Magpie Adventures

Lisa:
Hello friends! Welcome to season 2 of Magpie Adventures, a show about how we feel in the spaces we share. I’m Lisa Pruden. Thanks for being here in this space, where a past version of me speaks to a future holding the present version of you. I wonder what that sky looks like? I bet it’s beautiful.
The theme of this season is play. I’m curious about where we go when we’re feeling playful and what play can look like. Once again I’ve found 3 fantastic places to show you, each with some very cool people to meet.

This first episode is all about movement and using your body to solve problems. If you can, shake out your arms and legs, or just give whatever’s available a little wiggle. We’re heading over to Boulders climbing gym.

Boulders is one of 3 climbing gyms in the Rock Jungle family. Rock Jungle has 3 gyms in Edmonton each with a different focus:

There’s Niche, a bouldering gym with one of Edmonton’s largest kilter boards. More on what that is later. There’s Factory Gym, where you climb high with ropes and carabiners. And there’s our destination: Boulders. Here they also focus on bouldering, so climbing on low walls and caves. There are no ropes. Just tons of fun.

Boulders is located at one 105 avenue and 107 street, just behind MacEwan University. Quite a few bus routes come this way.

Emily:
Hi. My name is Emily.

Lisa:
Emily is a front desk manager here at Boulders. She and her colleagues each wear many hats, but as our tour guide today, this “front desk manager” hat fits the best.

Lisa:
All right, and you're going to take us on a tour of the Boulders climbing gym.

Emily:
That I am. Yeah, we are currently here in sort of the main foyer area between the cafe and the gym. And I guess we'll probably swing through the gym first, and then maybe we'll, maybe we'll come to the cafe a little after.

Lisa:
That sounds great, thank you.

Emily:
Alright. Now we are in the larger of, sort of our two climbing areas here. This is our West Bay. So, yeah, lots of big old walls in here, lots of fun, colorful plastic for people to climb up. Lots of space. Yeah, we have a little, a little dog bed in here that says dirt bag affectionately on it. We have lots of people come in and bring, like, cats and dogs and other pets that they have they want to come bring to hang out. And then, sort of, we have a fun thing here, which is like a little feature wall that is our top Out Boulder. So people can actually go all the way up over the edge, and then you can climb down using fun little ladder in the corner.

Lisa:
So I'm seeing it only goes so high there. I'm not seeing the carabiners.

Emily:
Yes, exactly, yeah, specifically, our location is bouldering only. So you're not going to find anything that's too tall that you have to, you know, learn how to be a belayer and, like, use harnesses and belay ropes and stuff like that. So, yeah, it's, it's pretty accessible. So for folks who, like, are looking into getting into doing a fun social exercise, I, you know, bouldering is, it got really popular within the last few years, I think for good reason, because the environment of an indoor gym is just so like, fun and social and communal.

Lisa:
On the floor, under all the climbing walls, there are very thick mats to catch you when,not if, when you fall. As Emily gives us the tour, there are people doing some route reading together. That is, they are sitting on the mats, looking at the colourful holds on the walls and talking out different routes and ideas for how to climb them.

Emily:
I like this area because there's a lot of color. So we have sort of all of the routes, all of the all of the holds are very bright saturated colors, like really bright greens and yellows and purples. So it's really a lot to look at, especially it can be like a little bit overwhelming when you first come in, but when you start to come bouldering a little bit more, you start to be able to, like, make out the routes a little bit more. So I really like that. The nice little, like, pops of pink on the walls, really fun. Yeah, and I don't know, just like the sounds of people having a nice little conversation, catching up, talking about how to, how to finish a problem together. That's nice. Alright.

Lisa:
Now where are we going?

Emily:
Okay, so now we will motor around the corner and we will head into our East Bay, Right through here. And maybe first what I'll do is, I'll take you into the fitness area, if that's okay. So we have in here our little gym.

So yeah, there's a couple treadmills and stuff in here. There are, like, free weights and stuff, some little bikes, some little weight benches. I'll take us over here. The nice thing about this window, we have kind of like little, like, frosted glass up to a certain point, just so that people can have a little bit of privacy while they're working out, and they don't feel like they're just looking out into the street. But the nice thing about that is we can put a bunch of nice plants in here, because they get a bunch of sunlight.

Lisa:
And I'm seeing succulents and leafy greens and a beautiful fuchsia, purple vine.

Emily:
I don't know what she is, but I, I love her. She's great. But, yeah, lots of, lots of fun leafy stuff, which, if you're working out, which sometimes can be a bit of a slog. It's nice to look at something sort of green and alive. Kind of reminds you that you are too. Yeah.

Lisa:
This is wonderful.

Emily:
Wait until we get over here.

