If you're into bouldering, but can't always make it to the great outdoors, Dogpatch Boulders might be for you.

The climbing gym first opened its doors at 2573 3rd St. in 2013. It's run by Touchstone Climbing and Fitness, which owns 10 other climbing gyms around California. According to their website, that makes them the largest indoor climbing company in the world. 

Touchstone's roots can be traced to San Francisco, where founders Mark and Debra Melvin first opened Mission Cliffs in 1995. Most of their facilities, including Mission Cliffs and Berkeley Ironworks, are primarily "top rope and lead" climbing gyms. But after noticing a trend of bouldering-only gyms developing, the company decided to go for it at the massive Dogpatch location, which offers over 14,000 square feet of bouldering terrain.

"When we first opened, it was the largest bouldering facility in the country," said Justin Alarcon, who manages Dogpatch Boulders. 

Bouldering is a form of rock climbing in which there are no ropes, and the pitches are significantly smaller, usually topping out at around 16 or 17 feet. "Bouldering is the sprinting equivalent to running," explained Alarcon. "It's short, it's powerful, and it's more dynamic. Bouldering is always different, and it's creative. A big part of the appeal is the problem-solving aspect of it."

Though bouldering climbers don't have a designated climbing partner, as in other forms of rock climbing, bouldering is actually more social, Alarcon said. People will work with their friends to solve "boulder problems" (designated routes up a wall which vary in difficulty) together.

To keep things interesting for regular climbers, Touchstone employs a team of professional "route setters" to travel around to all of their locations and devise new problems to solve. Routes are designated by colored tags, ranging in intensity from "V0" to "V12."

Running such a large-scale fitness operation might appear challenging, but Alarcon says he encounters little to no trouble. Liability is not an issue, since everyone at the gym signs a detailed waiver assuming all risks.

He describes the bouldering community as "actually pretty good at welcoming new people and explaining climbing etiquette and things like that. I've never had to be called in to be a referee, thank goodness."

Most of the challenges of running Dogpatch Boulders are logistical, Alarcon says. For example, when the gym's padded flooring was first installed, it was new technology, so even the manufacturers needed to troubleshoot issues as they arose.

School groups can also prove challenging: this year, the gym hosted about 150 kids from SF International High School, a school consisting entirely of youth from other countries. Getting all the necessary parental waivers signed in many different languages wasn't easy, but Alarcon was happy that the diverse group of kids had the opportunity to visit the gym.

Dogpatch Boulders offers day passes ($20) as well as monthly memberships ($77/month, with a $100 initiation fee). The day pass comes with a free orientation lesson; climbing shoes rent for an additional $5. A membership gets you into all the Touchstone gyms in California, along with all of the facilities and classes they offer. 

"I love the variety of routes they have," said member Diane Taylor (pictured below). "I love all the different types of problems: some are hard and some are easy. I also like that it's not that crowded on weekdays. I don't really like an audience."

If you decide to stop by Dogpatch Boulders, don't mind the dust: Touchstone is currently in the process of expanding the facility to include more climbing terrain, more weights and cardio equipment, and a new room for yoga and fitness classes. 

Alarcon estimates that the first phase of the new climbing terrain should be completed this month, so if you're itching to scale some walls in a cavernous indoor environment, swing on by.