairly well, but has a very slight tendency to catch as the weight of the wall torques the bar. Prototype two, which is currently in place uses two bars, an acme threaded rod, and a long nut affixed to the wall section and the sleeve. The first prototype also included a 90 degree angle drive to allow movement of the crack to be performed from the front of the wall through a normal t-nut hole, although our current thinking is that this might be just a bit too convenient in practice.
See the photo below to get a better idea. We’re pretty confident we can improve this design for our next adjustable crack, but maybe someone else can do even better in the mean time. In general it works exceedingly well, although our cracks are slightly too big, making for two fist cracks when evenly placed, where every trad climber knows that it should be two hand cracks in that configuration.
As part of the climbing wall build for MetalMark in Fresno, Touchstone wanted to create our first adjustable crack. To do this, Touchstone needed a solution for the movement of a set of interior wall pieces within a larger cutout of the walls. We observed the idea at Planet Granite in San Francisco, and whether they came up with it or not, it is very clever. As they were protective of their system, we endeavored to invent one on our own.
To do that, we turned to 18 year old Daniel Melvin. His first prototype involved a solid steel bar with a sleeve fit to a few thousands of an inch. The bar is welded to the sides – or the main wall. The sleeve is attached to both the interior wall section, and an acme threaded rod via a long nut. Turning the screw (rod) moves the wall section. The implementation is such that one of these units is placed at the top of a wall section behind the wall. This necessitated a method of linking the top of one section with the bottom of another, achieved initially with a set of bolts threaded between sections.
The first prototype works fairly well, but has a very slight tendency to catch as the weight of the wall torques the bar. Prototype two, which is currently in place uses two bars, an acme threaded rod, and a long nut affixed to the wall section and the sleeve. The first prototype also included a 90 degree angle drive to allow movement of the crack to be performed from the front of the wall through a normal t-nut hole, although our current thinking is that this might be just a bit too convenient in practice.
See the photo below to get a better idea. We’re pretty confident we can improve this design for our next adjustable crack, but maybe someone else can do even better in the mean time. In general it works exceedingly well, although our cracks are slightly too big, making for two fist cracks when evenly placed, where every trad climber knows that it should be two hand cracks in that configuration.
Labels: adjustable cracks, Daniel Melvin, Fresno climbing, MetalMark, Wall Building
¶ Wednesday, April 27, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, April 21, 2011
MetalMark Photo Gallery
MetalMark, Touchstone's newest gym in Fresno, has a new photo gallery up on Flickr. The gallery shows the finished climbing walls, including a couple of great cracks in the gym. There's also pics of the new bouldering area and the rest of the facility. The page will be updated as construction progresses. Things are moving along well at MetalMark!
Construction of the gym should be completed soon with the opening this summer. Get pysched Fresno!
Construction of the gym should be completed soon with the opening this summer. Get pysched Fresno!
Labels: Flickr, Fresno climbing, MetalMark
¶ Thursday, April 21, 2011 1 Comments
Friday, April 8, 2011
MetalMark Video Tour
Dezmond Oliver, an excited Fresno based climber, toured the construction of the new MetalMark gym in Fresno. Check out the footage he took of the gym and get a virtual tour!
Labels: Dezmond Oliver, Fresno climbing, MetalMark
¶ Friday, April 08, 2011 0 Comments
Saturday, April 2, 2011
MetalMark Climbing Wall Design Complete
Metalmark’s climbing wall design is now complete. Mark Melvin, Touchstone's CEO says, "Our walls in Fresno are the best we’ve ever built -there’s not a bad line in the gym." In a unique collaborative effort, Mark worked on-site full time with a brilliant design team:
Mark Benkert- a 20 year veteran wall builder, artist, and sculptor, who thrives on model-less see-how-it-works building
Simon Benkert- who might be one of the best climbers in America if he didn’t like welding
so much.
Tom Ramier- also a veteran wall builder who says it’s the funnest job you could ever have.
Mark Benkert headed the construction of a model inspired by the design of famous climbing and wall designer Christian Griffith. The team thought about the placement of every stick of steel. "We’ve done things we’ve never done in a Touchstone gym before, with curves, corners, edges – it’s going to be brilliant and unlike anything else in California." says Melvin. "What we’re learning here will shape how we do things for our future gyms."
The opening is still a couple months hence but will be completed soon.
The Facebook page for Metalmark is the best place to stay up-to-date with photos and news for the newest Touchstone gym.
Mark Benkert- a 20 year veteran wall builder, artist, and sculptor, who thrives on model-less see-how-it-works building
Simon Benkert- who might be one of the best climbers in America if he didn’t like welding
so much.
