Vitaliy Zaychenko

Member since 2012

Over the last 3 years no member has been here more than Vitaliy. He has checked in over 500 times since his first visit on July 24, 2014.

Despite famously claiming that “technique is not for me” he has become quite the climber, in the gym and outside, as well as becoming an integral part of our community. We look forward to seeing Vitaliy at least 500 more times in the coming years, especially in the hours near to closing time!

How did you start climbing?
Vitaliy: Russian Mountaineering Club “Gorizont” introduced me to rock climbing three years ago on one of their
annual events in Leavenworth

Why do you climb at Edgeworks?
Vitaliy: Route setting here is unique. Not as straight forward as in some other gyms. Community is awesome.
I’ve made so many friends here.

Where is your favorite place to climb outside?
Vitaliy: SO many. Leavenworth. Index. Smith Rock. I discover new places all the time. It’s so fun.

What do you do when you’re not climbing?
Vitaliy: Go to Seattle Symphony, Spectrum Dance Theater, or just spend time with my daughter. Also, play with
photography, read up on science and listen to NPR.

What are some interesting facts you’d like to share with the Edgeworks community?
Vitaliy: The human body is crawling with trillions of microorganisms, that outnumber our own cells. Gut bacteria,
for instance, affects our mental and emotional state and play a major role at how our bodies function.
We need to eat more raw foods and probiotics.

Traversing: 3 Reasons to Add Laterally Inclined Routes to Your Routine

by: Dan Morrow

In climbing, to “traverse” is to climb sideways across the rock face. This is opposed to the normal upwards movement normally associated with rock climbing. I’m here to tell you that horizontal climbing is not just allowed, but awesome.

Now some of you may be saying, “but I want to go up.” Well, up is great! I too wish to climb to great heights and conquer the gnarly routes of the world. But, there are a lot of great reasons to periodically turn your back to the ascent and learn the joys of the more laterally inclined routes.

Reason number one; it’s great as a warm up!
Put on your comfy rock shoes, the ones where your toes aren’t forced to bend like an old mans’ rheumatic knuckles. Get in the zone, play some phil collins or whatever gets you in the mood to crush. Forget about the world outside with all it’s boring, non climbing related issues.  Try out different walls and sections of the gym and see which one tends to be the best warm up for you, mentally and physically. Just remember you are warming up, don’t go too fast and remember to stick on something that’s pretty easy for you. Explore the range of motion of your arms and legs and take lots of rest steps, when you get too pumped, just hop off!

Reason number two; it’s great training for specific techniques.
I used to have this bad habit. Whenever I matched feet on a small foothold, I had a tendency to bend my arms excessively at the elbows and over exert myself by squeezing way too hard on the rock with my hands. Now, I’m still no master matcher, but I have improved greatly by practicing that same move over and over again. Where did I do this? On a traverse! Do you grip holds harder then you need to? Do you forget to watch where you place your feet? Maybe you simply forget to breath? Those are habits that need repetition and intention to break, and an extended traverse is a great opportunity to reforge!

Reason number three; it’s a great way to meet people.
In a gym, climbing up is generally a two person activity. But exploring the alternative plane of the traverse is a shared experience. There can be tons of people on the same traverse at any given time.(especially during warm up for our kid classes) Maybe you and I will bump into each other on your next sideways climb!  You could even follow behind me for my sweet warm up beta.

There are a lot more great reasons to love traversing, and maybe you can come up with some other good reasons to add traversing to your repertoire. Then, once you get your x axis climbing skills dialed in, treat yourself and find a sweet traverse outside somewhere. I hear this one is pretty rad:  http://www.mountainproject.com/v/evolution-traverse/107070687

3 Team Kids Are Off to Compete at Nationals!

After months of training and competing in several local, regional, and divisional climbing competitions, from Seattle to Bend, Edgeworks Climbing Team members: Kylee Beam, Kohle Andrews, and Alex Petty have each accepted invitations to compete at the USAC Sport Climbing Series National Championships at Stone Summit in Kennesaw, Georgia (July 9-12). This is an award reserved for only the top 35 competitors in each age group across the country so it’s not a stretch for us say that while these they may be small, these kids can probably crush harder that you!

