In 2013, New York City–based rock climbers Mikhail Martin, Andrew Belletty, and Davide Glace founded , a group dedicated to getting more people of color into the sport. The community has since grown and hosts meetups across the country, operates an active Instagram account, and helped launch the , which celebrates diversity in the outdoors. Now one of the group’s former leaders, climber Pieter Cooper—a former employee of the Brooklyn Boulders climbing gym—wants to build a gym in New York City that reflects the mission of the group he cofounded.

“Brothers of Climbing created spaces for people of color when many people were not being welcomed and were hesitant to go inside another white space,” said Cooper. “We want to have a place where people can come and feel comfortable.”

In late 2020, Cooper teamed up with Samantha Zo, a creative strategist and community builder, Marcus J. Brooks, a former general manager at Brooklyn Boulders, and Raheim Robinson, a creative director and climber, to explore the idea of building a climbing gym with a team of people of color, to better represent a broader swath of the climbing community. The timing coincided with the exponential growth in popularity of Web3 technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and the team wondered if they could leverage blockchain technology to fundraise. They launched their project, called Chalk Plant, on April 7 .

“Our road map leads to a physical space but also a virtual experience where anyone can support and participate,” said Zo.

By using the revenue from NFT sales, the group members say they will avoid paying costs taken out by other crowdsourcing platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter, which can take anywhere from 2.9 to 5 percent of the total amount raised.

“This is the first project of this type that I’ve heard of,” said Laura Allured, senior manager of membership and marketing at��the Climbing Wall Association, a trade group for indoor climbing gyms. “It’s neat to see innovation in the industry and a community-based��fundraising model.”

Chalk Plant will need to raise several million dollars to move forward with the project, and its founders are eyeing potential locations in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant. The exact details—like whether the gym will feature sport climbing, bouldering, or both—are dependent on the success of the fundraising campaign. But team members are certain about one thing: they definitely want a resident DJ.

An initial round of 1,000 NFTs will launch later this summer to a curated white list of family, friends, and core fans. Ultimately, they hope to raise around��$250,000 with these��tokens before minting NFTs for the general public later this year.

Over the past few months, minting and selling NFTs have helped niche communities raise millions of dollars in funding. One project, called , sold $10.4 million in NFTs to pay for the creation of a club for golfers. Another group, PleasrDAO, from NFT sales to purchase the WuTang album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” from Martin Shkreli, notorious owner of the pharmaceutical companies Vyera and Turing.

“With the NFTs, there’s a receipt we can use to track members. On top of that, we can add other perks as the community grows,” Cooper said, mentioning things like pro deals and exclusive content.

In addition to building the gym, the Chalk Plant founders want to teach its members about the basics of Web3 technology, NFTs, and cryptocurrency. NFT holders will become part of a private channel on the chat platform Discord, where experts will discuss climbing, crypto, and wealth generation, among other topics.

“We want to be one of the first climbing communities that have open conversations about things like NFTs, crypto, stocks, and interest rates,” said Brooks. “Sharing and learning together comes with communities that trust each other.”

Unlike membership drives or founding-member buy-ins, launching an NFT serves as an invitation to the community (but does not include future gym-membership dues). By creating and selling the first round of NFTs, the founders will have what basically amounts to seed capital to begin building the infrastructure of the gym without dipping into future profits.

“As a community of climbers, creators, and artists, we have an opportunity to be at the forefront of something new,” said Zo. “The world is heading into adopting Web3 and NFTs as a standard. It’s in our best interest that we lean into this as an opportunity.”

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Our obsession with rooftop tents, vanlife, and overland vehicles means we’re producing more carbon��to get to the places we work so hard to protect. Taking��the bus, on the other hand, saves up to per passenger mile.��And especially in major cities, public transportation is no longer a subpar option for outdoor escapes—it can take you to some great spots and sports.��Here’s how to find adventure near five major cities without a car.

Chicago

It’s time to finally use the portable kayak living under your bed. For those looking to paddle beyond the Chicago River, board the Chicago Metra for a 90-minute��ride to , Illinois. Those without their own vessels can rent kayaks at ($15 per hour), a 10-minute walk from the Metra stop. Put in on Pistakee Lake and paddle south for an adventure on the Upper Fox River. This section of the Fox River Waterway is not for beginners, so be prepared for wind, motorized vehicles, and a series of . When you’re ready to head home, there are a few Metra stops along the water��to choose from including Fox River Grove (mile 18), Geneva (mile 45), and Aurora (mile 55).