Tom Ramier- also a veteran wall builder who says it’s the funnest job you could ever have.
Mark Benkert headed the construction of a model inspired by the design of famous climbing and wall designer Christian Griffith. The team thought about the placement of every stick of steel. "We’ve done things we’ve never done in a Touchstone gym before, with curves, corners, edges – it’s going to be brilliant and unlike anything else in California." says Melvin. "What we’re learning here will shape how we do things for our future gyms."
The opening is still a couple months hence but will be completed soon.
The Facebook page for Metalmark is the best place to stay up-to-date with photos and news for the newest Touchstone gym.
Labels: Mark Benkert, Mark Melvin, MetalMark
¶ Saturday, April 02, 2011 0 Comments
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Construction Continues with MetalMark Getting New Logo and Walls
MetalMark, the new Touchstone Gym in Fresno, was named after a California butterfly with distinctive, metallic markings. The name was inspired by the simple idea of metamorphosis, by the physical and mental changes we experience as rock climbers. The form of the Touchstone butterfly is transformed as well; it is modeled on the engineering of aluminum cams used in outdoor climbing.
Mark Fox and Angie Wang of Design Is Play in San Francisco, designed the MetalMark logotype, setting it in Rockwell Antique, a slab serif typeface issued in 1931. They hand drew the letters and then recreated them digitally.
The walls are heavily supported by an intricate series of steel beams.
Construction at the new 12,000 square foot Touchstone climbing gym at Fresno's Granite Park has been moving rapidly. The local contractors working on erecting the steel framing established the roof first so that Mark Melvin, the Touchstone owner, could begin working on the climbing gym walls. Melvin has been working on designing the 45 foot high walls and has been putting a large concave feature into the middle of the wall.
The plywood for the climbing wall has been put up on a significant portion of the steel structure.
After the framing is finished, the plywood will be put on the walls followed by the stucco. There will be a separate yoga and cycling room along with full cardio and weight equipment.
The main climbing area will be flanked by a yoga and exercise room as well as an office.
Touchstone poo-bah Russel Olsen said, “The whole thing is moving along really well.” Olsen estimates that the construction will be ending in early summer.
Mark Fox and Angie Wang of Design Is Play in San Francisco, designed the MetalMark logotype, setting it in Rockwell Antique, a slab serif typeface issued in 1931. They hand drew the letters and then recreated them digitally.
The walls are heavily supported by an intricate series of steel beams.
Construction at the new 12,000 square foot Touchstone climbing gym at Fresno's Granite Park has been moving rapidly. The local contractors working on erecting the steel framing established the roof first so that Mark Melvin, the Touchstone owner, could begin working on the climbing gym walls. Melvin has been working on designing the 45 foot high walls and has been putting a large concave feature into the middle of the wall.
The plywood for the climbing wall has been put up on a significant portion of the steel structure.
After the framing is finished, the plywood will be put on the walls followed by the stucco. There will be a separate yoga and cycling room along with full cardio and weight equipment.
The main climbing area will be flanked by a yoga and exercise room as well as an office.
Touchstone poo-bah Russel Olsen said, “The whole thing is moving along really well.” Olsen estimates that the construction will be ending in early summer.
Labels: Design Is Play, Fresno climbing, MetalMark
¶ Wednesday, March 23, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Metal Mark Construction Update
Work on Metal Mark, Touchstone's new gym in Fresno, has been moving along smoothly. The steel beams and supports for the building have been erected. The roof is up and insulated already and they finished with the lower roof where the locker rooms, fitness rooms, and office are.
Last week, they started on the climbing walls and are progressing well with the rest of the construction. The gym will be an awesome addition to the the Touchstone circuit.
The gym will be completed soon! Keep on track for construction updates on the Touchstone Blog.
Last week, they started on the climbing walls and are progressing well with the rest of the construction. The gym will be an awesome addition to the the Touchstone circuit.
The gym will be completed soon! Keep on track for construction updates on the Touchstone Blog.
Labels: Fresno climbing, MetalMark
¶ Thursday, February 10, 2011 0 Comments
Thursday, December 9, 2010
New Fresno Gym: MetalMark Climbing & Fitness
Construction on Touchstone's new gym in Central Fresno's Granite Park, MetalMark Climbing & Fitness, began last week when the foundation was poured. Ellis Daniels, a Fresno local and member of Valley Steel, has been working hard to build the 12,500 square foot gym. The picture shows the main steel beams being erected. In January, Touchstone hopes to begin building the climbing walls! The project will be completed in early summer. Stayed tuned as another great Touchstone gym comes together!
Labels: Fresno climbing, MetalMark, Valley Steel
¶ Thursday, December 09, 2010 2 Comments