Lisa:
What is this? This looks intimidating.

Emily:
Yes. Okay, kind of because it is. So this is our kilter board. So I'm trying to how best to describe this. It is like a big plank set at an incline that has a bunch of holds of the same color on it, but like, they're just all like, littered across the board. And people can hook that up to their phone, and basically you can access a whole slew of like routes that people have made themselves, and you can put them up on the board. You can try them. You can see what like grade you feel like they are. If they're like easy or hard, you can make your own. It's kind of an advanced training tool, a little bit like most people who I see going up on this guy been climbing for at least a couple months, and feel pretty, pretty comfortable on the wall, and want to give themselves a little bit of an additional challenge. Also really great to train here, if you're looking to, like, climb outdoors in the in the warmer months, in the on season. So, yeah.

Lisa:
That's great. I'm just noting that the the incline isn't like an incline back behind. It's an incline that comes out and towers over us. So there would be some dangling, and gravity would maybe not be our friend.

Emily:
Yeah, so we can, like, change the angle based on, sort of how steep people want to climb. So it can at varying points throughout the day, depending on who's in. Can look decently friendly, or very not friendly, like, sort of almost like you are climbing on a ceiling.

This is our beautiful, stunning East Bay. A little bit of a smaller area, so a little bit more sometimes, if getting into climbing is a little bit, like, daunting for newer folks. This is a great area to start. So yeah, lots of fun stuff in here, a little baby cave, if you don't want to go all the way into super hardcore cave, clim bing right away, and then lots of fun slab. And what that means is just stuff that is straight up and down on the wall.

So like on. On here. Yeah, it's hard to describe if, like, there's, there's a lot of, kind of, like weird lingo and stuff. So holds are going to be any of these, like, really colorful guys, which are, yeah, also scattered throughout this room. You're also going to see, like, pretty big shapes. So these big gray guys that are kind of like prismatic shapes that are poking out from the wall. Those are called volumes, and our setting team uses those to provide a little bit of like variation in surface on the wall, so you're not just climbing up like a flat plane. So those are actually free for people to use, like whenever they want. They're just sort of like supplemental structures to sort of make the wall a little more interesting.

Lisa:
After spending time on the wall, you might want a little rest and refresh. Emily takes us over to the cafe.

Emily:
So yeah, now we're here in our at the moment, quiet, little cafe. Yeah, so we sort of it's Boulders on one side and then Dirtbag cafe on the other side. Dirt bag is kind of like a fun, affectionate name for people who eschew city living in favor of living out of their vans and climbing in the mountains all, all, all year long. That is what sort of it's an homage to. Actually, most of who we see here, other than climbers, is a lot of university students, because we're right across from Macewan, so lots of folks come in here for, like, a quiet little study sesh or a fun little catch up with friends. People come in here and they play, like, board games. Last week we had people come in and, like, play Magic, the Gathering together. So yeah, people use the cafe for a whole bunch of different things.

So over here we have a TV where we like to play little like climbing documentaries or competitions and stuff, because people sitting in the cafe really like to watch those. So we find a couple playlists on YouTube and just keep them on a fun little loop. Lots of nice little lights that we have, sort of like pendant bulbs that are kind of hanging from the ceiling, almost in sort of like an imitation chandelier moment.

In terms of, like, the colors of the cafe, lots of nice brown and beige, sort of like wood tones. We also have some, like, reds from the couches over in the corner. We have a couple climbing magazines, a couple plants out here too. Also in the corner, we have some art that was made by a local artist here, a couple little snapshots of, like, the neighborhood area.

This is our little cafe. Yeah, we have our little beer fridge where we like to have a bunch of like craft beers from all over, sort of like Western Canada, kind of in there, but also little like craft sodas and sparkly water and stuff that's nice and cool and refreshing to have after a long day of sending or not sending your projects.

Lisa:
This is wonderful. This whole place is just such a lovely vibe. And definitely the come to play kind of thing.

Emily:
Yeah, of course, yeah. You know, there's a whole bunch of people that come in here, whether they're climbers or not, and like play and fun means different things to like all of those people, and it's nice to be able to have, like, a little bit of a hub where, yeah, no matter what that means to you, hopefully there's a space here for you to do it.

Lisa:
What does, what does play feel like and mean to you?

Emily:
What does play feel like and mean to me? I'm kind of a little bit of a weird outlier, because. Is, like, while I, you know, like, work here, and I'm involved in the day to day and stuff, I'm actually not a particularly good climber. I, you know, I go and I do my best, and I borrow a lot of tips and stuff from, like, my coworkers and my friends, but mostly I'm just sort of here for, here for the fun, here for the vibes.

