How It All Started
Back in 2018, I was training out of a dingy basement gym with leaky pipes and equipment held together by duct tape and hope. But you know what? Some of my best lifts happened there.
The idea for Aetherion Spire came to me during a climbing trip to Squamish. I was hanging off a cliff face, arms screaming, and thought - why can't we bring this same vertical challenge mentality to strength training? Why do gyms gotta be these boring rectangular boxes?
So I pooled everything I had, convinced a few fellow coaches who were just as crazy as me, and built what we wanted to train in ourselves. A space where powerlifters could learn to climb, where climbers could discover the beauty of a proper deadlift, where movement wasn't confined to one discipline.
The Concept
Started sketching plans on napkins at coffee shops around Granville. My partner thought I'd lost it.
Construction Chaos
Twelve months of building, designing the climbing wall, sourcing equipment. We did a lot of the work ourselves - saved money, built character.
Opening Day
Launched right before the world went sideways. Somehow survived the pandemic by pivoting to outdoor training sessions.
Recognition
Named Vancouver's Best Specialty Gym. Our members started competing nationally in both climbing and lifting.
Still Ascending
Expanded our team to 12 coaches, added more programs, but kept that same basement gym energy.
"We're not about fancy marketing or wellness influencer nonsense. We're about showing up, doing the work, and helping each other get better. That's it."
- Marcus Chen, Founder
Meet The Team
Want to Join Our Crew?
We're always looking for passionate coaches who care more about results than resume lines. If you've got real experience and want to work with athletes who actually give a damn, hit us up.
Get In Touch