Our Story
[DRAFT FOR KEVIN TO REVIEW AND EDIT]
ELEV8 started with two Traverse City kids who left home and found their way back. Kevin Vlach discovered climbing after college while teaching English in Spain, and kept chasing it to Colorado. Nick Olson grew up here too, and when the two met, they shared the same idea: Northern Michigan deserved a real climbing gym, and a community to go with it.
It took years to find the right space. In 2021, ELEV8 opened on Eighth Street in the NOBO district, right on Traverse City's Health and Fitness Corridor, as the region's first full-service indoor climbing gym.
What we're about
We built ELEV8 around three things: safety, community, and growth. Everyone is welcome here, whether it's your first climb or your thousandth.
Safety: [e.g., trained staff, belay standards, routesetting quality]
Community: meetups, leagues, competitions, and a crew that shows up for each other
Growth: classes, youth teams, and programs that meet you where you are
We also believe climbing should be accessible to everyone. That's why we offer ELEV8 4 ALL subsidized memberships and other access programs.
Meet the team
Meet our staff → · ELEV8 Ambassadors →
Visit us
777 Boyd Ave, Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 600-7260 · info@elev8climbing.com