Not ready for a river epic? Sign up for a tour with a local guiding company like .

Washington, D.C.

Skip the public transit altogether, and hop on your bike. The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal trail stretches 184.5 miles from D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. In addition to the dozens of free along the way,��bikepackers looking for a bed can reserve a for the night. Upon reaching Cumberland, the C&O Canal trail fluidly connects to the , offering intrepid cyclists another 150 miles of trail to Pittsburgh. Pro tip: much of the path is gravel, so skip the skinny tires for this one.

New this year, the ��offers direct service from central D.C. to Front Royal, Virginia, which is just four��miles from the����entrance. For the ultimate public-transit trip, hitchhike��a ride to Front Royal and travel��north on the Appalachian Trail. After a few nights in the woods and 54 miles under your feet, you’ll arrive in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where you can catch a back to to D.C.

Los Angeles

From downtown Los Angeles, choose between an Amtrak bus or train for a two-hour ride to sunny Palm Springs. A scenic 2.5-mile tram ride from the desert brings you to the�� wilderness. There you’ll find dozens of day hikes and campground options. For wilderness campgrounds, don’t forget to apply for your at least a month in advance for��summer weekends.

Or��continue on from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree National Park��aboard��the new, free . Take the shuttle to the 124-site to enjoy scrambling on massive boulders, camping, and��clear desert night skies. Camp among the boulders��at , which is first come, first served and walking distance from Joshua Tree’s climbing mecca, the . Currently, the shuttle is a pilot program and only scheduled to run through April 2019, so hop on while you can.

New York City

The breadth of outdoor pursuits available within and near New York City is always as surprising as the city’s hordes of surfers willing to rally at 5��a.m. to join the lineup before work. Watch the ��for those clean offshore waves, purchase your $2.75 Metro card, and hop on the A train from Midtown Manhattan to , Queens, for some of the most public-transit-friendly surfing in the country.

Dirtbag climbers stuck at desk jobs��will rejoice in the 90-minute�� from the city��to one of the East Coast’s climbing meccas: . (Though��this easy access means that you may need to go up a few pitches for solitude.) And note that while the bus will get you to the gateway town of New Paltz, there are eight��miles between the bus station and the crag, so thumb it or jump into an at the station.

Miami

Buses heading south from Miami offer a multitude of options for paddlers, anglers, and divers looking for tropical coral reefs and miles of water trails. Take the Miami Dade to Homestead, Florida, for a free to Key Biscayne National Park. The park’s over are best explored by water. Paddlers can enjoy mangrove forests and divers can follow the to six submerged shipwrecks. Or take the Greyhound to the diving capital of the world,��Key Largo. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can continue on the Greyhound to Key West and transfer to the ferry that heads��to , where crystal-clear waters, a historic fort, and vibrant sea life await.

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In November, I moved to Boulder on a whim. A friend had an open room available, my expensive New York City lease had just run out, and a new ski season was fast approaching after the disastrous East Coast snow season of 2015-16. So over Thanksgiving, my brother helped me load all my stuff into my blue Toyota Highlander and drive west.��

The plan was to run my company, , virtually—planning a summer festival, answering emails, and enjoying views of the Flatirons. My first month in town was uneventful. I��was happy to take in the relatively slower pace of Colorado life and the seemingly endless sunshine. Then, in January, the swiping began.

I��had just gotten out of a long-term relationship in��NYC, and getting back out there��wasn't foremost on my mind—until�����ϳԹ�����approached me in January with an assignment. What was it like for a city girl to date in America's most outdoorsy town? I shied away at first, but then I figured:��What's the harm in going on a few dates?��

I knew I'd be traveling back to NYC for the festival in the summer, so from the start, I wasn't looking for anything too serious. At the same time, everyone I knew personally in Boulder was in a relationship, so I didn't have any beta on the dating scene around town. But this was a place made for the outdoorsperson! At the very least I expected variations of a bearded, flannel-wearing man who'd want to wake up early on Saturdays and hit the slopes with me—maybe even show me some secret powder stashes. The only other thing I'd heard about the Boulder community was the lore of the hardcore athlete. I feared my shred-bilities wouldn't be enough to keep up with my prospective matches.��

