Twenty-one years after opening Climbmax one of the nation’s first indoor rock climbing gyms in downtown Asheville, Stuart Cowles is on the sharp end again.
In the early 1990’s Cowles left his job as a manager and designer at a climbing gear enterprise in Conway, NH with the goal of opening a climbing gym.
“That was the motivating factor to move to Asheville. I wanted a small city with a solid climbing community that might be able to support it,” he says. Since then, he’s roped in a loyal following and introduced hundreds of folks to the edgy sport.
Fast forward two decades and construction is underway on the Smoky Mountain Adventure Center in the River Arts District (RAD) that will open its doors later this spring or summer. On a small wedge of land on Amboy Road nestled between Carrier Park and theFrench Broad River Park, the enterprise will feature a state of the art climbing gym, a yoga studio, a beer tap, as well as bike, stand up paddle board and other gear rentals.
Click over to Asheville Pocket Guide to read the full story. Thanks to loyal reader Sammy for the heads-up.
Photos courtesy of Glazer Architecture.
3 Comments
It’s the kudzu I’d be worried about.
Stuart is a great guy and I wish him well. It would be great to take a walk on the greenway and stop for a beer. It’s going to take aggressive management of the kudzu on that hillside to keep the place clear, though. Good luck!
Hope they’re planning on shoring up that hill side. Looks very unstable.
If I lived in that house that’s almost teetering on the brink up there, I’d be terrified.