‘Safer, more welcoming space’: Bend Endurance Academy shows off its new youth climbing facility

(Update: Adding video, comments from the executive director)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The nonprofit Bend Endurance Academy held an open house Sunday to show off its new youth climbing facility, for kids ranging from 7 years old college age.

"We were running our programs in a commercial climbing facility," Executive Director Mike Rougeux said, "and at a certain point, it just became not sustainable for us to have all the kids in the space where all the other adults were and other programs."

The day began with meeting the coaching staff and learning about programs the facility offers, and ended with lessons on Boulder 101.

Rougeux said the goal was "building their own space, where kids can be kids, they can run around, get on the wall, get off the wall, play games. And it's just a safer, more welcoming space for for the youth."

 Bend Endurance Academy also offers several other programs.

"We have kids that, this is kind of their physical outlet," Rougeux said. "So maybe they're they don't do well in team sports, or the team sports soccer, football, whatever, just doesn't spark their interest. So we provide opportunities for those kids to get out and ride bikes, Nordic ski, rock climb."

In 2022, more than 1,000 people participated in programs and participants ranged from ages 2 to 74.