This project has been in motion for approx. 8 years. The idea was thought up one night over dinner, between two friends. Since then, it’s been driven by a commitment to see it through. And now, many years later, Gord McArthur and Fraser Bowden are at the helm of the ship, driving this project over the finish line. With so much enthusiasm from key people in the Cranbrook community, ARQ is on its way to becoming a real thing.

The word “ARQ” (pronounced ‘ark’), came from the french word “Arqué”, which means “arch”, or “overhanging”. We liked this, but wanted to make it a bit more original, so we dropped the ué and kept “Arq”. (Giving credit to High Country Sports for the idea.) Along with many people over the years, we, Gord McArthur and Fraser Bowden, bring you this facility, this dream, with passion, excitement, and a lot of enthusiasm built up from years of planning.

ARQ Mountain Centre will act as a hub for people passionate about mountain life in a venue that captures and reflects the surrounding beauty and recreational inspiration that is so abundant in our region. Dedicated to providing a fun, safe and socially interactive form of alternative exercise, its emphasis will be on a state of the art climbing facility that will include the areas’ most knowledgeable, experienced and friendly staff to create a welcoming and enthusiastic environment for new and adept climbers alike.

The cost of memberships will vary depending on what you’d like to do. We’ll have memberships set out for families, single person, corporate, educational institutes, and youth. Beyond that they’ll be broken down into whether you want a “full membership”, which entitles you to all areas of the facility, or if you’d like to purchase a specific membership to say “just climbing”, or “just the kids area”. Check out our pricing page for further details.

Our goal is to provide the public with a wide array of classes and programs, teaching just about every aspect of climbing, so that you, the climber, will have the confidence needed to explore the sport further. Everything from entry level “how to belay” through to the finer skills of technique, and into specific programs that address your progression in the sport. Whether male, female, youth, corporate, as well as birthday parties, we’ll ensure that you’re fully equipped with what you need to have an awesome time at ARQ.

The kids area is something we’re really really excited about. Our goal with this part of ARQ is to provide a space for kids to learn about movement, to play, to enjoy, and to give parents the opportunity to sit back and relax while their child/children have an awesome time. The “Fun zone” will be broken up into two areas, one being specific to climbing, with beautiful, fun, climbing walls, and the other being the jungle gym play zone. The jungle gym play zone will be developed for younger children (approx. 12 months & older), still providing a space for movement, while the parent can watch with a coffee and/something to eat.

Beyond the two focal points (climbing gym and kids zone), ARQ will have a studio for various classes (ie. yoga, etc.), a fitness area for general conditioning or sport specific training, a retail area with climbing equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. We’ll also be offering food and beverage, so that when you arrive at ARQ, you can stay fueled for the duration of your time there.

ARQ will also offer a space for social interaction, dedicating itself to educational commitments, for groups to meet, or simply just to “hang out and chill”. Filled with reading material (guide books, maps, magazines), visuals for motivation (tv for playing movies ie. climbing movies), couches, and of course free wifi, this area will be the connection for community.