"Rock-Climbing Generation at Foot of U.S. Startup Ascent: Economy"

The Gravity Vault was featured in an article titled, “Rock-Climbing Generation at Foot of U.S. Startup Ascent: Economy” than ran on Friday, March 21, 2014 on Bloomberg.com. and BusinessWeek.com. Read below to learn about how young entrepreneurs are creating businesses poised and ready for growth. The article includes information about Lucas and Tim’s backgrounds, the concept inception story, and how they are enjoying their lifestyle by operating a rock climbing gym. Preview article below or read full story here.

"Rock-Climbing Generation at Foot of U.S. Startup Ascent: Economy"

BY: Shobhana Chandra

Lucas Kovalcik and Tim Walsh turned their passion for rock climbing into a business. Their success helps show why U.S. entrepreneurship probably is about to get a shot in the arm.

After toiling at jobs such as hotel management and wireless network administration, the high school friends opened Gravity Vault in 2005, a cavernous 13,000-plus square foot (1,208 square meter) gym for those wanting to work up a sweat by rappelling faux walls, overhangs and arches. What began in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, as a six-person operation -- including their wives -- now has two locations with 45 employees.

“We learned what we enjoy doing, and part of our skill set is knowing who we are, what we’re good at,” said Kovalcik, 37.

A record 93 million Americans will be 30 to 49 years old in 2030, a group that includes the Echo Boomers born to the Baby Boom Generation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation projects. Kovalcik and Walsh, 38, are part of this age bracket, the one most likely to start new businesses, which research shows account for a disproportionate share of job creation.

“We should expect more new businesses to be created,” said Dane Stangler, vice president of research and policy at the foundation, a Kansas City, Missouri-based private group focused on education and entrepreneurship. “That’s a positive for the economy. It’s a piece of good news in the standard narrative about how we’re aging as a country.”

Read full story here.

Olympics Debut Ice Climbing

This year marked the debut of ice climbing in the Winter Olympics. Thanks to the folks at Gear Junkie we have the opportunity to hear an insiders perspective straight from Sochi of what it was really like. Read the full article here or preview below.

"Ice Climbing At The Olympics. Insider's Perspective From 'World Stage' In Sochi"

BY: GORDON MCARTHUR

When the world came to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, ice climbing was right there, front and center. While the sport was not a competition, the exhibition wall introduced spectators from around the world to a sport often practiced in remote and rugged wilderness.

Gordon McArthur, a climber from British Columbia, was in the mix. The Wigwam-sponsored athlete stopped in Russia to take part in the exhibition as he toured for the World Cup competition with Team Canada.

“There wasn’t any official competition. Just a group of amazing athletes from all over the world showcasing the sport in front of the world,” McArthur said. Below, he shares the experience of climbing at the Olympics in Sochi. —Sean McCoy

Read full article here.

Have fun and climb safe

Climbing is exhilarating and fun, but it is important to know the basics and stay safe while climbing. The folks at Rock & Ice have provided us with some great tips and belay technique to keep you out of the hospital and on the mountain. Preview the article below or read full story here.

"How to Climb Safe: Belay School"

BY: Tyler Stableford

I’ve always viewed trad- or ice-climbing falls as more serious than sport whippers. Heck, most of us, myself included, have become so accustomed to dropping onto bolts that we now fall more often than we send. The casualness has trickled down to belayers, who scratch their dogs and lounge in lawn chairs as their partners plummet earthward.


Turn that sport route into a thin crack or frozen pillar, however, and—whoa!—falling suddenly becomes a horrible prospect: What if that TCU rips, or ice shears? Even as a belayer, when I hear the cry of “Falling!”, I tense up and brace hard for the upward jolt.

Paradoxically, a good firm catch may be exactly the wrong move—an unyielding belay can double the impact forces on the top piece of gear, a critical consideration when leading on natural gear.

For this installment of Climb Safe, Rock and Ice Publisher Duane Raleigh and I field-tested impact forces during a common fall scenario—a nine-foot whipper with about 55 feet of rope out—using two belay techniques. For one set of falls, I belayed with a Petzl Grigri anchored securely to the ground (a static belay) while Duane hurled himself off the rock; for the next, I clipped the Grigri to my belay loop and, leaving myself unanchored, jumped up at the moment of impact, yielding a dynamic belay.

Read full story here. 

“Gravity Vault Brings Franchising to Climbing”

Recently The Gravity Vault was featured in Climbing Business Journal. The article focused on the growth and development of Gravity Vault. Lucas discussed the growth plans for the brand and the positive feedback that Gravity Vault has been receiving from prospective franchisees. Lucas further discussed the brand’s recent opening in Middletown and their upcoming opening in Allen. The article details the amount needed to open a franchise with Gravity Vault. Preview the article below or read full story here.

“Gravity Vault Brings Franchising to Climbing”

If you type the search term “climbing gym franchise” into your favorite web search engine, there is only one name that comes up. That name is Gravity Vault.

Like almost every successful climbing gym in North America, Gravity Vault wants to expand. But unlike other gyms, they are going about it in a totally different way.



New Jersey-based Gravity Vault Climbing Centers is the first climbing gym company in America, and possibly the world, to franchise their brand. After 8 years and building two corporate locations, Gravity Vault just opened their first franchised location in Middletown, New Jersey. They have also signed a contract to open their second franchised location in Allentown, PA later this year, and are looking at Hudson County, NJ for a third corporate location coming soon.

The big question many traditional developers are asking is why franchise your brand? For Lucas Kovalcik, co-founder of Gravity Vault, it comes down to changing people’s lives through the sport of climbing. Kovalcik and his partner Tim Walsh have decided that the most effective way to introduce the sport, and their brand, to new climbers is to help other entrepreneurs open climbing facilities with the Gravity Vault name.

Read full article here.