Climbing Dispatches

Team Front: Summer for Parathletes

In June 2025, Paraclimbing was officially added to the 2028 LA Paralympic Games—an announcement that made big waves in the adaptive community, bringing new faces to the competition scene and challengi...

Citizens Climbing: The Not-So-Scary Guide to Competing

Beaster is coming, and while that bunny might be scary, competing doesn't have to be. Climbing competitions at The Front invite athletes of all levels to get on the wall and give it their best shot. W...

How To Deadpoint

The air is getting cooler, Halloween decorations are going up, and Deadpoint is almost here! Deadpoint is our annual boulder comp and it’s one you won’t want to miss. It’s time to chalk up for a night...

Meet The Routesetters

Setting can feel like a mysterious, veiled world, full of clattering bolts and screeching impact drivers. The setters, those craftspeople of the climb, have a unique perspective on the sport, and I ha...

Handling the Sharp End with Coach Kira

This month, we’re turning the blog over to Kira Seliger: Adult Programs Manager, Private Coach, and Lead Climbing with Confidence instructor. With a specialty in teaching falling without fear, Kira is...

A Perfect Day at The Front

Imagine this - no responsibilities, the whole day to yourself, you could do anything. The thought hits you, you could spend the WHOLE day at the gym! (I know I would). Every Front location offers tons...

Belay Tips You Won't Get In Class

Climbing can seem overwhelming when first getting into the sport. There's tons of terms, different types of climbing, specific techniques, and what seems like a million different types of gear. Not to...

The Climber's Sole: A Guide to Your Perfect Shoe

Whether you’re scaling multipitch mountains or throwing some powerful moves on the indoor bouldering wall, climbing shoes are an essential piece of gear for any climber. The right shoe can offer suppo...

Gift Guide 2024: Experiences That Last a Lifetime

Sometimes gifting can be difficult, especially for those who seem to have everything they need, but The Front is here to help. While most of us love receiving and gifting new items, I personally love...

Training Pyramids and Why They Rock

Do you feel a nip in the air? It may be 90 degrees this week, but we know that autumn is on the way. As the leaves start to fall, we start to kick our training into high gear. This time of year, we’re...

Lifelong Learning at The Front and Beyond

It's back to school season! While most of us aren’t heading back to campus, instead continuing our regularly scheduled programming, something about August re-ignites the want to learn new things, acqu...

Spring Membership Promo Learn & Earn is Here!

Learn & Earn: Technical Breakdown Learn Menu Our “learn” menu let’s you know just how you can earn points. And it’s not just classes! There are multiple ways to earn points, like attending events or c...

Creating Inclusivity: Adaptive Climbing at The Front

Rock climbing has long been seen as an extreme sport requiring strength, agility, and a daredevil attitude. However, climbing has been and continues to be a sport for all. The idea of adaptive climbin...

Share the Love: It’s Friendship February

It’s Friendship February! Traditionally, this is a month filled with pink and red hearts and cheap chocolate treats, but more importantly, it’s the perfect month to expand your friendship circle...and...

Studying Ashtanga: Sarah Jane's Yoga Training in Mysore India

How to Stay Warm for Winter Climbing at the Crag

Adaptive Climbing Returns to The Front with a New Team of Staff Members

Front Setter Zach Galla Crushes One of Utah's Hardest Boulders

Don’t Train in Vain: Demystifying The Front’s Training Tools

5 Steps to Picking Your Fall Project

What Can Happen if You Push Through a Minor Injury

A Message from Archie

Bouldering Etiquette: Part 2

The Good And Bad Of Climbing's Olympic Debut

Bouldering Etiquette: Part 1

The Crossover Between Jiu-Jitsu and Climbing by Kelsey Hanson

Salt Lake City World Cups 2021: Recap

Class in Session: Your Best Rest

Meet the BIPOC at The Front Leadership Members

BIPOC at The Front Last summer The Front made a pledge to diversity in its community by committing to the inclusion of Black, indigenous, and climbers of color. With the help of our members, BIPOC at...

Social Distance and Send

We currently asking guests and members to keep social distancing protocols at the top of mind. There may be times when your favorite route already has climbers on either side, or an area has already r...

Youth Climbing Improves Physical & Mental Health

Climbing Improves Performance The Front’s youth programs create an exciting and inclusive environment where participants can have fun, make friends, and improve their well-being. The physical activity...

Class In Session: Plan It Right

In this new education series, our Adult Programming Manager, David Farkas, will be supplementing our climbing skills class curriculum with regular articles to help you get the most out of your indoor...

How To Lead Climb In A Mask

The Front requires that everyone who visits wears a mask at all times, including while climbing. Although this may be uncomfortable initially, it is also an opportunity to improve several aspects of o...

Introducing the Pebble Climbing App

Training Your Mind with Dan Mirsky: Visualization

If you read my last article about the powers of mental training, then odds are you’ve already discovered the benefits of using your brain to accomplish your goals. Focusing on your breathing in order...

The Hangboard Guide

Most climbers have a similar weak link: finger strength. It doesn’t matter how strong you are or what style you prefer, you can always have stronger fingers. Adding in one or two hangboarding workouts...

Climbing & Leave No Trace Ethics

A-to-Zs: Climbing Lingo Defined

Must-Read Climbing Books

When we’re not pullin’ plastic or crushing outside, you can most likely find us reading about climbing. Cause let’s be real: It has consumed our lives! Below is a list of climbing literature that you...

Three Exercises to Improve Climbing Fitness

Okay, okay. We get it. You're strong. But you can always get stronger, even if you’re sending all our black dots. And c’mon … how many of us are crushing those? But hey! Like Baby Yoda, it IS possible...

