Velocity Climbing made its debut in Miami, Florida, in March 2024, aiming to create not just a world-class climbing gym but also a vibrant and supportive climbing community. According to Dylan Hewins, the gym’s Marketing Director, Event Coordinator, and Routesetter, the initiative arose from the recognition that “South Florida has long needed such a facility,” prompting the team to move quickly within the city’s regulatory framework.

Strategically located in North Miami, just 10 minutes from downtown, Velocity was constructed from the ground up, ensuring easy access to Miami’s urban core and the Metrorail system. This central location is complemented by appropriate zoning for their ambitious wall heights. The facility boasts an impressive 23,000 square feet of climbing wall surface, featuring 60-foot roped walls suitable for lead climbing, top rope, auto belay, and speed climbing. Additionally, the gym includes two floors dedicated to bouldering and a Kilter Board. Velocity’s height has earned the gym a prestigious spot in CBJ’s Gym List Awards as North America’s Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2024.

An exciting highlight of the gym is its faithful replica of the Innsbruck bouldering competition wall. The idea for this design emerged during the planning phase, and when the management team suggested incorporating the 2018 IFSC competition wall, it was enthusiastically adopted by all involved.

Beyond climbing, Velocity offers over 100 routes, birthday parties, group events, and various programs tailored to climbers of all skill levels. Yet, establishing a robust routesetting program posed challenges due to the region’s limited outdoor climbing and fewer available routesetters. To address this, Velocity has recruited both world-class senior routesetters and promising young talent dedicated to elevating the facility’s setting standards. Utilizing a hybrid grading system that combines numerical grades and circuit colors, Velocity provides climbers with clear indicators of difficulty, offering a sense of relative challenge within the gym.

Through its impressive facilities and community-focused approach, Velocity Climbing is poised to become a cornerstone of the South Florida climbing scene.