Up the Bloc
Up the Bloc is one of Canada’s newest bouldering-only gyms to open i n 2017. What’s special about Up the Bloc is that it’s the brainchild of t wo of Canada’s most experienced climbing industry leaders, Luigi Montilla and Jean-Marc de l a Plante. They have created a facility that will host big competitions, be a home base for strong climbers and add to the list of amazing Ontario climbing gyms.
Luigi Montilla started the climbing company Friction 18 years ago. They started with making holds for Toronto area gyms. Montilla started to sponsor competitions and climbers and eventually started Tour de Bloc, Canada’s bouldering competition tour. The comps led to a standardization of formats and rules. Tour de Bloc celebrated its 14th successful year in 2017. Montilla and friends eventually helped Toronto host an ifsc Bouldering World Cup. Montilla then teamed up with de la Plante for Up the Bloc. Owner of Allez Up, Seven Bays and co-owner of BoulderHouse, de la Plante needs no introduction.
Montilla said that opening a climbing gym was a natural progression and a new challenge. Up the Bloc is 11,000 square feet with 5,000 square feet of climbing space on two 30- metre-long plus walls. There is a competition wall and a session wall up to five metres with various angles. One of the coolest things about the new gym is that it is located in the same complex as Summit, Mississauga’s first climbing gym that closed two decades ago.
Montilla says that Up the Bloc will offer f inely-crafted bouldering circuits. Each circuit will have 10 to 15 problems designed to expose climbers to different bouldering styles. They will also be offering strength, mobility, technique and nutrition seminars. “Our motto is that you can’t cultivate great top-end climbers if you don’t treat your f irst timers like they are already part of the family,” said Montilla. “So it doesn’t matter to us how good or new you are, we want to make you love bouldering as much as we do and we’re going to work to make that happen.”
Up the Bloc opened on Feb. 11 to a full house with many glowing reviews. Including this by Maxwell Summerlee, manager of Basecamp i n Toronto, “Up the Bloc is a refreshing, modern, friendly facility that truly feels welcoming f rom