INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING GYM TO OPEN DOORS SOON
Scarborough business aims to be Southern Maine’s Home for Mountain Adventure and Climbing Lifestyle.
SCARBOROUGH, Maine – July 28, 2015 – Salt Pump Climbing Co., an indoor rock climbing and fitness facility being built from the ground up on Haigis Parkway, will open its doors for the first time on July 30 at 10 am.
The 10,000 square foot facility is situated on a pond ringed by birch trees, less than a mile off exit 42 on Route 95. The facility interior has copious natural lighting, walls up to 45 feet in height, and features general fitness equipment and a yoga studio in addition to the extensive roped climbing and bouldering.
The business aims to serve both serious climbers and first timers, young and old. Climbing-themed programs are available for kids as young as 18 months, ranging all the way to private training and fitness opportunities for the most serious enthusiast. As part of its commitment to sustaining community, the gym offers free member events, nonprofit group discounts, and even ‘dojo sessions’, open access group training and community building sessions led by Salt Pump staff around specific themes.
“We believe climbing can enrich our lives and that its culture makes the world a better place. When we open our doors, you will see our first efforts towards putting this belief into practice,” said Taki Miyamoto, Salt Pump’s General Manager and one of the business partners. Miyamoto relocated to Maine just over two years ago, leaving his position at a large international law firm to follow his dream of building a state-of-the-art indoor rock climbing gym for climbers in the Portland, Maine area.
Other partners in the venture include Miyamoto’s close friends and lifetime climbers, Mark Richey and Freddie Wilkinson. Richey founded and is president of Mark Richey Woodworking, an architectural woodworking firm in Newburyport, Mass. He has been climbing around the Northeast for decades, and has traveled abroad on dozens of expeditions including a successful ascent of Mount Everest and the first ascent of Saser Kangri 2, which earned him the prestigious Piolet D’Or award. Wilkinson is a writer and mountain guide who also has succeeded in difficult first ascents of mountains around the world. He wrote the narrative non-fiction book “One Mountain Thousand Summits: The Untold Story of Tragedy and True Heroism on K2” in 2010, and enjoys sharing climbing with others through his Mount Washington Valley based guide service, Cathedral Mountain guides. He is perhaps best known for his infectious energy and knack for story telling, which he hopes to bring to the Salt Pump brand.
Salt Pump Climbing Co.’s mission is to be the leading community resource for climbing, mountain adventure, and active living in Southern Maine. The indoor rock climbing gym will be open to members and the public year-round, daily, except for occasional holiday closures. Details on hours, programs and location are at the gym’s website https://www.saltpumpclimbing.com/.