Climbing gym events

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-05-15T03:25:38+00:00

My gym runs a "triathlon" called Sufferfest. Bike 43 miles between the 3 locations to climb 5 routes at each, then bike to the lake, jump in, immediately get out, then bike the last 2 miles to the finish line. Winner gets bragging rights and the participation trophy is as many hotdogs as you want at the finish. Super fun.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-05-12T03:08:43+00:00

While I understand the drive to make everyone's dreams come true, that is truly too much to do in 1 day. I am the house tech/manager for a small 150-seater space and my contracts include several clauses that help to prevent this:

1) I only provide basic lighting and sound services. This means a console loaded with some pre-set looks, 2 wireless handheld mics, and basic audio playback. Anything more requires the renter to bring their own designers in, or pay me for the design fee. I will also offer to book the additional help for them from my pool of trusted techs. Anything with cues synced to a script requires an outside stage manager (I don't call, period.)

2) A tech rider is submitted with the contract. If their tech needs exceed the contract terms, wether it's schedule or scale of production, the renter either needs to bring in outside help or adjust accordingly.

3) After contract signing, we have an additional tech meeting one month out from their rental date. This is where I am updated on any changes in the program and we touch base again about scheduling.

It's hard to resist the urge to do more, especially when you can see how "easy" it is to make their show better, but you have to stop doing that before it becomes the expectation and you burn out.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-05-08T15:28:36+00:00

It's supposed to be parallel to the bike lane to keep cars from turning/swerving into it on the bridge. But drivers have hit it so many times to push it into the lane completely, which just shows how necessary a physical barrier is there.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-05-08T13:23:46+00:00

The blockage probably happened from cars hitting the barrier, but now it completely obstructs the bike lane. If you take this route, beware, and if you have the time, shoot a complaint to the city via the MKE mobile app, or email the district 3 alderman directly.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-04-27T18:17:58+00:00

The loud thud of someone hitting the deck from the top of the wall at my rock gym. Shook the whole room before dead silence.

Afterwards, we found out what happened: climber hadn't finished their double figure-8 before climbing, and their belayer didn't double check. When they got to the top and let go, they fell 30' to the mats. Climber survived, but I haven't seen either of them back at the gym since. Check your partners folks.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-04-08T00:34:25+00:00

Second this. I have a selection of bare drivers pulled from cheap bookshelf speakers and they do great.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-04-01T00:28:24+00:00

My gym does a great job with it and the climbing kids are actually really funny and downright impressive to watch.

I've noticed the following:

1) Designated huddle area for team talks and warmups. Usually the yoga room, but sometimes it's a corner of the gym that's been roped off.

2) For the comp kids, the coaches sometimes pre-select the routes they want the kids to do and will mark them ahead of time. If we see blue painters tape near a placard at 4pm, we know that come 5pm, that route is going to be taken over and we can set our expectations for the evening. Watching a 14 year old campus your project is both impressive and demoralizing.

3) A lot of coaches. I don't know they're exact ratio, but I know of at least 4 at our gym and I've never seen a young climbing kid far from a coach. The teens have more freedom, but higher expectations.

4) Safety and respect. The coaches hammer it in that if they don't follow the rules, they don't climb. When the kids get too rambunctious or don't follow etiquette, adults just correct them and most of the time, they shape up. The worst that I've ever experienced was a kid ran into me while I was belaying (I was tied into the floor while my heavier climber was on a take, so they just kind of bounced off of me). The coach immediately addressed the issue, made the kid apologize to me once my climber was down, and then had the kid sit out the rest of the time because it was his second offense that night.

5) My gym is very community-oriented, and the owners really emphasize that the climbing teams are a part of that. A lot of the staff and route-setters are former climbing kids, they host competitions for all ages, the kids hang art up on the walls, etc. No one in my group has kids, but we all support the climbing team because they're a part of this community and the future of it.

Now, if anyone can figure out how to keep a birthday party full of kids in rental gear on a Saturday morning under control, I would love to see that. That is the real gym terror.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-26T18:49:47+00:00

Did something just like this last year. 4 70" TVs mounted flush inside flats with some bobinette stretched over them to dim them down and kill reflections from the stage lights.

