It’s hard to comprehend the scale of Climbing Roots Bouldering Gym from the outside looking in.
The three-level, 26,000-square-foot space—formerly the gymnasium of Sevier Heights Baptist Church, now Baker Creek Bottoms (3710 Sevier Heights Rd.)—is massive, cavernous and undergoing an ambitious transformation. By the time it opens (TBD but fingers crossed for this year), the site will be home to a full-fledged bouldering gym. Bouldering involves climbing without ropes, with shorter walls and thicker pads to fall onto.
Climbing Roots will have a vast array of training walls for climbers of all experience levels plus kids’ zones, a Ninja Warrior course, yoga studio, workout equipment, showers, party rooms and more. It’s is the vision of Lindsay and Nathan Runne, longtime climbers with a deep love for both the sport and the community it fosters.
“We’ve been kind of in and out of climbing for 10-plus years,” said Lindsay, who recently showed me around the still-in-progress facility. “We’ve climbed all around the country at different climbing gyms and outdoor crags. I worked at a climbing gym years ago, and since then, I just had this dream of opening a really awesome bouldering gym. I didn’t really think it was going to become reality, because it’s extremely expensive to open a climbing gym. But it was always in the back of my mind.”
The location, overlooking the mountain bike tracks and trails of Baker Creek Preserve, captured the Runnes’ imagination when they moved to Knoxville in 2018. “We thought, we have to live as close as we can to this place. It’s going to be awesome,” Lindsay said. “We even said, there needs to be a climbing gym in that old church.”
That dream began to take shape a couple years ago when one of the developers told Lindsay that there was, in fact, a climbing gym coming in. He asked her if she wanted to manage it. “I said yes. And then a month later I reached out again and said, ‘I still want to manage this gym—what’s going on?’ And he said, ‘Well …. do you want to own it?’ And I said yes!”
Here’s a view looking down on the gymnasium from upstairs:
You can climb from one level of the building to the next:
The dream picked up speed fast. Brian Hann and Jason Stephens and everyone else in the group Steeple People have been incredibly supportive, Lindsay said. “We couldn’t do it without them,” she said. “They’re not typical landlords. They want a climbing gym here. They know what a great opportunity this is for the community.”
And now, it’s happening. The facility includes top-out boulders, simulating a lot of outdoor bouldering. Lindsay explains, “Topping out on a boulder problem refers to the final act of climbing a boulder, where you stand on top of the boulder after successfully completing the climb. This is often a crucial part of outdoor bouldering, as for some, a climb isn’t considered finished until the climber is standing on top. It can be a challenging part of the climb, requiring specific techniques like mantling. we want to bring that outdoor experience into the gym. It’s not only fun but a good place to practice these techniques to be able to take to your outdoor crags.”
A fun feature about this gyms’ top-out boulders will be that they will double as hangout spaces up top, too. There is a massive one in the center of the main climbing floor, and you can also climb from the main floor to an upper level where there’s a “cave” feature (a climbing wall that is horizontal) for climbers to tackle.
A dedicated training area includes a full suite of high-tech climbing boards: a 16×12 Kilter board, a Moon board 2024, and a Tension2 board, each outfitted with holds that light up and sync to a database of user-created routes, or “problems.”
“These boards are all over the world,” Lindsay said. “Somebody in China can create a problem, and you can climb it here and rate it.”
There’s also a spray wall for training, a crack climbing training board, and a plan to install top rope anchors to support adaptive climbers.
Downstairs, the team is building out a kid-friendly climbing area and a Ninja Warrior course designed by their head route setters, Wei Qin, who also happens to be a Ninja Warrior himself.
“I’m super excited about that,” Lindsay said, “because when kids get bored of climbing, they can play around on the ninja course or just have space to run around. We will also have party rooms, hangout spots for parents, and a little kiddie area where the little ones can be safe.”
As a mom of three (ages 6, 8 and 10), Lindsay knows firsthand what it’s like to want to climb but not know what to do with your kids. “I remember going to my local crag with my youngest and this little A-frame bouncy seat. I’d set it up and let him bounce while I messed around on boulders,” she said.
Photos of the basement:
The upstairs floor will feature a yoga studio (Lindsay is a certified yoga teacher), fitness equipment, and plenty of space for climbers to cross-train. The Runnes envision Climbing Roots as a “third space” where people can work, hang out, be themselves and meet others. They hope to foster a culture that’s inclusive, welcoming and vibrant. “Our dream is that everybody who comes in feels super welcome, and that this is just their second home,” Lindsay said. “We’re doing it because we love climbing and we love the community. We want to make it a better place.”
The future yoga room:
These will be bathrooms with showers:
Learn more at the Climbing Roots website, and keep an eye on Instagram for progress updates. A discounted 10-punch pass is available now for $165 and can later be converted into a membership.
“We’ve been planning nonstop for two years,” Lindsay said. “Trying to decide on the design, what’s best for the community, how to include kids climbing, training options for strong climbers, and just a space for people who climb for fun.”
Elsewhere in Baker Creek Bottoms …
… there is plenty going on. I checked in with developer Thomas Krajewski, who said in short that the commercial space is fully leased. Beyond that, he said, “We are finalizing plans with the City to start some updates to the exterior and site to improve the property and customer experience.” A few other notes:
- The restaurant 71 South has been an anchor business from the get-go. A recently expanded, dog-friendly outdoor seating space includes a few more picnic tables with shade sails.
- Hummingbird Apothecary South is a cozy space with an expansive tea collection, kava and kratom cocktails, brewed herbal drinks on draft, boba tea and more. It is my go-to home-office-away-from-home.
- Evolve Yoga is going strong upstairs with its gorgeous, sun-drenched studio. You can drop in for $20 or take advantage of the trial membership, with unlimited access to classes for 30 days for $30.
- The Bottoms’ newest resident, gluten-free pie shop and bakery Small Comforts Kitchen, has been settling in and is expanding its morning hours. Now it is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and Saturday from 10-3 p.m. You can also find Small Comforts at the Saturday Market Square Farmers’ Market.
- Mother’s Daughter Bread also bakes here; you can find its bread at the Market Square Farmers Market or you can sign up for a CSB (Community Supported Bread) subscription available for pickup at Bakers Creek or the Market.
- It doesn’t get more convenient than Bear Paw Bikes, which has everything you need to hit the trails and a super-nice, knowledgeable staff.
- The Mighty Wig, open by appointment only, offers a private and custom wig-buying experience.