History of Elemental Climbing

Elemental Climbing found its beginning as a simple vision shared by a small group of close friends. A vision to develop and care for their own community of rock climbers in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as a deep desire to extend an invitation to others to join that community.

The original vision of Elemental Climbing took shape in 2013 with the formation of Elemental Climbing Club. A club formed with the passionate desire to bring the local rock climbing community together, and to build a unity that is unmatched in other areas of the country. In late 2015, Elemental Climbing LLC was created along with the purchase of a 26 foot tall mobile climbing wall with the intention of taking climbing out to the community. Offering the chance for people who may have never experienced rock climbing, an opportunity to fall in love with the sport.

As the years have passed, the vision of Elemental has expressed itself in a variety of ways, but the simplicity of it has remained constant. We have often been asked why we chose the name Elemental for our business, and the truth is, we chose that name to honor the very essence of the sport that gave us this vision to begin with. However, we couldn’t have anticipated what that name would signify for us throughout our own personal journeys.

The definition of Elemental means primary, basic, and related to embodying the powers of nature. We have experienced first hand how rock climbing has the ability to bring people together, and keep them grounded through life’s challenges. And for us, life’s challenges have included the early death of (Blake’s) beloved wife, followed by the loss of (Blake and Jeremy’s) two mothers all within a few months’ time. The journey through grief and the ability to experience true hope and renewal again was the hardest climb of our lives, but the journey invited us back home to the basics of all that is good and sacred in life.

We believe this type of invitation mirrors the very heart of what the sport of rock climbing extends to all people. The opportunity to come back to the primary essence of who we are, and to find out what we are made of. Every climber knows the pain of each ascent we embark on. We know the uncertainty of the way forward. We understand that each time we reaching out for the next hold may result in having to start our journey over. But once we make it to the top, that pain is replaced with joy and an overwhelming gratitude for our friends who cheered us on and encouraged us to never give up.

It is with sincere hope that Elemental Climbing can be a place that embodies the essence of that invitation rock climbing so naturally extends. We hope to become a safe landing spot for others in the community. A place that offers the basic opportunity for climbers to push their bodies to the limit, and to find out what they are made of. All enveloped in an atmosphere that encourages the organic building of a healthy community focused on cheering one another upward, especially on the most difficult climbs.

We hope you can join us!