LEBANON, N.H. (WCAX) – The ceiling, not the sky, is the limit at The Notch, a new Lebanon climbing gym that is open to climbers all year long and is already wildly popular.
Jack Finley fell in love with the sport of rocking climbing at summer camp. “One of the things that I love doing was bouldering there and there is a lot of bouldering here,” said the Grantham resident.
Emmeline Saint-Fleur of Thetford is new to the sport but was picking it up fast. “I like that there are many different types and it gives me an arm workout because I don’t really do sports that include my arms,” she said.
And Gage Dematteo of Hartford says he got hooked thanks to his dad. “It’s super cool that it is so close to where we live.
Owners Josh Garrison and Noah Lynd opened The Notch to fill that void in the Upper Valley. And judging by the crowd, the word is out. “It’s greatly exceeded all of our expectations, the amount of people who have supported the project who are in here,” Garrison said.
The facility first broke ground back in January. Now that it’s open, the parking lot is packed on a mid-week evening. Garrison says the name of their business is a nod to Franconia Notch, an area known for its climbing. “This place has a rich history of climbing. So, those climbers are drawn indoors to help train for those larger mountains,” he said.
With its nearly 50-foot walls, it’s also attracting the next generation of climbers, hosting a kids’ competition team and partnerships with area schools.
“We bring students to different gyms in the area and also climb outside. And one of the people who opened this gym used to work with our students,” said Abby Verney-Fink with the Putney School.
The gym is open seven days a week, rain or shine, with an entrance fee of $25 and other membership options.