Standing-room-only crowds and high energy highlight High Altitude's Climbing Wall Grand Opening

Noah Kaufman has been climbing for 17 years. The South Lake Tahoe resident has traveled to remote areas to climb, but Friday night he found himself 20 feet up, feeding off the incredible energy at the new climbing wall at High Altitude Fitness on Northwood Boulevard in Incline Village.

Here is the link to watch his climb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9zdvG1syIQ&feature=channel_page

The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd who attended the grand opening of Lake Tahoe's finest climbing wall on Friday evening had plenty to be excited about. Angela Smith, another South Lake resident, dangled from two cloth strips in a display of aerial gymnastics that had everyone gasping for breath.

The Dyno Competition, an ascent technique where climbers leap, reach and grab from hold to hold, had experts and novices alike navigating the different levels of difficulty to earn points and hopefully get into the finals.

The highlight of the evening, aside from Kaufman's rowdy 5-minute ascent to the top of the wall, was a slide show and presentation by John Bachar - a legend in the climbing world.

The weekend grand opening isn't over  - join the High Altitude crew tonight at 7 p.m. for another legendary free climber, Lynn Hill. Admission is $10 and includes beer and wine tasting, appetizers and raffle tickets.

High Altitude Fitness is located at 880 Northwood Blvd., in InclineVillage.