I feel silly quite often in this place, because I have a lot of coworkers that make me laugh. So I feel like, yeah, It's nice. Because the environment, I think behind the, behind the desk, behind the counter, is one where we can be really animated and we can be really goofy. We can strike up conversations with people and, like, have fun together.

Lisa:
Emily tells us how she hopes people feel when they come to this space.

Emily:
Kind of like “supported” comes to mind. Sort of sport, like anything where you're like in public and there's a bunch of people there, and stuff can feel kind of daunting sometimes, especially if you're, if you're new or if it's been a while. So I don't know, like, I would like people to feel that, like, wherever they're at, they can come in and like, we're gonna celebrate being able to, like, do a one the same as we will if you did, you know, every eight in the gym.

Lisa:
So, if you're in the Boulder’s climbing gym, they’ve got you! Tips, tricks, highfives, encouragement and house-baked snacks. Guess who bakes them.

Emily:
We have baked goods. We make all of them. I'm one of our bakers. So in the back, we have a little tiny kitchen.

Lisa:
I’m sorry, did you just throw away that you're also one of the bakers?

Emily:
Hey, you know it's, it's whatever. No, yeah. We have a bunch of really lovely, like, baked goods and stuff. And then we, you know, we do, like sandwiches, where we make, like the scones in house and stuff. Actually, and Michael is another one of them. He is just over there. We do a little rotation every week, of people who go in and bake some sweet treats to again after a sort of tough session, could be nice to just sort of have a brownie and a nice time.

Lisa:
My heart just like bloomed a little bit there, because you just talked about wanting people to feel supported. And I always feel supported with snacks, but now also the snacks are made by the very person who has been taking me through this tour. What full circle little moment. That’s lovely.

Emily:
That is really lovely.

Lisa:
What a caring team this is.

Lisa:
Emily is about to introduce us to another team member, who happens to have their nails done up in a beautiful periwinkle kind of shade.

Ty:
Thank you, I appreciate that.

Emily:
So this is Ty. Say, Hi,Ty,

Ty:
Hi,Ty

Lisa:
Ty’s focus is on community engagement. Though, like Emily, they hold a few different roles.

Ty:
I have a few different things that I do, but in this context, that would be the most appropriate.

Lisa:
I'm gathering that everyone here seems to wear several hats.

Emily:
Yes, yes. Well, you also set, don't you?

Ty:
I do. I'm also a headsetter at our factory facility.

Lisa:
What does that mean?

Ty:
So I am one of the people that is in charge of putting all the things you climb onto the walls.

Lisa:
Ty tells us a bit about how they create an environment for people to come and play in.

Ty:
I think the biggest thing for us is people feeling safe to explore play and having the accessibility and the comfort to explore that is super important. That's what drives community, is having that space where they feel that they can explore those things. So for us, like accessibility and safety in our community, and like diversity and equity and inclusion to throw in that, those buzzwords, those are all things that we think about and try to incorporate at every level, right from the spaces to the setting and all the way up to like everything admin wise that we make decisions with.

Lisa:
So when you say accessibility inclusion, you mean lots of people from different communities. Does this also include the disabled community?

Ty:
We try to incorporate as much as we can with the disabled community, and we do have members who identify with that community and are part of the disabled community. There are areas where we do fall short, unfortunately, and that is just the nature of the sport itself, but in all the areas we can try and create space for, we strive to create space for. And the areas that we are lacking in were, we are exploring ways that we can expand into having accessibility for more people, because that's important to us. We love the sport, we love the space, and we've created it so that people can come and have fun and play, and we want that to be as many people as possible.

Lisa:
Ty puts a lot of care into making Boulders a welcoming space to explore movement and play. Ty tells us what play means to them:

Ty:
I think it really depends on the person. For me, personally, coming and playing is like having fun with friends and maybe not trying my very hardest. But at the end of the day, I was like, I loved that. That was so fun. I'm so glad I went for a climb or hang out at the cafe or whatever that might maybe for other people that might be coming and projecting as hard as they can and trying to get that thing that they've been working on weeks on, and when they finally get it, they're so excited, and it brings them joy. I think for me, joy is synonymous with play, because if you're not having fun with it, it's not really play anymore.

Lisa:
So when you are creating a new route or new bouldering set, what parts of your body are speaking to you as you create a set?

Ty:
Yeah, I think for me, and this is all from my personal experience and from how I teach it as well, is you're starting to think about like, what that route is going to like be used for, whether it's super accessible for everyone, or it's going to be a teaching moment, or it's going to be highlighting a certain type of style or move, or if it's going to just be like, super hard, and it's meant to be like, extremely challenging. That's how we kind of start to think about, like, the movement, the style, what we want to put into it, and who is going to be using that space and using that route.

Lisa:
What is the most playful climbing move for you?

