Cover photo courtesy of Todd Mires
Wild Walls was the passion project of climbing buddies and outdoors enthusiasts Timon Behan and Bill Lockwood. At a time with few indoor climbing gyms, the two worked with experts in the climbing industry and builders in the community to construct two main pillars from 60,000 pounds of steel, plywood and concrete, opening doors in the heart of downtown Spokane in 1995. A lot of climbing space has been added since then, and Wild Walls is now a staple of the Spokane-area climbing community.
While climbing may have an intimidating reputation for some, Wild Walls manager Todd Mires says the climbing community in Spokane is very welcoming and has grown considerably in the last decade. “The community was small and climbing was a very niche sport and subculture,” says Mires. “Thankfully, climbing has become fairly mainstream, and the bigger the sport, the more people involved, the better the community. Climbing is for anyone and everyone who wants it.”
Mires’ own climbing story is one of finding a place to fit in and grow in confidence. He fell in love instantly when he began climbing at the age of 12. “I hadn’t excelled at anything athletically up to that point and didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere, so climbing truly rescued my self-esteem. Since then, I’ve observed my story play out similarly for many young climbers. I see my role as creating an environment for everyone to enjoy what climbing has to offer, and hopefully people will fall in love as I did,” he says.
To give Wild Walls a try, drop by and ask to try bouldering or auto-belaying. “There’s no pressure for those with understandable apprehension with regards to heights,” says Mires. “You are in control of how high you climb. We just want everyone to go at their own pace and what makes them comfortable.” Wild Walls offers belay classes when you’re ready to take your climbing to the next level too.
The gym also has a yoga studio on site, offering vinyasa and acro yoga classes, which are included with any membership, punch card or day pass. While it may not be immediately obvious, the practices of yoga and climbing can really complement one another. “Yoga serves climbing by improving flexibility and mindfulness, while climbing serves yoga by improving strength and stamina,” says Mires. “I feel yoga and climbing demand a level of focus and body awareness that help tune out stress and anxiety and force participants to be present.”
This year will be Wild Walls’ 30th anniversary, so stay tuned for a special celebration. “We greatly appreciate everyone, especially our members, and hope to see you on the walls in 2025,” says Mires. You can find all the details on classes, rental equipment, and climbing times at Wildwalls.com.
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