Last month, opened Boyce Bouldering Park鈥攁 6,000-square-foot expanse of artificial boulders. Carved into the edge of Pittsburgh鈥檚 urban sprawl鈥攋ust fifteen minutes from downtown鈥攖his free outdoor bouldering gym was designed with an ambitious vision: to bring outdoor adventure to all.

The park boasts more than 100 problems, ranging in difficulty from VB to V10+, which will be reset twice a year by professional setters. It is part of a $4.7 million project inspired by a 2020 Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) study, which highlighted a significant lack of accessible outdoor recreation in and around Pittsburgh. To address this need, planners chose to create a bouldering park and nearby pump track, paired with upgraded restrooms and other park facilities, aiming to foster a sense of community and adventure close to home.

From start to finish, the park revitalization project was designed with climbers in mind鈥攂ut Dean Privett, a local gym owner, consultant, and longtime setter, did more to shape the park鈥檚 climbing functionality than anyone else.

Privett has been in the climbing industry for more than 13 years, designing climbing facilities worldwide, including one of his own in Pittsburgh. When he heard that Allegheny County had plans to build a free climbing-oriented outdoor park, he picked up the phone and got into the right room.

It was a good thing he did.

Lacking climbing expertise, the county was planning to install a 30-foot climbing tower with autobelays. But, in an 11th hour meeting, Privett convinced them that bouldering was a safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more climber-friendly alternative.

We aren鈥檛 motivated by profit; we鈥檙e motivated by getting folks outside.

鈥淚 knew I wanted to make sure whatever got built was as functional as possible,鈥� he told Climbing. 鈥淎rchitect-led artificial climbing wall constructions tend to be more in the miss column than the hit column with true avid indoor and outdoor rock climbers.鈥� His company, Boulder Solutions, ultimately consulted on the project鈥� with ambitious, progress-oriented setting at the forefront of the design. By prioritizing wall shapes that support varied movement and difficulty, the wall design itself ensured that a dedicated team of setters could regularly rotate problems.

Privett and Allegheny County plan to update the routes at Boyce twice a year, aiming to keep the space fresh and challenging for climbers of all skill levels.

For Privett, this approach was crucial.

鈥淚 wanted to create a range of routes that catered to the existing climbing community and also welcomed the 鈥榮tumble-up鈥� climber,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith the outdoor design, we could control that experience through the wall shapes and by balancing slabs with overhangs.鈥�

The park currently boasts over 100 new climbs, ranging from the smaller, kid-oriented 鈥淛une Boulder鈥濃�攏amed after Privett鈥檚 daughter鈥攖o a V10+ set by IFSC World Cup route setter . Setters from , , , , and the former director of setting for the Cliffs, also contributed to the park鈥檚 initial setting.

鈥淢y goal was to provide Pittsburgh with a diverse palette of climbs from incredibly experienced setters,鈥� Privett said. 鈥淪o we set in a traditional commercial climbing gym methodology, maybe with a slight emphasis on fun over difficulty; we wanted to have things up there that would challenge people so they would come back.鈥�

鈥淢y philosophy here was really to introduce people to it as physical problem-solving and not as a physical challenge,鈥� he added, 鈥渢o hopefully create that hook-line-and-sinker feel of having an enjoyment for solving a puzzle.鈥�

His plan is working. On a recent visit to BBP, he heard a young girl, wearing sneakers, ask her parents to put climbing shoes on her Christmas list.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a bit of a mentorship barrier that鈥檚 been true of traditional rock climbing,鈥� Privett said. 鈥淏ut here, there鈥檚 a nice crossover [between communities]. When climbing is in the public sphere, and in public spaces鈥攊t鈥檚 easier for people to give it a try.鈥�

Since Boyce is within the jurisdiction of Allegheny County Parks, the challenges that traditional gyms face with liability insurance were minimal鈥攊t鈥檚 generally accepted that public areas operate with a 鈥渦se at your own risk鈥� legal structure.

鈥淲ithin commercial climbing gyms, there鈥檚 a lot of liability that we鈥檙e obviously exposed to, but parks operate in a different realm,鈥� Privett said. 鈥淭here are federal laws that protect them. They have tolerances for those types of activities鈥攁nd that allowed the upkeep and route setting to be a part of the overall budget.鈥�

All of that allows the park to serve its primary goal: making outdoor recreation in Pittsburgh accessible to underserved communities.

鈥淭he climbing work is emblematic of that,鈥� said Brett Hollern, Vice President for the PEC Western Pennsylvania Central Region. 鈥淪o how does somebody without transportation, without equipment, having never done this before, how do they even approach recreating outdoors or climbing? We bring that experience to them.鈥�

Privett echoed the sentiment: 鈥淚n places like Pittsburgh, it鈥檚 just much less common to think about climbing as an activity that you would or could want to do. But our industry could benefit from more awareness around what climbing is. It鈥檚 all of our job to educate and introduce people to it.鈥�

Hollern hopes that the Boyce Bouldering Park model can inspire other municipalities to consider climbing in their park budgets. 鈥淲e operate on the premise that people who recreate on public lands will, in turn, become stewards of those lands. Outdoor spaces like this can activate communities, whether through economic development or quality of life, and Allegheny County really took that idea and ran with it.鈥�

Joe Perkovich, the Allegheny County Landscape Architect who supported the project, said the proposal鈥檚 non-existent barrier to entry was a key reason for the county parks service involvement. 鈥淎ll of our parks are publicly funded assets and are there for people to use and enjoy,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e aren鈥檛 motivated by profit; we鈥檙e motivated by getting folks outside.鈥�

For most, the bouldering park is just another addition to Pittsburgh鈥檚 growing outdoor scene鈥攂ut it鈥檚 a game-changer for advocates and climbers like Privett. It鈥檚 a space where the barriers to entry are lowered, and anyone, regardless of background or experience, can step up, fall down, and fall in love with the sport.

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