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1614 N. 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-360-3999
Waiver

About Us

Tufas Boulder Lounge is a 12,700 sq/ft indoor rock climbing gym, created by Philly climbers, located in South Kensington.

We are thrilled to be able to provide Philadelphia with an indoor rock climbing gym. Tufas incorporates everything that we love about the sport and lifestyle of climbing. We have designed over 5,500 sq/ft of climbing terrain with beginner and advanced climbers in mind. In addition, there is 1,500 sq/ft of climbing-specific training and general fitness to keep you strong, motivated, and healthy.

Not Just an Indoor Rock Climbing Gym

We understand the importance of community, which is why we created multiple lounge areas to provide an environment where trips can be planned and memories can be shared over coffee. We also have a Ping Pong table for when you are too pumped to continue climbing. Now that the approach is over it’s time to start climbing!

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Our Staff

Rory Coughlin

General Manager

Rory began climbing in 2002, shortly after moving to Philadelphia, where the existing community there took him under their wing and started him on the climbing path. His passion for climbing has taken him across the world, climbing in Thailand, Sardinia, Sicily, Northern Italy, South Africa and Mexico. He hopes to give back to the philly community all the love and mentorship that was given to him.

Z. Kudratov

  Z’s been a jittery member of the Denying My Coffee Addiction group since 2009, but in 2016 he found that his loyalties lied with the Embracing My Coffee Addiction group. That summer he found himself, terrified and sore, on the ledge of a gnarly 5.4. Two months (and two…

Rico Hector

He/him/his. I was born in San Diego, but raised in Tijuana, and educated in the bay (Go Bears!). I recently moved to Philly to work in the immigration defense at the Mexican Consulate. I am highly interested in issues regarding POC empowerment, gender, mental health, and politics. Regarding climbing, I…

Rachel Fifer

  Rachel Fifer (she/hers), a lifelong dancer and athlete, first tried rock climbing in 2008, when four friends took her out to sport climb in the Andes mountains. Upon her discovery of an irrational fear of heights, the four guys yelled at her and refused to lower her until she…

Lorrain Ko

  I grew up in Los Angeles until I came out to Philly for grad school for physical therapy at USciences. Growing up as a kid, I was never in any organized sports. Instead, I pretty much played everything my older brother did (he was our ring leader) from makeshift…

Idaho Ketcham

I grew up for the most part around Hockessin, Delaware but also New Hampshire and Maine as a teenager. I first got into climbing when I was 13, frequenting climbing crags in the White Mountains. In 2016 I moved to a small island in the gulf of Thailand where I…

Hasan Arif

Hello, I am from Islamabad, a hilly city in Pakistan (also the capital). I have been mesmerized by the mountains since I was a kid. I got into climbing in 2009. Climbing was a relatively undeveloped sport in Pakistan back then, there was nowhere to buy gear and there were…

Hann Smiley

  Hann (they/them), entered the world of rock climbing in the dead of winter in 2018 and just a year later found themselves wrestling pebbles in Joshua Tree. Although Hann’s journey started with bouldering, they quickly took to discovering new heights through sport climbing and spend as many weekends as…

Eli Studer

She/Her Eli grew up in a little town near Hershey, Pa where the street lights are actually shaped like kisses. She is a visual artist and a devoted cat lover. She started climbing when she was 19 at Temple’s rock gym and at a few crags near the 717 area…

Daye Kassie

Tech/Desk Staff
They/Them/He/Him Altruistic Extended Reality Developer and Producer with interests ranging from climbing to making immersive experiences. Daye has been passionate about technology since they have been able to use a computer. The mix of the challenging puzzle that is programming and the immense potential for social good has sent them…

Daniella Jordan

    Where did you grow up? I grew up in Riga, Latvia. I moved to The United States in 2013. Up until last year, I lived down in Atlanta, Georgia. How long have you been into climbing and fitness/Where did you learn? Early on, I was engaged in different…

Casey Chibirka

  Casey grew up in the south of the country as well as the north. Her family moved frequently. The perfect combination for Casey to not obtain the southern accent. Although Casey was introduced to climbing particularly late in the game, she immediately found comfort in the non-competitiveness and the…

Carlisle Quinn Brooke

  Hello! My name is Carlisle Quinn and I am a transgender adventurer, life-long learner, and a do- and feel-good kind of person. My background is mostly working with youth, ranging from 3-15. I always make an effort to get to know those I work with, listen to them, share…

Caleb Robinson

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Cait Vitale-Sullivan

Cait Vitale-Sullivan spent her childhood being dragged up the granite slabs of the City of Rocks, Idaho behind her mom and dad. The mountains and hills of Southeastern Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Colorado were the backdrop for her formative years. Now, she shares her love of the mountains with a…

Ben Burch

Teacher/Desk Staff
He/Him Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town called Middle of Nowhere in the Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania! How long have you been into climbing and fitness/Where did you learn? I started rock climbing in the spring of 2016, but was a long distance runner…

Austin Zeller

Having always been abundantly energetic, sport and play have had a vital role in creating a healthy lifestyle for Austin. He comes from a youth development background, as a part of the country’s leading non-profit in leveraging the power of play to enhance the lives of children both emotionally and…

Andrew Izzo

  Where did you grow up? I grew up just outside Phoenixville, in the Northeast suburbs of Philly. How long have you been into climbing and fitness/Where did you learn? In 2015, at the tender age of 18, I was introduced to climbing at my local gym. Despite an un-athletic…

Alyssa Welty

She/Her Alyssa grew up in Southern California and moved to the Philly area in 2014 for college. Growing up, Alyssa played a myriad of sports, soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, but didn’t often get the opportunity to climb. She began climbing for the first time upon the opening of Tufas, so…

Our Affiliations: American Alpine Club, Access Fund, American Mountain Guide Association, Climbing Wall Association, National Outdoor Leadership School, American Red Cross, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Drexel University

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