Our Mission
Our Mission is Simple: Empowering people. Strengthening communities.
Our Evolution
People seem to always be curious…”Why ‘EVO’?”
The story goes something like this:
It was in New Hampshire of 1910 when the first technical climb was completed and recorded in the United States. There, on the intimidating slopes of the Huntington Ravine within Mount Washington, climbing began. Were we there? No. Was our inspiration? You betchya. At EVO Rock + Fitness, we believe that we have all evolved from this larger history, and we invite you to join the evolution of this sport as it continues to amaze us.
We know that everyone has untapped potential inside of them—it’s only a matter of discovering it. Our gyms provide the framework for people of all ages and abilities to discover that potential through climbing in an encouraging, non-intimidating environment.
Historically, climbing has revolved around community and camaraderie almost more than climbing itself. Stories of sketchy ascents, near-death experiences, or sending a cruxy boulder problem cannot be told without talking about the people who were there. Profound relationships will always be an integral part of being a climber, and EVO celebrates this fact by hosting ongoing social events for the climbing community throughout the year.
Our Portland gym is special because it evolved from the Maine Rock Gym, (MRG), built in 1994. The climbing community had gotten so big that the MRG needed to expand to a larger facility, which became EVO. The soul of the MRG community lives on at EVO with the ownership, the staff, and community.
Regardless of who you are or where you come from, we’re all climbers, (maybe you just haven’t discovered it yet!) and we all play a part in this story…this culture…this ongoing evolution.
What’s your story? Tell us at #myevolution
Our Team
To contact a staff member please click the mail icon below their profile or right click to copy the email address.
Management Team
Staff
Partners
Employment
EVO is always excited to bring new people to our team. We are a visionary company that believes our evolution hinges on having the best staff possible: upbeat, professional humans who have fun, climb, and check their egos at the door. We value self-motivated, organized employees that want to be a part of the larger community of climbing and fitness. We are not currently seeking any full-time positions, but are always accepting applications for the below positions and we will keep them on file for when an opening becomes available.
POSITIONS POSTED:
Party + Group Facilitator/ Belayer
If you are interested in a position, fill out this Job Application and Application Questionnaire and email to:
Environmental Stewardship
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental stewardship is at the core of our business philosophy and it extends to our educational programs, purchasing policies, and building design.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
We believe climbing lives beyond the walls of our gym. Respecting the outdoor crags that we all enjoy as a community is an essential part of keeping the sport of climbing alive. We fully endorse Leave No Trace ethics throughout our educational programs and policies.
PURCHASING POLICIES
We are very conscious about the environmental and social impacts of what we buy. That is why you will see products that are organic, recycled, locally made, and non-toxic throughout our gym.
If you have questions or concerns about a product we use or carry, please let us know.
BUILDING
EVO Rock + Fitness has been designed and built to the highest environmental performance standards of any climbing gym in New England. We started by designing a building that is oriented to the south so the building can optimize daylight and solar heat gain during the winter. During the summer months, the sun can be more easily controlled on the south side, which ensures that we can keep the building as cool as possible before turning on the AC.
Our roof is also facing south so we can add solar panels to the building in the future.
Landscaping uses drought-tolerant native plants, so an irrigation system is unnecessary.
Our mechanical system meets high-efficiency ratings above and beyond code requirements. During the summer months when there is a demand for cooler air the system is designed to bring in outdoor fresh air that is able to cool the building naturally. Our air filtration system is designed to filter the chalk that is generated in a climbing gym, so it goes into the filter and not your lungs!
Our lighting systems use the most efficient fluorescents available on the market along with LED’s in select locations. The fluorescents are modern with high-quality color rendering which makes people look like their natural selves instead of the older type of lights that make the skin look green.
Our interior finishes are non-toxic, emitting very little amounts of volatile organic compounds; this keeps our indoor air clean and fresh to make your workout the best it can be.
All water fixtures meet or exceed the highest standards as defined by the LEED Green Building System.
CONTACT US TODAY!
