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Climbing the Walls in Wallingford
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Business New Haven
6/4/1995
By: Terry Pitt
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On May 4, the restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday's recognized April's top employees by letting them climb the walls for two hours in a team-building session at Prime Climb, Connecticut's first rock-climbing gym.
Under the tutelage of Bill (Sully) Sullivan, president of Connecticut Mountain Recreation Inc. (CMR), they learned that to touch the 32-foot ceiling above the 5,000 square feet of textured walls, they had to trade their independence for dependence on their teammate, a belayer, who had learned to lower them on ropes when they had reached their limit, or the top - whichever came first.
“The importance of recognizing the potential dangers in a situation, and trusting the person you're working with to share the responsibility for the outcome, are essential in rock climbing and in business,” Sullivan says. Since any group of people striving to reach a common goal can generalize the lessons learned from this physical activity to a workplace environment, Prime Climb is targeting businesses, large and small, to raise its revenues in 1995, according to owner Steve Messina.
“I'm ready now for corporate business, but I wanted to build slowly,” explains Messina, a 1992 graduate of St. Michael's College in Burlington, Vt. First, he had an informal plan, but then the college let him do an independent study for his final project, on how “Prime Climb” would fit into the Connecticut economy. He sought opinions and listened, especially to his stepfather, president of Ullrich Stainless Steel Co. in Wallingford. “He was a major influence, thinking my idea for a rock climbing gym was great. He pushed me toward something I loved to do and could make
happen.”
After looking in different parts of the state for the right location, at a friend's suggestion, he canvassed his hometown and found a landlord who was willing to lease just the space he required in Silversmith Park, a group of turn-of-the-century brick factory buildings now home to a variety of small and medium-sized companies. Located immediately off Exit 64 of the Wilbur Cross Parkway, it's just a stone's throw from some of the state's best outdoor rock climbing areas.
Targeting high schools and colleges as his first market, Messina enlisted Sullivan and his staff at CMR, Connecticut's oldest climbing school, to teach novice classes, which now comprise 70 percent of his customers, with the other 30 percent training for rock climbs. He hosts two-day competitive events with categories for beginners, intermediate and advanced climbers. The American Sportclimbing Federation sanctions competitions nationally and internationally. By the year 2000, indoor rock climbing will be an exhibition sport, Messina predicts.
Prime Climb advertises in the glossy Rock & Ice (“America's No. 1 Climbing Magazine”) and the Northeast edition of Crux, a popular tabloid of the sport.
He opened in 1993 with the climbing walls, to which he has added a 12-foot bouldering cave carpeted with piles of mattresses, offering an easy warm-up or challenging workout. His “Radical Retail” section sells technical rock climbing gear. A recent addition is free athletic massage for members on Wednesday nights. Michelle Williams is the first intern to provide this popular service.
Since being at Prime Climb, CMR has taught about 700 to “pump plastic.” Classes are designed for the beginning climber who wants to try the sport, but wishes to avoid the complications involved with the outdoors. Students learn the basic techniques of knot-tying, belaying, holding a fall, and lowering a climber. Also included are techniques of movement on rock (plastic), face climbing, gripping holds, fluid movement, and staying on balance.
Since 1979, CMR has introduced hundreds of individuals to the joys of learning new skills, personal growth and exploring beautiful mountain environments, here in the hills of Connecticut and in some of the great mountain ranges of the world.
“Gravity never sleeps, so we spend time discussing safety and the differences between indoor and outdoor climbing,” Sullivan says. “Staying focused is a major task for the climber as well as the belayer who's holding the rope that's attached to the climber.”
Everyone must read and sign a release holding Prime Climb harmless of liability resulting from injuries suffered arising out of use, proper or improper, of the programs or facilities and waiving all rights to bring legal action.
Indoors is a less expensive place to learn the basics because instructors can take up to 12 students in a class, at $50 per. Outdoors, CMR takes only three to a class, at $85. apiece. On completing the class, students are given a knot and belay test, which qualifies them to climb at the gym without instruction ($10 a day).
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