Casey Wilson // Locust, NC
When did you build your wall? Was it a “COVID baby”?
I built my wall just after the lockdown in NC. Climbing gyms still aren’t open so it’s been pretty useful for training. I would like to believe that the wall wasn’t a product of COVID but I’m not sure I would have actually gone through with it as soon if that wasn’t the case.
How long did it take you to build and what did that time look like?
It took me 3 weekends to build the wall. Most of the work was done the first Saturday but I didn’t have the parts so it was sporadic from there.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build? Any surprises there?
I think it was just under $300 to build the structure and face of the wall.
What are you doing for padding?
I was able to obtain a pad from my local climbing gym (Inner Peaks). They closed a location to open a bigger and updated facility and they had some pads that were left over. I have supplemented that with a Mad Rock R3 and a Mad Pad stacked to make up the leftover space.
What was your primary incentive for the wall? Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
I had training and space utilization in mind while building. I wanted a space to train when I had free time and I had a specific place I could put it.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
The most difficult part was putting the plywood on. Make sure to have a few people handy for that part.
What would you do differently?
I would have planned out my padding situation beforehand. I was lucky enough to get a pad from my gym but not everyone will.
Did you make any mistakes along the way or choose to re-do any aspects?
No real mistakes but i would have made my t nut holes cleaner.
What is your favorite aspect?
I love the ease of use I have with the wall and I love having a dedicated training space.
How often do you use the wall? Do you think you’ll still use it as much when the gyms fully open back up?
Yeah I think I will continue to use it quite a bit when the gyms get back up and running.
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
Figure out the padding for the wall and how you are going to get the plywood home.