“These 3 athletes are some of the best climbers of any age in the entire country. They’ve worked incredibly hard to get where they are and it’s an amazing experience to travel across the country with them so they can test themselves against the best the rest of the country has to offer” said Edgeworks Head Coach, Jon Manz.

Good luck, team! We’ll be watching and cheering you on from the PNW. CRUSH IT!

Trix Aren’t Just for Kids

by Jimmy Grant

Climbing games at Edgeworks are not just for our young up and coming Sharma’s, Caldwell’s, and Puccio’s. They are also fun for our fully grown “kids” as well. Games and climbing drills are a great way to build strength, technique, and visualization. Not to mention a great way to kill the monotony of endless hours in the gym.

So grab a few friends and try out these games and drills to spice up your next session:

The Classic – “Add-on”

How to play: The first player begins by choosing and establishing themselves on 2 start handholds preferably on the boulder or in our lead cave, but can be played on any terrain. The second player then uses the same 2 start handholds and adds-on 2 of their own handholds. Then the next player adds 2 more handholds, or the first player returns to the start to try the new sequence and adds 2 more at the end. The feet are open to step on any hold they would like. You can play this classic with 2-4 players of similar ability. The game keeps going until someone makes a mistake, making them out. Add-on is great for training endurance. It is also great for making you aware of where you may excel and others struggle or vice versa. This can make you more aware of what you can work on to become an even better climber.

Variation: Try to add-on 5-8 moves at a time per player. Attempting to do more moves all at once will help climbers work on their on-sighting skills.

The Challenge – Edward Hover-Hands

How to play Edward Hover-Hands: Step One: Start by choosing a route which is easier for you. Right before you touch the next handhold force yourself to “hover” your hand over it and count out loud to five! If you are able to do this without struggling, pulling really hard, or becoming out of balance, move to a more difficult problem. Focus on finding the easiest and most efficient position for your body. Hover Hands helps you slow down and further understand your enemy, gravity. Practice once a week for 20-30 minutes towards the end of each climbing workout. Come back later to crush the enemy.

The Basic – Straight Arm Climbing

This drill may not be the most fun you have ever had, but it is a necessary exercise to add to any climbers arsenal, experienced or not. It is exactly what it sounds like.  Straighten your arms and lock those elbows as you climb a slightly easier route. Climbing with straight arms forces all of your upward movement to be derived from your lower body. Even as strong as some upper bodies may be, even the strongest person in the world can’t do pull-ups all day. Because we cannot engage our arm muscles, the pull becomes a push and we are forced to rotate from the hips for reach, causing more efficient technique.

Roger & Karla Banks

Edgeworks Members Since 2004

Roger and Karla have been climbing at the gym since the very beginning. First visiting us in October 2004, they (like so many others) endured the days of the gravel floors and carpeting and have helped us grow and improve through the years. We’re extremely happy to have had them around all this time!

How did you start climbing?
R & K: Roger started climbing as a high school kid in England and then took a long break before resuming at a more mature age. Karla began climbing 18 years ago on a “SheClimbs” weekend in the Shawangunks in New York.

Why do you climb at Edgeworks?
R & K: For the people of course!! And the challenge thrown down by the cool route setters.

Where is your favorite place to climb outside?
R & K: Smith Rock and Potrero Chico have been great outdoor experiences. The Shawangunks has magnificent views out over the valley floor – specially in fall wth the great leaf colors and the high flying hawks below us.

What do you do when you’re not climbing?
R & K: Anything and everything outdoors………..hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, running, kayaking, biking, and more. Drinking beer can be done both indoors and out!

What are some interesting facts that you’d like to share with the Edgeworks community?
R & K: We have hidden talents of the musical kind! We have been studying Afro-Cuban hand drumming for the past three years. We recently summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro to celebrate a milestone birthday for Karla.

June 26-28, 2015 at Mt. Erie | Anacortes, WA

2 Days of Climbing | 4 Yoga Sessions | 2 Nights Camping
$179/members; $199/non-members

Mark your calendars yogis and climbers because Edgeworks is making history this year with its first ever Yoga & Climbing Retreat!

