A newly formed business venture is working to bring Apopka what the owner bills as the largest indoor rock-climbing gym in Florida.
Stephen Carnes, a Winter Park resident and owner of Be Climbing Inc, has filed plans with the St. Johns River Water Management District for a 30,000-square-foot facility rising 75 feet at the corner of S.R. 414 and S.R. 435, just north of Keene Road.
Carnes purchased the seven-acre parcel in February of 2022 for $725,000, according to property records.
“I’ve been contemplating this since 2018,” Carnes told GrowthSpotter. “It’s been a few years in the works. Right here in the Central Florida area, we just lack a large-sized gym. For being flat and being Florida, we’ve always had a developed rock-climbing community here in Orlando. It’s a sport that’s liked by all ages.”
At 30,000 square feet, the rock climbing gym would be among the largest in the nation. Pacific Pipe climbing gym in Oakland, California, is currently the biggest in the U.S at 46,000 square feet.
“We will be much larger than anything presently in Florida,” Carnes said.
Carnes was introduced to rock climbing by his teenage son and daughter. Nikolaus, 17, and Sophia, 15, fell in love with the sport nearly a decade ago while at Camp Wewa in Apopka.
They then convinced their dad to take them to a nearby gym.
“They were having a good time climbing, and I thought, ‘rather than just sit here, I might as well get a pair of rental shoes and try to climb myself.’ I found it fun,” he said.
And it’s an activity anyone can do, he added. “It tends to be a sport where you don’t have to be the biggest and baddest athlete.”
Carnes’ son and daughter eventually became members of a rock climbing team participating in competitions. Carnes later installed a rock climbing wall inside his home, which drew quite a crowd when other spots temporarily shuttered during the pandemic.
He’s hopeful construction is complete on the first Be Climbing gym in Apopka by early 2024. Then, Carnes is planning to open other locations across the nation.
“I do not have anything else purchased yet, but I do have my sights set on Indiana. That’s where I’m originally from,” he said. “Looking at the Indianapolis area, that’s a very big hub for sports.”
This isn’t Carnes’ first business endeavor. He also owns the Marion, N.C.-based spring water company, BeWater, and the transportation and logistics company, Aqua Power.
The Apopka rock climbing gym will feature lead and top rope walls reaching up to 65 feet tall, two speed walls, and a large bouldering area within the gym.
A speed climbing wall is an artificial standardized climbing wall and is the main apparatus used for competitive speed climbing, according to a 2022 article published by Climbing Magazine.
The event — in which climbers race to the top side by side on the same route — debuted within the combined format of Sport Climbing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In Paris 2024, it will be a stand-alone category.
Carnes said the nearest rock climbing gym with a speed wall is in Tampa.
According to the company’s website, the mission is to provide a safe and exciting indoor rock climbing experience for people of all ages and abilities.
“We strive to promote physical activity, healthy competition, and a sense of community through our climbing gyms,” the website reads. “Our goal is to expand nationally, making rock climbing accessible and enjoyable for everyone. We are dedicated to offering state-of-the-art facilities and exceptional customer service at each of our locations.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407)-800-1161 or dwyatt@GrowthSpotter.com, or tweet me at @DustinWyattGS. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
