The North Face announced plans Thursday to build its first free, public climbing wall within the underserved Montbello neighborhood in northeast Denver.
The climbing wall would be a part of the larger ongoing Montbello Open Space Park restoration project. The park near Albrook Drive and East 46th Avenue is expected to open in mid-July, according to The North Face.
Nonprofits Environmental Learning for Kids and The Trust for Public Land are transforming 5 acres in the city's Montbello neighborhood into a restored natural area with native gardens, educational kiosks, walking trails and interactive nature play spaces.
The wall North Face is funding in the park is part of the company's “Walls Are Meant for Climbing” initiative aimed at simultaneously adding bouldering walls to underserved American neighborhoods and mocking President Donald Trump's plans for a southern border wall. The company popular for its winter jackets donated $1 million to The Trust for Public Land for the initiative.
"The point in bringing more things like outdoor climbing walls to communities is to lower the barrier to entry for kids, so they can develop both the skills to climb, but also a love of the green space at a time when public lands are in jeopardy," a rep for The North Face said.
The North Face announced the Montbello climbing wall in conjunction with Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show taking place this week in Denver. The company plans to give kids the opportunity to both climb with pros like Matty Hong, Daniel Woods and Maureen Beck, and get involved in the actual design of the new wall from 10:50 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Sunday at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden.
Want more Denver news? Subscribe to Denverite’s newsletter here bit.ly/DailyDenverite.
Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
