All about the QCG
A new indoor climbing gym is coming to the Bitterroot Valley in October 2026. Located in downtown Stevensville, the gym will focus on making climbing accessible to all ages, levels and abilities.
The Bouldering area is scheduled to be completed and open on Oct. 1st, with roped climbing soon to follow. The gym will include traditional boulder routes of all levels, training and tension boards, a "spray wall," a moon board, and even an area where members can design their own original routes.
Additional components such as campus & peg boards, and other "Ninja Warrior" style of climbing will also be available.
Community involvement is encouraged at all stages! You're early purchase or donation helps to cover start-up and financing costs, and helps to ensure that Quantum Climbing Gym becomes an exciting destination for the community and visitors for many years to come!
Thank you in advance - we can't do this without you!
-James Higginson, Founder
The founder, James, is a proud father and loving husband that is also a passionate, lifetime rock climber, a local builder, and a hobby physicist. If it involves the mountains, then count him in!
James is a general contractor, climbing guide, and the founder/owner of Five Summits, LLC. He loves the Bitterroot Valley and has called it home for 17 years, considering himself a transplant Montana native at heart. He has built 24 homes in the valley, multi-family units, and extensive remodels across the area over the last seven years, while also designing and building two commercial climbing walls—including Quantum Climbing Gym, of which he is the owner and founder.
Introduced to rock climbing through the Boy Scouts in 1989, James has been guiding and instructing since 2001. When he’s not on the wall or managing construction sites, you can find him snowboarding, mountain biking, hitting live concerts, or embarking on his annual backpacking trip in Glacier National Park.
Off the trails, he's a devoted Griz fan, a lover of good food, and a hobby physicist currently developing an independent theory called The Unitary Scaling Mechanism (complete with occasional delusions of grandeur).
James is turning 50 next month (Oct 2026), and has been married to his high school sweetheart for 17 years; together they have raised five kids, with just one left in the nest. Above all, his life is driven by his love for the mountains, God, family, and adventure.
Besides building homes and climbing walls, he is currently building his own independent quantum theory. He will tell you from experience that the laws of physics always apply, whether in the mountains, or sitting at home on the couch... and whether you understand them or not!
The QCG bouldering area is currently under construction. When completed there will be approximately 1200 square feet of dynamic and diverse bouldering problems, including a 40 degree Moonboard, a vertical section, and 10, 20, and 30 degree overhangs. A portion of the 10 degree wall will feature our QCG Spray wall, as well as an area for members to develop and set their own boulder problems. Click on a gallery link to visit the public google photo gallery and track our daily progress!
Opening October 1st, 2026!
Our Vision: Quality and Expansion
We have soft approval for repurposing up to three old grain mill silos that are slated for phase two development. Phase two will begin immediately following completion of the bouldering area! Each silo will provide 6 to 8 individual top-rope anchors 30+ feet tall, with multiple potential routes, as well as lead climbing opportunities. Our total roped climbing will be approximately 3000 square feet, with potential for more than 40 distinct routes!
Meet the Team & Strategic Partners
James Higginson
Founder
James@QuantumClimbingGym.com