Climbers scale the walls using the auto-belay at Bend Rock Gym on Jan. 26.

The climbing boot on display behind glass at Bend Rock Gym reminded me of my husband’s old climbing shoes. Like the high tops of Chuck Taylor All Stars, the EB 1970s-era climbing shoe rose above the ankle with a circular logo on one side, the letters EB faintly visible.

My husband’s shoes are the same shape, also high tops but with more flexible sides. The vintage shoes, made by Boreal, have bright red laces with a large, clownish red circle on each side. He got a great deal on the shoes at a thrift store. And while some may have purchased the footwear to hang on a cabin wall, he climbed with them for two years, refusing to sell them even when a friend offered to purchase the pair for $100.

Eight years ago, when the sole separated from the bottom of one of the shoes, he purchased a modern La Sportiva climbing shoe and hasn’t looked back.

On a recent weekend, the bitter cold temperatures made recreating inside more appealing than outside, so we’d spent a portion of a Sunday morning bouldering inside the comfortable, controlled temperatures of Bend Rock Gym.

It’d been a while since I’d hung from a bouldering wall, and it felt great to play on the routes. For those who come more often, the gym keeps the routes fresh and interesting as new ones are set weekly in each gym, according to the website.

The facility offers auto-belay, top rope and lead climbing. Bouldering is available in the south gym, and for those with a membership or punch pass, at the west gym across the parking lot.

From the archives: Boardworks Climbing is the first climbing facility of its kind in the country

More places to climb

There are several more opportunities to boulder inside in Bend, such as The Circuit Bouldering Gym at 63051 NE Corporate Place, which has over 200 routes, with 25 new ones set every Friday.

Boardworks Climbing Fitness, located at 222 SE Reed Market Road, specializes in board climbing, with 24-hour access to its unstaffed gym, which launched in 2023. The first visit is free, and climbers are invited to book a tour to learn more about the equipment and to receive barcode access.

A great place to climb when the weather is dry are the free-to-access bouldering structures in Alpenglow Park in Southeast Bend. The routes haven’t changed since the structures were installed in 2022, but the fact that it’s free to use is pretty hard to beat.

If You Go

What: Bend Rock Gym

When: Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: 1182 SE Centennial Ct., Bend

Cost: Day passes $22 for adults and $19 for students; 10-punch passes $200 for adults and $175 for students

Contact: bendrockgym.com or 541-388-6764