About Gold Crush

Gold Crush Climbing Gym was forged in 2017 by a close-knit community of climbers. Custom design and hand built by the owners and community, Gold Crush is one of the most unique gyms in Northern California.  

Tucked in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, Gold Crush serves the greater Grass Valley and Nevada City region in California. With 24hr access for members, summer camps, and a variety of skills courses this small but mighty gym is committed to elevating new and veteran climbers, alike.

We are in the business of breaking down self-limiting beliefs and replacing them with courage and confidence.  We strive for progress over perfection. We are a community hub that welcomes and supports all.

NorCal CRAGS Partnership

We think it is important for climbing to be an accessible sport to people of all backgrounds. To advance this goal, CRAGS and Gold Crush Climbing Gym are working together to provide youth and low income programing. Funding supports school field trips to climb and after school programs. Funding also makes it possible to offer affordable climbing classes as well as gym memberships and day passes to people who income qualify. By supporting this fund, you help make climbing more inclusive for people of all ages and backgrounds.

 

Second Pitch

When we built Gold Crush in 2016/17 we never really considered the potential of tearing it down some day. And yet, the time has come. August 2022 marks the final month Gold Crush will exist in its current iteration.  

While expansion had been a recent topic of conversation with our Board, we were a bit shocked to learn our lease would not be renewed in 2022. With new owners seeking to occupy the current facility, we are left with no other option but to press on and build a bigger, more comprehensive climbing and fitness facility.

The last five years have been absolutely incredible. We want to express our deepest gratitude to all those who helped us build and operate the current facility.  So many lives have been improved because of your hard work and dedication to our intimate climbing community.

To our climbers, new and old, we will build a new space. The wait will be excruciating for all of us, but please know that we will put everything we can into creating a new facility that will exceed your expectations and imagination for what a small-town gym can be.

Gold Crush exists for you and we will keep ascending because of you. 

Stay tuned, stay strong.

Gold Crush 2.0 is on belay . . . and the new facility is under construction! Sign up for our newsletter (on the home page) and follow us on Instagram to stay in the loop!

UPDATE: WE ARE OPEN AS OF JUNE 14TH 2023!!! Public Hours are Wednesday-Fridays 4-9pm & Saturdays 10-3pm. 24/7 access for members and you must complete an in-person orientation for 24/7 access.

Meet the Gold Crush Team

  • Shona Estey-Edwards

    GYM MANAGER & CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR

    Climbing has been an important part of Shona’s life since she first scampered up the wall of a local crag over a decade ago. The pursuit of spending time in the vertical world has guided her to many incredible places and communities all over the globe and she is so happy to be settled back in her hometown, reconnecting with her roots and a new family of climbers. Shona loves the Gold Crush community and being part of a space that brings people together both on and off the wall. When she’s not managing the gym or teaching someone how to tie a figure 8 knot, you'll find Shona tending her garden, climbing at a local crag, or dipping in the Yuba River.

  • Claire Yandell

    ASSISTANT MANAGER & YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR

    Claire first got properly into rock climbing while living in Australia many years ago. Since then she has brought her passion for it to countless crags across the globe. From the high mountains in South America to the steamy beaches of Southeast Asia, climbing has always given her community as well as a unique connection to land. Now having been a rock climbing instructor for 8 years at various facilities she can't wait to get to know what the northern California climbing scene is like. With high energy and a love for cultivating inclusive environments she is excited to be working at Gold Crush. Other than climbing she runs, practices yoga and is a creative. A working artist who specializes in painting, murals and tattoos.

  • Noah Stirling

    HEAD ROUTE SETTER

    Noah was introduced to rock climbing in 2015 at Gold Crush Climbing Gym. He immediately wanted to learn as much as possible about indoor and outdoor climbing and loved the process of getting stronger and learning new techniques. Noah’s goals are to inspire the community at Gold Crush to want to push themselves and work to accomplish things that they didn't think were possible, all while having a ton of fun! Noah's favorite things to do are camping, climbing, motorcycling, and especially exploring in the woods.

  • Miles Gordon

    CLIMBING & SUMMER CAMP INSTRUCTOR

    Miles is a Grass Valley born and raised career-instructor and multi sport enthusiast including indoor and outdoor climbing, snowboarding, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, and backpacking. Miles began climbing on Donner summit at the age of 13 in a 5 day camp and progressed to instructing all over the west coast for all ages and levels. On the weekends you'll find him working at festivals for Kalikos Hawaiian Kitchen.

  • Desmond Sandy

    FOUNDER/OWNER

    Spending his youth in Sacramento, Idaho, and primarily Redding, Desmond’s world was rocked when he met a lovely lady (now wife) who had UC Santa Barbara on her mind. Concurrent with a degree in English Lit, Desmond discovered bouldering in the Santa Ynez mountains in 2007. Climbing at Pipeworks in Sacramento with occasional outdoor excursions, it wasn’t until 2012 that he began to focus on climbing. It was then (through the skiing industry) that Desmond joined Dan Dixson with Level 8 Sales and realized he had to step up his game. As a sales rep for Black Diamond, Boreal, and Edelweiss, the climbing world became a cornerstone in his life. This role is what brought Desmond and his wife, Brooke to Grass Valley in 2015 and gave him the wild idea of starting a climbing gym. Now as a father of 3 with a career in real estate, Desmond is more involved with strategy from the sidelines, but is forever tied in and ready to belay the Gold Crush Community.

  • Jakobi Garlow-Kent 

    FOUNDER/OWNER

    Originally hailing from Western Massachusetts, Jakobi fell in love with bouldering on his first day out. Despite not being a sports-oriented person, he quickly discovered that this activity came naturally to him and his lifestyle, so he dove headfirst into the new passion. Ten years later as an avid and experienced boulderer, wire wrap jewelry maker, and assistant to his artistic jack-of-all-trades father, Jakobi traveled west by way of the Burning Man portal and decided to stick around in California. He connected with local climbers in the Grass Valley area and the vision to create Gold Crush Climbing Gym was born. Jakobi is the head route setter at Gold Crush, where he continues to refine and improve all things route setting for the betterment of the local community.