Story by Katie Bohannon
Photos by Meghan Frondorf
When innovative indoor climbing “microgym” GadRock made its debut in 2018, The City of Champions added another trophy to its display case. Located on Rainbow Drive overlooking serene Lake Gadsden, adventure awaits all seeking to explore something new in Etowah County, with GadRock proving the perfect escape on the water.
GadRock co-owners and friends Carrie Machen and Kate Wilson coined the term “microgym” as a nod to their past. The pair initially sparked a friendship while working at local microbrewery Back Forty Beer Company in downtown Gadsden, where a meager chat prompted the duo to dive into a massive venture. Both avid outdoorswomen and fitness enthusiasts, Machen and Wilson juggled the idea of a space where rock climbers – such as Machen’s son – could train indoors. Wilson’s solution was a concept already brewing in Machen’s mind: a gym.
She first familiarized herself with indoor rock-climbing facilities at YoungLife Camp Windy Gap neighboring Asheville, N.C. While she was an efficient recreational outdoor rock climber, the immersive world of artificial rope walls and bouldering areas intrigued Machen. Her family had joined gyms across the country, as they traveled from state to state with her husband’s military career. Drawing from these previous experiences, she and Wilson began the extensive search for the perfect location for GadRock, settling on a vacant lot at 1403 Rainbow Drive, which was full of potential.
Massachusetts-centered design company, Rockwerx, Inc., Chase Building Group and CDP Design, LLC conjured GadRock’s concept into a tangible footprint, constructing 4,500 square feet of climbing space. Courses vary in difficulty between both the rope climbing area and bouldering area, with one of the gym’s feature walls towering 40 feet high. Unobstructed, captivating views of the lake dazzle climbers, who peer down at the glistening water via garage-style doors that lift when the weather permits.
GadRock offers options for climbers of all levels of expertise and comfort. The microgym’s welcoming staff eliminates the intimidation that sometimes hinders new visitors, demonstrating necessary rope skills and the correct way to climb and belay during classes. Guests can choose from lead climbing or top roping. They are common forms of indoor climbing that incorporate harnesses and rope anchored from above and belayed from the ground, or bouldering, which features no harness or rope, just a crash pad to catch any who fall. Bouldering climbers seldom ascend higher than 20 feet as they deduce solutions to the “problems” appearing in boulder routes to reach their destinations.
On land and water
While GadRock nurtures the climbing community that circulates throughout Etowah County, its prime accessibility to Lake Gadsden unlocks another realm of opportunity for visitors to enjoy: paddleboarding. Machen and Wilson began paddling classes before climbing ever became available at GadRock, both earning their coaching certification the summer they started construction of the microgym.
Though some gym-goers flock to GadRock for just climbing or only paddling, gym members have access to both sports. The gym provides everything climbers or paddlers need concerning equipment, from harnesses and chalk to boards.
“Paddleboarding is another sense of community out there on the water,” said Machen. “It’s very peaceful out there on Lake Gadsden, with lots of wildlife that is fun to see. During the summer, a lot of people will come in here for a climbing session because it’s cool inside, then get out on the water and paddle and swim.”
Five classes cater to paddleboarders of all stages: SUP Intro Tour, SUP Fitness Tour, SUP Eco Tour, SUP Yoga Tour or a SUP & SIP Tour. Designed for beginners, the Intro Tour reigns true to its name, introducing beginners to the basics of paddleboarding. Machen shared that by the end of the Intro Tour, most people are standing up and paddling without a hitch.
A history of Lake Gadsden alongside the Coosa River, native wildlife spotting and exploration of the area characterize the Eco Tour, with the Yoga Tour emerging as a peaceful relaxation time on the water. Wilson leads the Fitness Tour, which incorporates a HIIT-style workout with aggressive paddling for 45 minutes to an hour of efficient exercise.
The SUP & SIP Tour, which Machen describes as the most popular and leisurely tour, is pure fun. A group gathers to explore tributary creeks, circling back to GadRock’s dock to enjoy a drink while watching the sunset.
“Stand-up paddling for this area is very new. So is indoor climbing,” said Machen. “With GadRock, we were introducing these new sports to people. I believe people might see our guests paddling and think that it looks hard and intimidating, but it absolutely isn’t – same with climbing. If you look at how tall the walls are, that might look overwhelming for some people. We try to take that intimidation factor out by having clinics and classes for paddling.”
Machen noted that in both climbing and paddling, GadRock transforms exercise from traditional techniques people sometimes dread, into unique, fun and interactive activities that generate excitement. Complimentary cross-training sports, both paddling and climbing are full-body workouts, using the same muscles.
After tearing her ACL climbing, paddling became a form of rehabilitation for Machen, aiding in her regaining her strength. Machen shared that not only does paddling and climbing minister to an individual’s physical wellness, but both contribute to improving one’s mental health.
“I love to get out on the water,” said Machen, who gains her greatest ideas while paddling by herself (or with her dog, who she often takes with her). “Sometimes, I’ll just stop and listen to the sounds around me and just let my mind drift and think. I’m more reflective when I’m out on the water.”
While paddling proves restorative and contemplative, climbing exercises a person’s mind in an alternate way. Machen noted that climbing is full of mistakes, but the sport teaches that to fail does not make a person a failure – it just gives him or her another opportunity to stand up and try again.
“When I’m climbing, I’m thinking about the next move, or what I’m doing right then in the moment, how to accomplish my goals on the wall,” said Machen. “I like that, because you’re not thinking about everything else in your life or in the world. You can take some time climbing and reflect on the present.”
Machen furthered paddling’s link to climbing, emphasizing that the Coosa River runs through all her favorite outdoor spots. From Southeastern Climbers Coalition’s Hospital Boulders on Lookout Mountain to Chandler Mountain’s Horse Pens 40, to Cherokee Rock Village and Moss Rock Preserve, a stone’s throw in Hoover, Etowah County and surrounding communities provide residents with countless remarkable chances for adventure. As climbing generates a deeper sense of understanding concerning nature, paddling parallels that appreciation, with Machen and other paddlers involved in efforts to protect the natural resources at their fingertips.
“The paddling and climbing communities are amazing,” said Machen. “They’re the people who are out there on the rocks and on the water. If you’re never on the water, you may never appreciate it as much as someone who is using it. We (these communities) are the people most invested in protecting those assets, concerned with water quality and access points. Even if you never get out on the water, if you just sit beside the lake and see the visual beauty … we should all look around and appreciate what (these resources) bring to our community.” As a child growing up in Gadsden, Machen often trekked through the little wooded areas of Clubview, excavating the pliable earth in creek beds and overturning rocks to uncover arrowheads. While Machen surmised that she probably found them all, cradling those arrowheads in her palms, her ears filled with the tranquil burble of water foreshadowed a future intwined with conservation and community.
