Quantum Climbing coming to Stevi

by John Dowd

A new indoor climbing gym focused on beginners, families and the growing popularity of bouldering is expected to open in Stevensville this fall.

Quantum Climbing, owned by longtime climber James Higginson, is targeting an Oct. 1 opening in a space next to Discovery Fitness. The approximately 900-square-foot gym will feature a bouldering area with a maximum climbing height of 12 feet, along with caves, arches, overhangs and low-angle walls designed to accommodate climbers of all skill levels.

Higginson said his primary goal is to make climbing more approachable.

“We want to cater to families and entry-level climbers,” Higginson said. “A lot of people get their start bouldering. It’s a low barrier to entry.”

Unlike traditional rope climbing, bouldering involves shorter climbs completed without ropes, using padded flooring for protection.

In addition to standard climbing terrain, Quantum Climbing will feature a dedicated area where members can learn route setting and build their own climbing routes. Higginson said route setting has become an increasingly valuable skill as climbing gyms continue to expand across the country.

The gym will also include training walls and a campus board section designed to help climbers improve their strength and technique.

Higginson has been climbing since he was 12 years old and previously worked as a climbing guide in Tucson, Arizona. He had planned to open a climbing gym there before the recession halted those plans. Years later, after relocating to the Bitterroot Valley, he said he saw an opportunity to bring a climbing gym to the valley.

His background in construction and contracting has been a huge aid for him in designing and creating the space. He has also been consulting professional climbers and other gym owners to create something he believes will be very special.

“The space is tight,” Higginson said. “It’s going to be a ‘design as you go’ kind of thing.”

“I’m going to involve the community,” he said, as community members have already expressed interest in helping with the project.

For comparison, Higginson said the climbing area will be roughly two to three times the size of the cave section at the University of Montana climbing gym.

The business will launch with what Higginson called “experimental prices” to gauge viability, offering $10 day passes and $40 monthly memberships. While those rates could increase in the future, he said they will remain lower than many larger climbing gyms because Quantum Climbing is a smaller, primarily bouldering facility.

Beyond indoor climbing, Higginson plans to rent climbing gear, offer outdoor climbing guide services and help introduce customers to outdoor climbing opportunities throughout the Bitterroot Valley. “I want people to transition into outdoor climbing,” said Higginson.

One of the area’s premier destinations is Blodgett Canyon, west of Hamilton, which Higginson described as one of his favorite climbing areas and a world-class destination. He also hopes the gym can help improve access to climbing throughout the valley.

Higginson said he also plans to partner with local schools on educational programs that connect climbing with science.

“I love the sciences,” he said, pointing to concepts such as the relationship between mass and energy and the balance between tension and rest. “This is how climbing works. There are a lot of beautiful symmetries there.”

The gym’s name reflects another of Higginson’s interests. A self-described hobby physicist, Higginson said Quantum Climbing draws inspiration from quantum physics, and climbing routes throughout the gym will include references to scientific concepts.

Looking ahead, Higginson hopes to expand the facility by adding a much taller outdoor rope-climbing wall in the shopping center’s courtyard.

Until then, his focus remains on opening the gym this fall. Before opening day arrives, however, Higginson has one more personal goal: climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

Quantum Climbing will initially promote the business through Facebook and Instagram, with a website expected to launch before the gym opens.