GRAVITY BEAR Bouldering Gym opens in Downtown Tulsa: 'Everybody can do this''

GRAVITY BEAR Bouldering Gym officially opened its doors to the public over the weekend. The new gym in downtown Tulsa's East Village is on a mission to build community through climbing.

Parker Simms, owner and founder of the concept, said he remembers the exact day the idea came to him. "It was April 26, 2023," he said. "I was just like here we go, you know, I had no idea what I was doing at the time, literally no idea."

The Early Stages

Simms spent the next year looking for the perfect downtown location. He walked past the building at 618 E Third St. in the East Village several times, but it wasn't until June 2024 that he finally decided to look inside.

"I could see the vision," he continued, "I get chills thinking about it every time because it really is like, as soon as I walked in, I knew this was it. I finally found it." Simms got the keys in November and started the renovation right away.

Rock Climbing vs. Bouldering

Bouldering is a style of rock climbing. Simms said he naturally gravitated toward it from a young age because you do not need much gear and can do it solo. "Yeah, the biggest difference is no ropes," he said. "Typically, bouldering gym walls are 15 feet or lower, so if you go above that, you need some kind of protection."

At Gravity Bear, there are thick pads under the entire wall in case of falls. "Your protection is how thick the mats are underneath you and we do 1 inch for every foot of wall," Simms added.

Climbing for Everyone

Simms designed the walls of Gravity Bear with all skill levels in mind. The staff are also there to provide expert guidance. "There is no age limit, there is no difficulty limit, there is no ability limit, everybody can do this," he said.

One way the gym separates itself is that it measures a route's climbing difficulty using a circuit system rather than the V-scale. "It gets people out of those plateaus, those pigeon holes and into a little bit more open-minded and open thinking," Simms continued, "Hopefully that improves their ability and gets them out of thinking that they cannot do it."

Pricing and Hours

Gravity Bear Bouldering Gym is open 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Members get early access daily starting at 8 a.m. Day passes are $25 or you can purchase punch passes to save on multiple visits. For more information, go to their website.

There are several membership options, including:

1. $80 per month + $50 initiation fee (students, teachers, military, & first responders can get a $10 discount)
2. $800 per year + $50 initiation fee
3. Family memberships (call or visit for pricing)