Pandora Street

Lead Belay with the Gri-Gri

Belaying a leader in a climbing gym with a Gri-Gri requires some skills you won't have learned if you've only belayed with ATC-type devices. Luckily it's not hard to make the adjustment.

For an overview, check the Petzl technical page: Belaying with the GRIGRI 

The big thing to learn is how to momentarily allow rope to be pulled through the GRIGRI without blocking the cam's action.

  1. Hold the rope with at least three fingers.
  2. Use the index finger to support the GRIGRI
  3. The thumb presses on the cam.

The action must be momentary, and as soon as the leader has clipped return to the primary belaying position.

More of a visual learner? Have a look at the official Petzl video.


Views Inside the Building

Construction is really moving along, with the interior construction getting going in a big way. Here are some shots to keep you motivated.  (You just might want to train endurance...)

Looking up from back of the gym.  Upper mezzanine on right has climbing as tall as the tallest lines in Crag X on John Street.  

Looking up from back of the gym.  Upper mezzanine on right has climbing as tall as the tallest lines in Crag X on John Street.  

Stairs up to the mezzanine.  Lower bouldering area starts right of the stairs.

Stairs up to the mezzanine.  Lower bouldering area starts right of the stairs.

Looking up at the future site of the chains for the huge wall in the back right corner. Seriously big when you are standing there. 

Looking up at the future site of the chains for the huge wall in the back right corner. Seriously big when you are standing there. 

View from the top of the stairs looking towards the upper bouldering area. We are loving the natural light.

View from the top of the stairs looking towards the upper bouldering area. We are loving the natural light.

All these shots by Silva. 

A tiny FAQ

Q: What percentage of the new gym will be leadable?

A: 100%

Interior Dreaming

Building a scale model to tune the interior space.

Who is that little guy with the beard anyway?

Roof Truss!

Thanks to Walter Moar we have a picture with the roof trusses on.  Mezzanine on the left side is starting to reveal itself. Studio at front left.

Walter Moar

Walter Moar

Steel Arrives

The interlocking web of steel girders and posts and trusses has begun to be lifted into place.  Next week comes the roof decking.

Three Sided Box

The first three sides of the building are up, and now the steel work begins. The front of the building is mainly glass, with three more panels framing the glass curtain wall.  

The steel guys will be welding attachment brackets to imbedded mounting plates and then the roof trusses will be craned in and welded in place. After that, the roofing guys show up.

Thanks to Walter Moar for the picture.

Thanks to Walter Moar for the picture.

Walls are up!

Take a look at this overhead time-lapse of our panels being moved into position.

Pre-Cast Panel Walls

Panel Marking.JPG

They said the panels were to big, they said they were too heavy, they said it couldn't be done. Turns out Nanaimo Precast is getting it done. Turns out the impossible just takes a little longer.

Concrete!

The old is gone and now we're starting to get things into place.

Below street level doorway.

Below street level doorway.

Demolition revealed brick archways, leading to a small area under the street where electrical and other services now run. If you want to waste a lot of time, you can start googling Victoria's underground tunnel network. There's a mega thread here, but you have to wade through a fair bit of side tracked discussions.

Concrete going in really makes it feel real. 

First Things First

We held a kick-off meeting on December 17th with all the trades involved in building the new Crag X. After introductions, Stewart Story of Story Construction (our General Contractor) went over timelines, organization and execution of our plan.  Meeting adjourned and then off to plan the first day of work - bringing down the existing building.

Working on our project is a fine team of professionals. In no real order they are:

The kick-off meeting.

The kick-off meeting.

  • Story Construction - General Contractor
  • Chandler Associates Architecture - Architect
  • Londong Mah Asociates - Structural Engineering
  • Avalon Mechanical - Mechanical Engineering
  • Magma Electrical - Electrical Engineering
  • Ryzuk Geotech - Geotechnical Engineering
  • Focus Engineering - Civil Engineering
  • Michell Excavating - Civil Contractor
  • Nanaimo Precast - Precast 
  • Alliance Engineering Works - Structural Steel Contractor
  • Oceanview Mechanical - HVAC/Mechanical Contractor
  • Brewis Electric - Electrical Contractor
  •  Pino-Lite Glass - Glazing
  • Parker Johnson Roofing - Roofing Contractor
  • Gordon N Gordon - Interior Contractor

 

We've Begun!

After a long time and a lot of work we are finally able to announce the start of our move to Pandora Street!

At 11am on December 12, 2014 we signed the construction contract for our new building. Work at the site should begin this week and we expect to be open for climbing early summer 2015.

CXPandoraFront

We will be updating you on our progress as we go on this blog, so check back for posts, photos and more.

The climbing community in Victoria is great, and we can't wait to have you all climbing in our new gym. Drew can't wait either!

Thanks for all of your support over the last twenty years,

Nikolai and Kenneth