Join us during some of the longest and warmest days of the year and take some of what we do indoors at the gym, outdoors into the elements of nature.

Our retreat will include 2 restorative evening yoga sessions led by Heidi T, 2 invigorating morning yoga sessions led by Liza, as well as 2 days of climbing with Andrew at Mt Erie.  All this in a beautiful setting overlooking the San Juan islands.

Edgeworks will provide all necessary climbing and yoga gear and we will camp at the beautiful Deception Pass State Park.

This will be a great way to reconnect with yourself, deepen your yoga practice, and advance your climbing skills. If you’ve never practiced yoga or climbed outdoors before, even better!  All levels of experience are welcome.

What you’ll need: 
Yoga Gear:
 Yoga mat: if you do not have one, one can be provided for you.
 Yoga attire: pants/shorts/shirts/tights that you can move freely in.
 Slip on shoes or sandals for easy transitions to and from yoga.
 Journal: a great way to reflect on your experience whether it be through climbing, yoga, or meditation and transfer your mindfulness forward into your everyday life.
 Open mind: we will be experiencing the great outdoors, yoga, meditation, climbing, and community during this trip. Leave any expectations you might have at home as we all embark on a new journey.

Climbing Gear:
If needed, climbing gear can be provided by Edgeworks at no extra cost.
If you have your own gear, please bring the following:
 Climbing shoes
 Harness
 Chalk Bag
 Belay device and locking carabiner
 Helmet

Food & Cooking:
 Food for 2 dinners, 2 lunches, and 2 breakfasts:
 Healthy Snacks
 Cooler for food/beverages that needs to be refrigerated
 Drinks: adult beverages are OK
 Necessary cookware and utensils

Camping:
 Tent
 Sleeping bag
 Sleeping pad
 Pillow: clothes in a stuff sack work well

Excellent Parking & Raffle Prizes!

Edgeworks is getting in on the fun of Tacoma-Pierce County’s Bike Month,  Bike. Everywhere. campaign.

It’s simple. Each time you ride your bike to Edgeworks to climb or take a fitness class you’ll receive one raffle ticket to be entered in a drawing for prizes including Edgeworks swag, free day passes, and more! The more you ride, the more chances you have to WIN! So get on your bike and RIDE.

Fine Print:
Tickets are limited to one per person per day during the month of May 2015 only.
Tickets must be collected at the time you and your bike are at Edgeworks; no “oops, I forgots”.
Raffle is open to everyone and all ages, including members and non-members.
Drawing will take place Monday, June 1, 2015.

Amy Arnts

Edgeworks Member and Climbing Team Member since 2014

How did you start climbing?
Amy: When I was younger I would always climb trees and try to see how high up I could go, it always ended up being about four feet off the ground. As I got older I would go to the local community center and climb the wall there, that eventually got boring because I could always make it to the top. But it still kept my interest for some reason. I eventually heard about this place called “Edgeworks” and immediately looked it up due to it sounding amazing. That weekend I went and fell in love with the sport all over again, I begged my parents to take me back every weekend and for some reason they gave in. After going a couple times a month for a bit I was invited to be on a youth program and jumped at the offer, that eventually led me to being on the Edgeworks team.

Why do you climb at Edgeworks?
Amy: I climb at Edgeworks because of all the gyms I have been to the atmosphere is like no other. When I go to other gyms I’m not normally greeted by a friendly face and smile from someone who is willing to talk to me and answer any questions I have (along with giving me great beta). I have met some of the nicest people here at Edgeworks along with some of my best friends. Not to mention there are new routes almost every week so I know I will never get bored of the climbing.

Where is your favorite place to climb outside?
Amy: My favorite place to climb outdoors is at smith rock in Bend, Oregon. It is a beautiful park and I would definitely recommend every climber goes at least once in their climbing career.

What do you do when you’re not climbing?
Amy: When I’m not climbing I’m usually studying for school, messing around with photography or anything outside such as hiking and biking being my favorite.

What are some interesting facts that you’d like to share with the Edgeworks community?
Amy: An interesting fact is that Dr. Seuss wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” to win a bet against his publisher who thought that Seuss could not complete a book using only 50 different words.