This weekend, climbing enthusiasts can try their skills at a new indoor destination: Upper Limits in Chesterfield (17375 Edison, 636-735-3270). The company’s third Missouri location will host its grand opening this weekend, when guests can also enjoy music, food, and outdoor climbing (on Saturday). The first 100 guests on Saturday will be entered in a raffle to win a free year’s climbing membership.
Upper Limits owner Chris Schmick converted the 13,000-square-foot facility from a gymnasium into its current form. The gym’s unique features include a 30-foot bouldering area built out of an old trampoline pit (normally, bouldering walls are shorter, but the wall incline is padded with a ramp that allows safe climbing for a longer distance), as well as 20 “Wacky Walls”—themed climbs made to look like faces, spider webs, buildings, and more.
Your guide to a healthier, happier you
Sign up for the St. Louis Wellness newsletter and get practical tips for a balanced, healthy life in St. Louis.
Many of the gym’s features, particularly the Wacky Walls, are geared toward adolescents. Youngsters, for instance, will be excited to see a beanstalk-inspired climbing wall. And black lights, disco lights, and a birthday room make the gym a party-ready venue.
The facility isn’t entirely geared to children, though. A 7,000-square-foot bouldering wall is ideal for experienced climbers. The facility also offers auto belays, automated rope systems that allow climbers to scale taller walls without a partner.
By bringing Upper Limits to Chesterfield, Schmick hopes more St. Louisans can experience the thrill of climbing, as he first did years ago. “That very first day‚ it changed my life,” he recalls. “That’s all I’ve ever done ever since.”
