Colorful handholds fill the sloping walls inside The Jug Rock Gym, patiently waiting for climbers to pioneer new routes on Saturday. That’s when Redmond’s first indoor climbing gym officially opens for business.

With hundreds of thousands of climbers making the pilgrimage to nearby Smith Rock every year, there hasn’t been an in-town option to climb if snow, rain or heat prevented them from tackling the state park’s towering walls. Climbers in Redmond, Terrebonne, Madras or Prineville had no local indoor options to stay in shape during the dark winter months, except to drive to Bend’s gyms.

“We knew Redmond needed something,” said Philip Brennan, co-owner of The Jug.

According to Jake Mulvaney, who co-owns the gym with Brennan, the commute to Bend can be an obstacle — especially when it can be hard to find the motivation to work out.

The Jug, at 2605 S. First St. in Redmond, hopes to remove that obstacle. The gym is a 10-minute walk from the Redmond Airport and COCC’s Redmond campus, and five minutes from the North American headquarters of climbing gear manufacturer Edelrid.

“It’s kind of like a perfect spot,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney said it’ll be easy for those who have a long layover or arrive in town late for a weekend at Smith Rock to get in a quick session.

According to Kyle Bonfert, owner of Redpoint Climbing Supply in Terrebonne, it can be difficult for climbers to squeeze in a couple of routes at Smith if they’re short on time. If they only have an hour, it can be disappointing to hike into the park, get one pitch in and then start packing up.

“We’re all very excited to not have to drive to Bend to get to a climbing gym,” said Bonfert.

Both Redpoint and Edelrid will have booths at the grand opening event from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Edelrid will allow climbers to try out their Red Chili brand of climbing shoes.

The Jug’s hours will run from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It will be closed on Mondays.

Day passes will cost $20 for those 16 or older. A monthly pass will cost $65. Student, military, youth, senior and adaptive passes are also available with discounts. Climbers will be able to rent chalk and climbing shoes.

Getting in the groove

Bonfert said gyms are a great stepping stone for people interested in learning about rock climbing, especially since Smith Rock has routes that can be intimidating for new and intermediate climbers.

The gym can give climbers practice and a base level of skills and strength to help them once they take off outdoors.

“Having something that can be a middle ground I think is very beneficial,” Bonfert said.

Alan Watts, a legendary climber who pioneered sport climbing in the United States and built Smith Rock’s renown as a climbing destination, said gyms are a user-friendly way to introduce people to the sport.

“Having a climbing gym in the community is supported just as much by non-climbers as climbers,” Watts said. “It’s a very accessible way to try out climbing.”

Watts has been climbing at Smith Rock for 50 years. He said gyms started popping up in bigger cities in the late 1980s. It was a tough business to get into at first, since there weren’t enough climbers to support the industry.

Watts said that Redmond had been too small of a community for a climbing gym. But the population and number of climbers within city limits have continued to balloon, making it something that could pencil out.

“It’s really blown up in the last couple years. I don’t think it would have been sustainable to do it a few years ago,” Mulvaney said. “Redmond, specifically, has a huge climbing population. … It’s time now.”

Brennan agreed. “It’s hard to meet somebody who has no experience with climbing,” he said. “They may not climb, but everybody knows somebody here who climbs.”

The gym can also act as a social space, building the community and helping climbers connect. “People are gonna come in here and you’re gonna meet new people,” Brennan said.

Climbers can go by themselves, meet people, start talking and before you know it, Bonfert said, you’ve found a partner to go to Smith on the nice days.

“I think the community aspect of a bouldering gym is kind of perfect for this area,” Bonfert said. “A lot of the major climbing destinations don’t have a cool community or are as involved in the climbing community as Redmond.”

The gym

The 4,600-square-foot gym is smaller than many in Bend. Mulvaney said they’ve tried to use every little bit of available space.

There is also a weightlifting rack, showers and routes ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert. Brennan said they’re trying to set their grading system to be as accurate as possible for outdoor climbing.

Brennan said it’s not helpful for gyms to make indoor routes easier than outdoor routes, yet grade them the same. “It doesn’t do anything except boost your ego,” he said.

The gym will be split into six sections, and routes will stay the same for the first four or five weeks, before they mix things up and start setting new routes weekly. That schedule may change, however, depending on community response.

“This gym is going to be very dependent on feedback,” Mulvaney said. “We really want to hear what people want.”

Brennan added that Smith Rock attracts world-class climbers and route-setters and those visiting stars could set guest routes.

The duo said they’re also in talks with Obsidian Middle School to start a climbing team. They are working on basic classes for those interested.

While it will just be the two of them for the first couple of months, they noted that once they start hiring people they’ll be able to expand their offerings and plan to hire folks with experience running classes.

Bonfert said Brennan and Mulvaney are trying to create a good product and want to be part of the wider Redmond community. He pointed out that after climbing at The Jug, folks could go down the street to try on shoes at Edelrid, jump over to downtown Redmond to support local businesses before heading to Redpoint in Terrebonne for a cup of coffee or beer.

“You can stop in Redmond and enjoy yourself in the community,” Bonfert said.

It helps, Bonfert said, that the duo built nearly everything themselves.

Brennan welded while Mulvaney, who previously worked in roofing and general construction, built the wood walls.

“I think that’s the coolest part about it … we touched every piece of this project,” Mulvaney said. “It’s truly our baby.”