Why Puerto Rico?

Because it's home, and because the island has been waiting for this.

• Grew up on the islandSince 2014
  Bridger Hoogeveen's family moved to Puerto Rico in 2014 as missionaries, and he grew up here. He lived through Hurricanes Irma and Maria and through COVID, and the island's people, the way neighbors show up for each other, shaped how he sees community.
• Where the stoke started2020
  When the lockdowns hit, Bridger was living in Puerto Rico. Bored and out of options, he built a climbing wall in the backyard from pallets and real rocks, with a route that led up to the roof of the family house. That is where his climbing journey really began. Dirtbag Climbing is the bigger, open-door version of that wall.
• The feeling of the islandCalm
  Step off the plane and the pace changes. Worries melt away, people slow down, and time stops running the day. That calm is the energy we want inside the gym: no bad vibes, and nobody in a hurry to leave.
• A place to call homeCommunity
  Puerto Rico has climbers and a coastline full of people who love the outdoors. What the community needs is room to grow: a place for the regulars, the coffee lovers, the first-timers, and their families to call home.
• Because climbing is about peopleCommunity
  Climbing has always been about relationships. The bonds you build, the memories you make and the places climbing takes you matter more than the grade. Puerto Rico already knows how to gather, share food and stay late, which is exactly how a climbing gym should feel.
• Giving back to where it beganRoots
  The island raised the founder and gave him his start, so the gym is built to give something back: a youth team, scholarships, school partnerships, first jobs, island-sourced coffee and walls painted by Puerto Rican artists. We are building it with Puerto Rico, not just in it.

The vibes are right.

Puerto Rico is a warm culture: open, laid-back, flowy, and a little less concerned with the clock. The moment you step onto the island, your worries melt away. That is the energy we want inside the gym. No bad vibes, no ego at the door, and nobody rushed off the mat.

Read the full story in the founder's note.

A bigger place to call home.

The island's climbing scene is small but growing, and right now it shares a small gym. Dirtbag adds room for everyone: taller walls, more problems and space to hang out after the session.

• 40-foot top-rope and lead wallsClimb
  Tall walls for roped climbing, with auto-belay lanes for when you come alone.
• Bouldering for every levelBoulders
  Walls from 14 to 18 feet with 20 to 30 problems at any time, from first-day beginner to elite.
• A real training spaceTrain
  A board room, a warm-up and workout area, a kids' zone and a gear shop under one roof.
• Home base for the crewHang
  A café, a hangout spot and a crew that knows your name. Somewhere to belong, not just somewhere to train.

A coastal town, a short drive from San Juan.

Dorado is a beach town on the island's north coast. It gets locals, families and visitors from around the world, and it sits close to the island's limestone karst country.

Built with the island, not on top of it.

• Local artWalls
  Walls painted by Puerto Rican muralists, and Spanish-first signage throughout.
• Beta CaféCoffee
  Puerto Rican-grown, Caribbean-roasted coffee, with at least 60 percent of what we serve coming from island producers. Open to the public, no membership needed.
• Monthly nightsCulture
  Live music, artisan markets, film and poetry, hosted in the gym.
• Kids and familiesCommunity
  The Send Squad youth team, scholarship memberships for families on PAN/SNAP, discounts for veterans and first responders, school field trips and paid high school internships.

It started with pallets, rocks and a lockdown.

In 2020, living in Puerto Rico, Bridger Hoogeveen built his first climbing wall in the backyard from pallets and rocks, with a route up to the roof. Dirtbag Climbing is the bigger version of that wall, open to everyone.

Read the founder's story Get project updates