Although Jason and I didn't meet until college we had fairly similar upbringings in our separate communities in small-town Arkansas. We could each bore you with tales that start from the glory days of tee ball, and traverse through a multitude of sports and extracurricular activities our parents would put up with. (Bless them for everything they supported us through.) After graduating from UCA, we both moved to NWA for work. As young adults, we were searching for ways to stay healthy. Although we could tap into our cross-country racing experience on the Greenway, we preferred to explore our way through multiple Tim Ernst hiking books and expand our ever-growing collection of backpacking and kayaking gear. But all that gear started to gather dust, and chalk, the day we found rock climbing.

Jason first decided we should try rock climbing as a way to stay in shape for our weekend adventures. He had previously been to Little Rock Climbing Center, and I had never even climbed a carnival wall. We walked into Ozark Bouldering Gym (OBG as it was lovingly called back then) and found a welcoming community that we would soon call home. We came to learn that for us, rock climbing was the perfect sport. It requires endurance (which I like), agility (which Jason excels at), strength, sometimes speed, and always critical thinking. It's truly a full body and mind workout. Literally, the most mentally exhausted I have ever been was after free soloing the Second Flat Iron in Boulder, CO. (Don't tell my mom, please.) Climbing can be a lifelong sport. Our son was begging to go climb by 2 years old, and climbers as old as 94 have been known to stay active. Unlike the organized sports of our youth, it doesn't require filling out a large team. But, there is a great community to connect with. It can be as serious, or as silly, as you want it to be given your current life goals. You can stay an indoor climber your whole life, or fully immerse yourself in the outdoor scene. Whatever aspects of fitness appeal to you and your family, it can be found in rock climbing. Really, who wouldn't fall in love with it?

In the fall of 2013, we walked up to the doors of OBG and saw a sign. "Gym closing. Call for more information." We were devastated. We wanted to know what we could do to help preserve and grow the climbing community in NWA. We didn't know much of the history at the time, but we came to learn that OBG opened for operation around 2007. It had its roots as a locally-owned and operated bouldering gym long before we came along. We wanted to keep it that way.

OBG was a haven for strong outdoor climbers in the mid-2000s. We soon decided to change the name, partly because we wanted to be a community for all climbers, but mostly because we got a call from a very lovely grandmother trying to book her granddaughter an appointment at the OBG-YN (true story). Since we took over operations, we've strived to be the kind of place where anyone could fall in love with climbing just like we had. We want to meet people where they are at, support them through their journey, and develop some badass crushers along the way. We put the community first as much as possible. Whether it's investing in new holds and volumes, or developing the local setters. We will engage in endless debates on adapting routes to the wingspan of shorter climbers versus when to challenge the climber with a dynamic movement. All because we want the best experience for our customers every time they walk through the door.

Jason coined our motto "Home Away From Stone" a couple of years ago. It's a bit of an homage to our roots, and a bit because a few customers have told us we were their home away from home. Over the years we've had the privilege of helping people conquer their fear of heights. The gym has brought together at least 6 married couples that we know of. We've coached youth team members through mental breakdowns at practice, tutored them through their math homework, and helped them compete at the highest level for their age groups. We have one national championship win as I write this, and hopefully more to come.

We know we don't have as many shiny resources as mega facilities across the US do today (not yet). However, you're guaranteed to have fun and can help us shape a great community at OCG. Sometimes, business growth doesn't happen as fast as we would like. But, we've managed to grow in a sustainable way that has allowed us to survive the competition and a pandemic. We're pretty proud of that for two Millennials with Geography degrees and student debt. But we're most proud every time a new face walks through the door and says "This is the best gym I've ever been to.". We smile a bit and think "Yeah, us too. Welcome Home."

- Bridgette & Jason