Grades Are Guidelines, Not Gospel

Every year you hear stories of the local strongman who comes back to the States from Fontainebleau with a nagging 6C (V5 or so here in America) on their mind. These climbs were often some of the first...

Meet Our New Head Routesetter, Eddie Morillas

Marcus Cline Talks Art and Routesetting

Marcus Cline began climbing at The Front when it was in Sandy on 9000 S, under its previous name – The Wasatch Front. After climbing for 12 years, Marcus began setting routes in 2005. While climbing a...

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

Adventure. We live it, breathe it and dream about it. But we can gift it, too! With the Wasatch mountains at our doorstep and the desert in our backyard, what better way to show your adventure buddy y...

Everybody Chalk Down

Chalk is a necessary part of climbing - it combats the sweaty effects that genetics, nervousness or stoke has on your mitts for a better grip on those tougher holds, and we would never dare try to tak...

New Belay Policy for All Locations

Rock climbing has evolved, and so has our gear, practices and systems. Though, the basic principles of responsibly venturing into the vertical world have not changed

A Cascades Adventure

The Front doesn’t just have members who crush, but our employees do, too! At the beginning of August, our Adult Programming Manager David Farkas traveled with our Accounting Assistant Sandy Moore to C...

Expanding the Competent Outdoor Climbing Community

The Outdoor Ascent Series’ (OAS) purpose is to help expand the competent outdoor climbing community in the Wasatch. Like an Avalanche 1 course, OAS aims to lay the foundation for participants to build...

Gear Up for Sending Season with the Outdoor Ascent Series

Are you tired of climbing inside instead of touching real rock under the sun? Or maybe you already enjoy clipping bolts inside but want to transition outside, or even start placing your own gear. Eith...

Discover HawkWatch During Climb On

Every year, The Front offers its original Climb On youth summer camp where participants, ages 6 – 13, learn climbing fundamentals such as rope work, movement and the proper use of climbing equipment....

2018 Holiday Gift Packages

Give the gift of adventure this holiday season with some fun gift packages for your family, friends, and loved ones. In the mood for something Petzl? La Sportiva? Well priced, you say? Our Gear Shop h...

Moon, Kilter, and Tension Boards Now in The Training Room

Led by the increasing popularity of and advances made in training for climbing, we made some changes to our space this summer, all for you! We added more workout square footage and equipment, more tra...

All About Locking Carabiners

Take a seat. I think it’s time we had a talk… I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and it’s only natural to be a little hesitant or curious. There can be a lot of confusion with how to smoothly opera...

Pakistan Climbing Trip Report

The Success in Failure - Climbing the Lotus Flower Tower

What defines success in a climb? Do you have to send your project/route? Or is it just coming back home safe? In truth, alpine climbing is about the process as much as it is about the adventure itself...

Ogden Boulder Field | Trip Report

Ogden is bustling with close to 90K residents and growing quickly. Not all the residents are climbers, but that’s likely because they haven’t been to our gym yet ;)! We all remember that one good clim...

Open Qualifiers & Finals | Di'namik 2018

Since 2013, Di'namik has brought some of the biggest names in the business to Salt Lake City to compete for the title of Di'namik Bouldering Championship. Each year, the cash purse for the pros gets b...

Citizens Comp & Courtyard Party | Di'namik 2018

Petzl's Di'namik Bouldering Championships was better than ever thanks to YOU, our route setters and staff, and our awesome sponsors! Di'namik's sponsors made a lot of people happy (as you can see belo...

Climbing Ropes: Does Size Matter?

You bet it does. In fact, there is more to consider than just size when buying a rope! Ultimately, the style of climbing you choose to do will help you determine what rope to choose. Before we get int...

Triassic - Land of a Thousand Boulders

#THEWILDFRONT Rock Type: Sandstone Distance from Salt Lake: 2.5 hours Directions: Check out Mountain Project Pros: Escape the crowds, a boulder for every skill level, awesome sandstone, dense and walk...

Climbing Shoe Rubber, The True Sticky Icky

With the creation of sticky rubber came a new age of climbing shoes. Boreal was perhaps the first company to produce the sticky rubber we know and love in 1979. Soon after, the shoes got in the hands...

Cam A Lot Or A Little?

What really is trad and where did these cams come from? Well, the original camming device was called a “Friend” developed by Ray Jardine in 1978. Eventually, they became a major production for the Uni...

USAC Bouldering Nationals Recap

Every year, the top boulderers in the country come together for the USA Climbing Bouldering Open National Championships. Over two days of fierce qualifying rounds, the field of more than 100 competito...

Speaker Series: Climbing Nutrition

Dr. Shannon O'Grady will be at The Front this Thursday, February 15th at 6PM to teach us about fueling for our beloved sport of climbing, but we couldn't wait to pick her brain! We asked her a few nut...

Chalkaholism, A Serious Condition

Magnesium, fluffy puffy, dry hand, the French blow, do these terms sound familiar? Scientifically, these white powdery substances are known as chalk. People have been drying their hands with chalk for...

Success Story: Falling Without Fear

The Front’s first falling clinic concluded last Wednesday (Jan. 10th) with participants learning how to assess risk, fall more comfortably, and push themselves to new heights on challenging climbs. On...

Get To Know Your Space: Moonboard

Training for Climbing at The Front Ogden One of the newest additions to The Front’s second floor training space is our very own Moonboard! What is a Moonboard, you ask? Going beyond a traditional syst...

Behind Every Send is a Great Belay

I watch a lot of belayers, it’s part of working in a gym. One of the things I’ve noticed over the past year is that we climbers are pretty inconsistent in our application of belay skills. Watch a seas...