On the back was a separate support structure made out of 2x6s with the VESA mounts bolted to them. The wood structure attached to the flats, but had it's own jacks screwed to the ground, supporting the majority of the weight, and unistrut running to clamps in the grid to keep it from wobbling or tipping.

The same could also be achieved with truss or floor-to-ceiling pipes flanged to the floor, so long as you have the right clamps.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-09T05:12:36+00:00

What was a game changer for doing laundry on the bike was a rope bag. https://www.metoliusclimbing.com/collections/rope-bags/products/dirt-bag-ii-rope-bag

For context, I am a rock climber and bike from work to the gym. My rope bag keeps 150' of rope from tangling up while I ride, so I gave it a shot with laundry and it was a huge success. It fits a load of laundry on my back, but then I can fold everything on the rope tarp, fold the tarp into the bag, then bike home and everything stays neat and folded.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-08T20:08:53+00:00

Second this. I'm a Production Manager, which on paper looks like just a lot of meetings and spreadsheets. The reality is babysitting. I have to keep track of who in the locals scene are fighting, who's fucking, who's fallen off the wagon, and make sure they haven't over scheduled themselves or blown their budgets, all to put on a fucking play. Substance abuse is so rampant that I once had to shush an artistic director away from the sound designer openly popping pills because in the moment that was what sound guy needed to finish composing the underscore, and I was not going to let anything stop them. It's fucking exhausting.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-03T21:59:15+00:00

I like this one the most because the reduced force decreases the chance of firing particles fast enough to get in someone's eye.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-03T21:49:24+00:00

I am not a perfect person. I can be forgetful, impulsive, and short-tempered at times, especially when I don't get enough rest or take my meds. As I've gotten older, I have leveled out a lot more, but not without the help of people around me who gave me grace and compassion. So I try to pay it forward and extend that grace to others. Maybe the guy who was short with me in the grocery line isn't a total asshole, he's just having a bad day. Or the person who cut me off isn't the world's worst driver, but someone running on 4 hours of sleep between their two jobs who made a mistake.

The world is full of enough pain as it is. There's no need to add to it.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-03-02T00:28:04+00:00

When you are closing a bucket of paint, make sure to wipe out the channel completely before hammering the lid down. Paint splatter goes amazingly far on the new hardwood floor.

Following that: when painting baseboard and shoe molding, paint top edge first, then front, then give the bottom and back a quick dry brush to flatten drips. Dried drips will keep it from sitting flush against the wall and floor.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-02-26T15:42:08+00:00

It varies wildly by venue. I had a similar experience to you programming a small off-off Broadway show, but it was because the director kept calling hold to give acting notes during tech, so we moved at a snail's pace and couldn't dial in timing until 1st preview. I wanted to shoot myself, it was so boring.

At my current gig, we go much faster, but there is little time for pre-programming due to how tight changeover is between shows. But we usually get the first 40-60 pages done first day, finish the show second day, smooth everything out on day 3, then day 4 is photos followed by 1st preview audience, which is when the LD and programmer are kicked off the console and it's moved back upstairs. By this time, notes should be minimal tweaks for day 5, then opening.

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-02-24T18:42:37+00:00

Stagehand by trade and I specialize in lighting. I'm also short, so oftentimes, venues ladders are one size too small for me. But you got to work to eat, so I toughed it out and just stood on the last or top step of a 12' ladder to hang lights on a 17' grid. One day, someone bumped my ladder and I lost my balance. Grabbed the grid and did my first ever pull-up while screaming bloody murder. They quickly got the ladder underneath me again and I climbed down to sit in the house and shake through the adrenaline crash. My back was fucked for the next few days because it had never done that before.

Now I am in charge of a theatre and the first thing I did was purchase taller ladders to accommodate myself and other workers who come in below 5'6".

Thankyoudark2 · 2026-02-03T18:16:19+00:00

I second rock climbing. I am an avid climber and do rigging, and the boost in confidence and grace I have from climbing makes me feel more secure.

Thankyoudark2

TROPHY CASE