Ty:
For me, personally, I love anything where I'm feeling, like, really off balance and kind of spooky, because it's like, it's like, oh, oh, I really have to, like, and if you miss it, then you fall. So it's like, really playful, where it's like, you have to be on it and, like, really go for it, and if you're not paying attention, or if someone distracts you, or something like that, then you're gonna fall off the wall.

I know a lot of people like, love dynamic movement where you're, like, jumping for something, and that they find that super fun and playful. Coordination is something that I think is, like, super playful, because it almost looks like parkour on the wall. So it's like, very playful in that, like, you have to, like, work through the movement and really go for it, and if you don't commit, then you're not going to make it. And

Lisa:
So I'm hearing with you this, like this, this bit of risk that the fall is is part of the fun.

Ty:
Exactly, because, I mean, 99% of climbing is falling. So if you never fall, incredible. An amazing climber, but that's not how the majority of climbers are. Like falling is part of it.

Lisa:
There are a lot of challenges on the climbing wall, and the fear, or in Ty’s case the joy, of falling is a big one. It can be hard work, but whether you fall or make the hold, the effort is rewarding. We’re about to meet Cori.

Ty:
Hello Cori. How you doing?

Cori:
Good

Ty:
This is Lisa. Lisa. This is Cori.

Lisa:

Hi, Cori.

Cori:
Nice to meet you.

Lisa:
Nice to meet you as well. Do you find here, often,

Cori:
Very often, almost every day, yeah, you know, here one of the other locations, yeah. So this is our home gym, though.

Lisa:
When you come to this gym, how does play come out for you here?

Cori:
I get to climb rocks. It's like being in a playground for adults. You know, kids too, because I bring my daughter as well, she does the same thing. But it's just fun, like you just get to go up and down and just enjoy yourself. And it brings back the memories of like playing in the playground, actually, which is great, because you look a little funny when you play outside in the playground now, but I can come here and do it. And then I can go outside and climb rocks, and hopefully that'll become another playground, right?

So, but yeah, and it's, it's just fun. It's social. I get to play with my friends and, and we hang out and we talk and we talk about our climbs, and I just really enjoy it, and we get on the new sets, and it's like a new puzzle that we get to play with. Because that's what bouldering is. It's just like a big puzzle, and it's been, it's been just amazing.

Lisa:
Cori’s partner, Daniel, is also a climber, and he’s been working on a route. Before we leave Boulders, Cori is going to walk us through one of Daniels attempts.

Cori:
He's been working on this red seven on the slab wall. So this is slab set. And call it projecting. I do not climb at this level, but it's fun to watch them. He's, he's been working on a couple of different moves. There's, close to the end of the climb, there's is it's his crux. I don't know if it's the crux. Probably is when the crux is the hardest part of a problem, right? Sometimes it's the start, sometimes it's the middle, sometimes it's the end, som etimes there's more than one. And so he is doing a heel hook and off the start, just to give himself some stability. And he's walking up the slab, well, the volume on the slab. And he's got this part figured out. The beginning is like, smooth and nice. And then he's got a this is the hard part for him. He's been working on a lot, and he has to reach for a tiny hold.

Daniel:
Cheese grater.

Ty:
Cheese grater? Oh, nice take.

Cori:
Are you bleeding?

Daniel:
I will be. I’ll just put a little bit of tape on it.

[laughter]

Cori:
He’ll put a little bit of tape on it doesn't get blood on the wall.

Lisa:
How did that feel?

Daniel:
When, every time you get a new move that feels amazing. It feels so good because you really put a lot of work into it. And at first it feels like not, never gonna get it. And then just doing a little change, it could be just moving your ankle a little to the left or the right will make a huge difference. It feels really good. It feels like the dopamine is like, amazing.

Cori:
The reward is huge.

Daniel:
Oh yeah.

Lisa:
A huge thanks to Emily and Ty for taking us through Boulders climbing gym. It was such welcoming and fun space to be in. And thanks too, to Cori and Daniel for sharing some of their climbing experience with us!

Friends, if you’ve ever been curious about climbing, this is a great place to start. They have workshops and event nights like femme nights to create safe climbing spaces for folks. I’ve got a link to the Rock Jungle site in the show notes, where you can check out all 3 climbing locations.

And that’s it for this episode.

This podcast is created by yours truly, here in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ). Edmonton, Alberta in Treaty 6 territory.
If you have ideas for vibes and locations, or climbing stories to share, email me at himagpies@gmail.com. Or, find me on Instagram at hi_magpies.
Thank you for listening and sharing this time together. It means a lot.

I’ll leave you with sound of people climbing, projecting, and just sharing time together here at boulders.

Stay safe and keep trying out there.