29 September 2020

It is with deepest gratitude that we announce that Bridges Rock Gym will re-open for business tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30th.

We’re speechless. We never expected the closure to last so long. Every dollar spent on membership dues, gift cards, online classes, crashpads – it all added up. We will be forever grateful to each and every one of you.

We’ll be operating at 10% capacity, in accordance with State Guidance for gyms in Tier 2 (also known as Red Tier, or Substantial Spread) counties. We’re opening up on a reservation-only basis for Bouldering, Weights, and Cardio. We’ll also continue to offer outdoor classes. We should be able to resume Team Bridges practices at the gym soon as well.

As always, our members are our top priority. We can’t wait to see you all again.

Your health and safety, as well as that of our staff members, is paramount.

When we shut our doors on March 16th, we knew it was the right thing to do. Cases were skyrocketing, no one knew exactly where the virus came from, how it spread, or how to treat it.

While we still don’t have all the answers nearly 7 months later, we’re confident that we can limit the spread of the virus in our facility by implementing the following key strategies:

• Social Distancing

• Masks

• Frequent handwashing and disinfection

• Education

We’re drawing on the State of California’s Guidance for Gyms & Fitness Industries. In order to stay accountable, we’ll also be posting California’s Checklist for Fitness Facilities in the facility, along with our own worksite plan, so you can see what steps we’re taking to limit spread within our facility.

As we laid out in our June 26th Reopening Update, all gym use will be by reservation. Members will be able to reserve a bouldering, weight room, or cardio session on our website at bridgesrockgym.com/gymsessions. At first, we’ll request that you make no more than one reservation per day. As we get a feel for demand, we hope to be able to relax this restriction.

When you arrive, you’ll be screened by a staff member. You’ll answer a few questions about COVID-19 symptoms, recent health, and COVID-19 exposure, and we’ll take your temperature with a no-contact thermometer. 

You’ll need to wear a mask which covers your mouth and nose. Neck gaiters don’t count, and neither do masks which do not sufficiently block the moisture droplets expelled while breathing (i.e. N95s with valves), masks with holes, etc. For more information, check out the CDC’s guidance on masks.

Be prepared to workout.

• Limit personal belongings, and wear what you want to work out in.

• Our locker rooms will be open only as restrooms, not changing facilities, with a 2-person capacity.

• If you need a gym towel, please bring one, as laundry service will not be available for now.

• If you need a yoga mat for your workout, please bring one: these will not be available for now.

Finally, we’ll need you to check out with our staff, as well as check-in, so that we can ensure the efficacy of our contact-tracing system. We’ll have a dedicated check-out scanner which works just like our check-in scanner. This allows us to confirm who has shared space together, and for how long, just in case we have a member test positive.

If your membership is currently frozen, you’ll need to unfreeze your membership prior to making a reservation at the gym. You can unfreeze your membership same-day by submitting a member change request at bridgesrockgym.com/membership.

If you are currently paying a lower dues amount, we’ll need to return you to your normal dues amount prior to making your reservation. You are essentially a frozen member, and can return to your normal dues amount by submitting a member change request asking to unfreeze your membership at bridgesrockgym.com/membership.

If you would like to resume your membership, but are unable to return to your normal dues amount, please reach out to us at info@bridgesrockgym.com. We’re here for you, and we’ll do our best to work with you.

We love kids at Bridges, which is why Kids Climb Free under 14, so long as one or both parents are current Monthly Autopay or Prepaid Annual members. 

Young children present some unique logistical challenges for the bouldering environment, so for now we’ve made the decision not to admit children under 14 who are not current Team Bridges Members. We plan to relax these restrictions as we gain experience working under our new operating procedures.

In the meantime, we are examining the feasibility of offering a dedicated Parents & Children session. If you’re interested in this kind of booking, please reach out to us at info@bridgesrockgym.com and let us know.

We have just resumed Team Bridges practices outdoors, and hope to be able to resume indoor practice as soon as next week. Please look out for a specific Team Bridges email from our Youth Program Manager Ernesto by the end of the week.

We are so excited to be here. As we’ve seen in San Francisco and Alameda Counties, just because a county enters Tier 2 doesn’t mean that gyms are always in the clear. We have an opportunity to set the standard for what a COVID-conscious climbing + fitness facility should look like, and we all need to do our part to make sure that we continue to operate.

Thank you all. We are so incredibly lucky to be supported by our community, and we promise to continue to work as hard as we can to add value to your memberships, and keep our friendly neighborhood bouldering gym open.