A Entreprises wall went up at the University of Alberta in 1989, which was pretty early for North American indoor walls. The Verdon Gorge was the hot shit place

A Entreprises wall went up at the University of Alberta in 1989, which was pretty early for North American indoor walls. The Verdon Gorge was the hot shit place to climb at the time, and the Entreprises (a french company) wall textures and holds emulated the small technical limestone features that are commonly found there. I wasn't allowed to climb there until I was 16. I cut my teeth as a climber traversing back and forth on a cobbled bridge abutment local climbers would train on before the U of A wall went up. The second Gym to open in my home city, Vertically inclined, in 1994, was designed by Christian Griffith. It is still in operation today. Griffith also designed my original chalkbag, which I bought with allowance money and still have. I'm sentimental about that chalkbag. Around that time a local climber was dabbling around with hold making and went on to found Teknick climbing hold company, which set off a trend towards the big fat holds you see in climbing gyms today. Teknik is now a venerable old company and the second biggest supplier of holds in the world. He was a way better climber than me back then, and he still is.