Boulder Parc is Ontario’s Newest Climbing Gym
Boulder Parc in Scarborough is now open!
Climbing gyms are opening all over the country, but last week saw Scarborough gets it first one with Boulder Parc. The new facility is built on community and a passionate love for climbing.
Owners Michael But, Edwin Chang, Mike Chien, Mabel Law and Benson Li came together with routesetters Jason Dionisio, Marsha Chan, Wes Moore and Matt Chapman to create the cutting edge facility.
Matt Chapman now heads Boulder Parc’s competitive team after years of experienced coaching of top-level athletes. Head setter Jason Dionisio leads his crew of routesetters in the construction of commercial- and competition-style boulders.
The main attraction are the Impact Climbing walls built in Milton, Ontario. The dark stain promotes a natural aesthetic that creates a chill atmosphere.
The facility’s On Site mats are also Canadian made and come from Montreal.
It’s important to the owners that the gym is Canadian made and Canadian influenced. Free chalk sits in buckets around the gym. Chang said, “We want to grow the Canadian climbing community. We feel proud to support Canadian business.”
As such, the design for their check-in area, along with a great portion of their training area, was constructed in-house by Dionisio and his local business Mosaic Maker Works.
The four campus boards are located adjacent to an inverted staircase. The training tool is literally an upside-down staircase with campus rungs attached to the steps.
Boulder Parc also features a regulation, hydraulically-adjustable tension board with wooden holds. The routesetting is fun and features a hold-based system. This style is defined by static moves between holds. The volumes serve to change the angle of the wall instead of operating as holds themselves, like in many comps.
What’s more is the fact that the grading is accurate, within half-a-grade of what is posted. Even still, you can contest the Parc’s grades via the MyClimb app service.
In addition to the commercial-style routes, Boulder Parc has competition-style boulders of all difficulties. The four-point starts are marked by pink tape and offer a fun way to test your skills.
The facility also has a 40-degree spray wall that will soon feature the Stokt app so that climbers can make and record their own problems.
Their training area includes three of the best hangboards in the world: the Beastmaker 2000, the Tension Grindstone Pro and the Transgression Board. With various other athletic equipment and a metal-cage for calisthenics training, the facility is more than ready to meet your needs.
Outside the world of fitness is the Boulder Parc community, team and more. The results are from the owners’ desire to break down the barriers between climbers in a facility.
The facility hopes to add a bunch of services to their roster in the coming months, including fitness and yoga classes. Boulder Parc also sells premium coffee and various snacks.
After you’re done climbing, feel free to lounge in the seating area. Though Boulder Parc is already home to some of Ontario’s strongest climbers, it’s a place of equality and comfort between people of all backgrounds and climbing levels. It is definitely worth a visit.
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