The Ice Coop is the First Designated Dry-Tooling Gym in the U.S. Sound weird? A visit will make you a convert.
While there is no shortage of climbing gyms in Boulder, the city is now also home to The Ice Coop—the first designated dry-tooling gym in the United States.
Dry-tooling is a take on ice climbing, where climbers scale plywood or rock walls using pickaxe tools and technical climbing shoes, called fruit boots, with spikes on the ends.
Owners Sally Gilman and Colby Rickard are the brains behind the creation of this unique gym, founded in 2019. Both ice climbers themselves, Gilman says the lack of training facilities was the big impetus behind creating this gym.
One of the biggest challenges the couple faced during the creation of the gym was the lack of resources. Since The Ice Coop is one-of-a-kind, they had to start from scratch for what an indoor dry-tooling gym would look like.
“We got to invent the wheel and figure it all out, which is kind of the fun part. There was no blueprint to go by,” Gilman says.
Furthermore, the cost of getting into ice climbing does not come cheap. The gear alone can put quite a dent in the wallet, and finding experienced mentors to climb with can be a deterring feat for some. However, Gilman believes “The Coop” makes this sport much more accessible to those looking to get involved.
“Ice climbing is pretty prohibitive—with the expenses and the equipment,” Gilman says. “The gym is a great place to offer mentorship to people and to get them going in a warm, safe environment.”
The Coop’s mission statement furthers this sense of community, stating on their website that “this is a project of love and we welcome all stoked ice climbers and dry toolers and those that are curious about this gnarly sport.”
The Ice Coop also offers rental packages and a plethora of classes, ranging from basic fundamentals to more advanced climbing techniques. While it’s a great spot for beginners to try their hand at these ice tools, Gilman says there’s a wide variety of experience from all over the world, including the USA Ice Climbing Team, which often uses the gym as their training grounds.
Furthermore, The Coop is home to ice climbing extraordinaire Tyler Kempney, manager and coach at the gym.
“He’s one of the top climbers in the world in this sport. There’s no way you’re going to walk into an ice climbing gym and have an iconic climber ready to get you coached and mentored in the sport,” Gilman says. “But with dry tooling, that can very well happen when you walk into The Coop.”
With the rise in popularity of indoor dry tooling in the United States, Gilman believes it could one day catapult it to an Olympic sport. He’s most excited about the ever-growing community that has come from its success.
“There’s a lot of volunteer effort going on right now to build the sport, and that’s the fun part—watching it all come together,” Gilman says. “I’ve loved watching the passion behind these events and people rallying around The Coop. It’s very exciting for the future of this sport.”
—Ariella Nardizzi
While there is no shortage of climbing gyms in Boulder, the city is now also home to The Ice Coop—the first designated dry-tooling gym in the United States.
Dry-tooling is a take on ice climbing, where climbers scale plywood or rock walls using pickaxe tools and technical climbing shoes, called fruit boots, with spikes on the ends.
Owners Sally Gilman and Colby Rickard are the brains behind the creation of this unique gym, founded in 2019. Both ice climbers themselves, Gilman says the lack of training facilities was the big impetus behind creating this gym.
One of the biggest challenges the couple faced during the creation of the gym was the lack of resources. Since The Ice Coop is one-of-a-kind, they had to start from scratch for what an indoor dry-tooling gym would look like.
“We got to invent the wheel and figure it all out, which is kind of the fun part. There was no blueprint to go by,” Gilman says.
Furthermore, the cost of getting into ice climbing does not come cheap. The gear alone can put quite a dent in the wallet, and finding experienced mentors to climb with can be a deterring feat for some. However, Gilman believes “The Coop” makes this sport much more accessible to those looking to get involved.
“Ice climbing is pretty prohibitive—with the expenses and the equipment,” Gilman says. “The gym is a great place to offer mentorship to people and to get them going in a warm, safe environment.”
The Coop’s mission statement furthers this sense of community, stating on their website that “this is a project of love and we welcome all stoked ice climbers and dry toolers and those that are curious about this gnarly sport.”
The Ice Coop also offers rental packages and a plethora of classes, ranging from basic fundamentals to more advanced climbing techniques. While it’s a great spot for beginners to try their hand at these ice tools, Gilman says there’s a wide variety of experience from all over the world, including the USA Ice Climbing Team, which often uses the gym as their training grounds.
Furthermore, The Coop is home to ice climbing extraordinaire Tyler Kempney, manager and coach at the gym.
“He’s one of the top climbers in the world in this sport. There’s no way you’re going to walk into an ice climbing gym and have an iconic climber ready to get you coached and mentored in the sport,” Gilman says. “But with dry tooling, that can very well happen when you walk into The Coop.”
With the rise in popularity of indoor dry tooling in the United States, Gilman believes it could one day catapult it to an Olympic sport. He’s most excited about the ever-growing community that has come from its success.
“There’s a lot of volunteer effort going on right now to build the sport, and that’s the fun part—watching it all come together,” Gilman says. “I’ve loved watching the passion behind these events and people rallying around The Coop. It’s very exciting for the future of this sport.”
—Ariella Nardizzi
Cover photo: Elizabeth Whiteaker takes stabs and hooks into the dry-tooling walls at The Ice Coop. Photo by Shawn Heyland
