SANDY — It is almost better than being on the mountain.
The $3 million Momentum Indoor Climbing gym in Sandy bills itself as the largest indoor climbing gym in the Western United States.
Take a look inside and you soon realize why. The new gym offers more than 20,000 square feet of climbing surfaces, with heights reaching 42 feet. There are bouldering areas for adults and children, a yoga studio, cafe, weight room and views of the Wasatch Mountains.
Dimitar Petrov, an engineer with Bulgaria-based climbing wall manufacturer Walltopia, which was hired to build Momentum's walls, said the facility ranks among the three largest indoor climbing gyms in the United States.
"This is the biggest one we have made so far," Petrov said. "It's challenging, but rewarding."
Petrov should know. His company has installed climbing walls around the world in places such as Germany, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Russia and Turkey.
The idea for Momentum started two years ago, when co-owners Kevin Bradburn and Jeff Pedersen were climbing in Santaquin Canyon.
Pedersen, a climber of 24 years who Rock & Ice magazine describes as the "force behind Utah sport climbing," already manages The Quarry in Orem.
"We got talking about the situation of climbing gyms and the fact that there wasn't a full-service climbing gym in Salt Lake," Pedersen said. "That conversation started it."
Pedersen and Bradburn were joined by Greg Paul. The three spent a year searching for a suitable site before settling on a former movie theater building adjacent to REI and the South Towne Center.
"With the amount of square footage and the amount of dedicated space here, there is nothing that even comes close to this," said Mike Call, also a co-owner.
The gym's bouldering areas and cafe are expected to open in early January. The main climbing walls should be ready for use by late February.
Call said indoor climbing gyms offer the beginning climber a chance to learn the basics before hitting the cliffs.
"When I started climbing I watched a guy fall from 20 feet," Call said. "He broke both of his legs. If he had had an opportunity to come into a place like this and meet with experts he probably wouldn't walk with a limp today.
"When you hear about horrific falls in the canyons it's generally from not-trained climbers. They are just hikers that scramble around and fall off a cliff or they are beginner climbers who make mistakes because they don't know any better."
Momentum also will act as a base for adventure guiding, where climbers can master the basics and then set out with instructors on climbs across Utah.
"It's fun to share experiences with people who are up for trying something different or who want to try and conquer fears," Pedersen said. "Utah is a really good base for a lot of different adventures."
E-mail: danderton@desnews.com