- Millcreek unveils the nation's largest dry-tooling wall for public use.
- The wall, 65 feet high, will be open on Fridays and Saturdays through March.
- A free event will be on Saturday; admission is $7 plus $5 for rentals other days.
MILLCREEK — Lex Border took a deep breath before planting a sharp pickax into the plywood wall outside Millcreek Common and then quickly ascending 65 feet toward the top of City Hall, as onlookers cheered him on.
Border fell in love with the sport of dry-tooling — a sport that simulates ice climbing, just without the ice — a few years ago and is now a competitive climber. And this wall, he says, may help welcome others to the sport.
"I love this wall. This wall is one of the best opportunities for us as athletes to get to train," he said, with a grin. "This is one of the best resources we might possibly have as athletes."
The wall — believed to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. — will also be open to the public for dry-tool climbing, beginning on Saturday. Millcreek plans to hold some free clinics led by experts from the Scratch Pad, a climbing gym in Bountiful, as well as free climbing opportunities, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside Millcreek Common, 1354 E. Chambers Ave.
The event will be open to everyone, regardless of skill level, with free equipment rentals, said Dorian Wilkerson, climbing wall recreation manager for Millcreek.
After Saturday, the dry-tooling wall will be available from 11 a.m. to sunset on Fridays and Saturdays through approximately the end of March. Admission to climb is $7, and there's an additional $5 fee for rentals. Other free events similar to Saturday's opening are scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 14.
"Our goal is to make this a very accessible resource for members of our community to try something new ... or, if you're an experienced dry-tooler, hopefully you come and enjoy this wall with us," he said.
Adding dry-tooling will also help Millcreek utilize its unique climbing wall year-round. Millcreek opened its unique outdoor climbing wall in 2024, but it's closed during the winter because of the temperatures.
Alex Rudow, a Millcreek resident and member of the U.S. Ice Climbing Team, approached the city with the idea of using a face of the wall for dry-tooling last spring. Wilkerson loved the idea, realizing that it could help utilize the wall in the climbing offseason and introduce more people to the relatively niche sport.
"I think this is an interesting opportunity that is not super available," he told KSL. "Utah is like a mecca for climbing, but it's still a rare opportunity even here."
It cost about $3,000 to get the plywood installed and about another $1,000 to get other necessary equipment to prepare the existing wall for dry-tooling. The city, he adds, will track weather and other elements to determine how long the climbing wall will remain available to dry-tooling this season. It also hopes to bring dry-tooling back every winter moving forward.
Rudow expects that the wall will be a good training option for athletes like herself because of its dual lanes and height, but she also hopes it introduces people to a new form of climbing.
"This isn't just for our competitive athletes," she said. "This is for everyone who wants to get involved — anyone who's been ice climbing once, who has never been ice climbing, if you're into rock climbing and looking for a really awesome sport to do in the winter. This is the best place to try it out."
