Photos provided by Ubergrippen
Übergrippen, a brand new 21,000-square-foot indoor climbing facility, is now serving the Northeast Denver community. After opening its doors in late July, owner’s Jake and Kim Crines couldn’t be happier.
“Business has been steadily growing, with new guests coming through our doors everyday. We marketed our memberships to our community for 12 months before our opening, so on opening day we already had a large number of members ready and waiting for the doors to open and climbing to begin,” said Jake Crines.
The new facility is adorned with 16,000-square-feet of indoor roped climbing and bouldering walls designed by Vertical Solution, and feature 40+ foot birch and maple wood and colorful holds. But there’s more than just climbing, as Crines explained.
“We already have a yoga studio that offers yoga twice a day and a fitness studio where we have classes once a day, give or take. Right now, we’re offering Vinyasa, Yoga Sculpt, Yin, HIIT, Core Classes, and other group fitness classes. This fall, we plan to expand both of these programs with more classes and times.”
The 1.5 acres the facility sits on is being utilized for outdoor community activities as well. The patio, picnic table and a gas grilled opened a few weeks after Ubergrippen opened for business. The outdoor space is free to the public, and only requires a check-in at the front desk and a signed waiver to use it. Plans are still in the works for a cafe and tap room.
The active lifestyle of Central Park residents and growing number of families with children are just a few of the many reasons the Crines opened a climbing crag in Central Park. The central location also draws from Lowry, Park Hill and other neighboring communities. Moreover, the location at 21st Avenue and Willow Court makes it accessible by bike—a transportation favored by the younger and neighboring members.
“Kim and I chose to open in Central Park primarily because we lived here and felt strongly that this was a business that would thrive based on the local area. Our decision to locate at CPB and Montview was so that we could be at the epicenter of Northeast Denver including Anschutz Medical Campus, Lowry, Park Hill, Montclair, East Colfax, and of course, Central Park. We also wanted to be a true Community Climbing Center, which for us meant we were accessible to everyone in the community (adults, kids, students); and so being in a residential area brings us closer to all of our customers and makes it easy for people to bike, walk, skateboard, or drive to reach us.”
With kids being at the forefront of their initial decision to open the business, there is a dedicated youth climbing area with walls reaching 25 feet in height, top rope and auto belays—all great for after school programs, summer camps or birthday parties.
Crines explained that a majority of the kids summer camps were at capacity, which pushed them to work hard on developing a camp curriculum that was more than “just climbing” and brought additional skills and knowledge to the young campers.
Jakes and Kim were thrilled with the outcome. “The end result was awesome and the kids generally all left excited about their experience and climbing. We look forward to growing those programs in the future with possible inclusion of some outdoor programs next year.”
Now that the indoor climbing season is on the horizon, the pair is preparing for a busy season, including adding additional staff and expanding programming and meet ups.
“The one thing I want people to know is that Ubergrippen is a locally owned small business started by my wife and I. Many people assume we are a franchise or a chain business. We are not. Kim and I have lived in Central Park for the past 10 years and decided 3 years ago that we wanted to bring something to our local community that we live in to make it a better place for our neighbors to spend time with their friends and family! Ubergrippen in Northeast Denver is our first and only location, and we remain dedicated to making Ubergrippen a premier indoor climbing facility for the entire Northeast Denver community. Our focus is bringing all types of people together to recreate and enjoy life!”
Ubergrippen is located at 8610 E 21st Ave and open Monday-Sunday. Membership prices and offerings vary.