To start the journey, I turned, naturally, to Tinder. But after a week of swiping, I hadn't found any matches I was actually interested in, and browsing the app began to feel like a chore. The more I thought about it, the less sense Tinder made in a place like Boulder. The app offers snapshots and short bios of everyone using the app nearby—it's window shopping with geolocation functionality.��Here in Colorado, almost every match had a photo of themselves somewhere in the great outdoors. It was exciting until I realized that “interested in adventure” was Boulder parlance akin to the generic “likes live music” of New York City. In a city the size of Boulder, where everyone lives within ten minutes of each other, I could just go to a bar and talk to strangers for the same level of first impression—and get a lot more information on their interests and personality.��

Still, I knew that the right app could introduce me to new people I might never have met by chance. So I turned to a different one: OkCupid, an app with longer profiles and more information that gave me more engaging conversations. Sure, there seemed to be a high volume of puppies and six-pack abs in profile pictures, but I felt way more comfortable setting up blind dates with people here.
��
The first date was with John*, whose profile boasted his love for the outdoors, his local know-how, and his value-driven worldview. We met for sushi and the conversation started off strong with skiing (yes, one of my favorite topics). He had just purchased a and could ski everywhere from Eldora to Steamboat. I—well, shoot, I had the . Though my pass included five different mountains within two hours of Boulder, none overlapped with John’s pass.��

We'd failed the ski pass compatibility test—but��there was still hope. Then the food came, and unfortunately for the future of our relationship, his dish was served with extra rice. Though he had already run earlier in the day, this rice snafu meant he'd have to go swimming after dinner to burn off the extra calories. I'd unknowingly set myself up on a date with a fitness fanatic—a common��type in Boulder. The conversation moved to focus exclusively on the topics of muscles, protein, and #fitspo for the rest of dinner. From there I knew we would never be a fit (pass the burger and beer, please!). I left that night intent on clicking��towards more carb-friendly pastures.

The second date was with Sam*, who ordered a calorically-packed beer��but made me slightly nervous when he ordered nachos and told the waiter, “We’re just grabbing snacks.”��Speak for yourself, I thought. Does anyone in this town eat?

Sam was the polar opposite of the traditional Boulder stereotype—he loves the indoors and reading, and has a��Masters degree from Yale. This guy spoke to my nerdy, history major, Latin-studying self—he just had no interest in talking about skiing, hiking, camping, or most other things I do on weekends.��The date was going well, but doubt nagged at me: I shouldn't be enjoying this! I'm in Boulder dammit—how can I date someone who doesn't spend every waking minute thinking about the outdoors? Though I was hesitant about his indifference toward discussing��GoreTex and��good��backpacking routes, we made easy conversation for over three hours and he seemed endearingly enthusiastic about letting me introduce him to my favorite trails.����

Round three was with Adam*. We met at a local bar and settled into a food-drama-free meal of burgers and beer (finally!). He was an avid mountain biker with requisite scabbed knuckles; exciting stories of launching off trails; and three bikes, including a new fat bike, which he was religiously using throughout the winter. I chimed in with what I thought was my shared passion for bikes and hitting the open road in the summer. “Oh, road biking?”��he said with a smirk. “Boring!” He went on to tell me how much I didn't know, namely that adrenaline-infused mountain biking is an objectively superior version of adventure.��

had reached new levels on this date. I headed home reminiscing about how just a few months before, I would have dated anyone who even knew what full suspension was. What was happening to me?

This grand experiment began in January and (perhaps shockingly) I've continued dating only Sam, the non-outdoorsy, nacho-eating scholar. I never went on a second date with John or Adam, and I even stopped using OkCupid after the third date with Sam. Somehow I found a match in the guy who has neither the same ski pass nor the same outdoor passion points as me.��

And it's working out great. I go outside with my friends and don't have to worry about the romantic implications of the inevitable end-of-the-day long underwear stank. We have a ton of common interests to talk about beyond the powder forecast, and, even better, he doesn't judge me for enjoying the wrong type of sports. I've realized that I still need the balance of the urban and the outdoors, even here in Boulder, and Sam is the perfect adventure buddy for new breweries, restaurants, and cultural events. It turns out that what they say is true: a girl just can't say no to excogitative vocabulary.��

*Names have been changed for obvious reasons.

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