Climbing
Scaling Access, Seamlessness, and Community Through Smart Integration
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Updated
The Pad Climbing X Approach
The Backstory
The climbing gym industry has experienced remarkable growth, with the number of U.S. climbing gyms quadrupling since 2000. The Pad Climbing has emerged as a pioneer, operating multiple locations across California, Nevada, and New York, with a mission centered on access, inclusivity, and innovation. Known for fostering a loyal community and pushing operational boundaries, The Pad has leaned into cutting-edge technology to deliver an exceptional experience.
In late 2023, they turned to Approach to unify their gym management across locations.
By mid-2024, the Santa Barbara facility went live with Allthenticate integration, and by December 2024, a new location opened in New York with the full Approach + Allthenticate system active from day one.
“We see our gyms as our members’ gyms. Allthenticate and Approach support that vision—giving climbers the autonomy to come in when they want, with a smooth, secure system that just works.” — Jessica Mitchell, Systems & Communications Director, The Pad Climbing
The Challenge
With remote operations and rapid expansion, The Pad needed to:
Manage multi-location operations without added complexity
Reduce front desk friction and simplify staff onboarding
Enable secure, 24/7 access without key fobs or outdated hardware
Empower members with a modern, mobile-first experience
Gain clear data insights to inform scheduling, marketing, and staffing
Legacy systems—like Gartner and MultiPass—fell short. They lacked mobile apps, weren’t intuitive, and failed to align with The Pad’s community-driven approach.
The Fix
The Pad partnered with Approach, a modern gym management platform, and added Allthenticate for seamless access control. The results were immediate.
🧩 Approach Provided
CRM & Waiver Management for faster onboarding
Calendar, Check-In & POS tools for streamlined ops
Reporting & Insights for data-driven decisions
Click-through training and onboarding Jessica calls “fantastic”
Real relationships: “I know their names. I know their faces. I love working with them.”
🔐 Allthenticate Delivered
Tap-to-enter access via smartphone
Instant sync with membership status in Approach
Remote admin control for 100% distributed teams
Centralized logs for visibility across locations
“We can access everything remotely. It’s been incredibly smooth, and when issues do come up, they’re resolved so quickly it doesn’t even matter. Allthenticate’s support is unmatched. Their team is responsive, personal, and honestly just amazing to work with. Same with Approach.” — Jessica Mitchell
The Result
Reduced Staff Training Time
Approach’s intuitive design and click-through onboarding cut ramp-up time for new hires dramatically. “No comparison to other platforms we’ve used,” Jessica notes.
Frictionless 24/7 Access
Members love having full autonomy. “This isn’t The Pad’s gym—it’s their gym,” Jessica says. With Allthenticate, that vision is real.
Stronger Front Desk Experience
Staff now spend less time on check-ins and more time building community and driving retail sales.
Remote Ops, No Drama
Jessica manages systems across locations from anywhere. “We’re fully remote, and it’s never a problem.”
Affordable, Reliable, Respected
Compared to legacy solutions, Allthenticate is more cost-effective and exponentially faster to respond. The Pad’s leadership describes prior providers taking “weeks to respond,” whereas Allthenticate usually resolves issues in under 24 hours.
Real Partnership
“What makes the difference is the people. Approach and Allthenticate listen, follow through, and genuinely care. That’s rare.” — Jessica Mitchell
What's Next?
With smart, scalable systems in place, The Pad is ready to keep growing—on their terms. Their technology stack now reflects their values: accessibility, autonomy, and community-driven design.
“After six years in gym ops, I’ve never had this kind of relationship with a software partner. I’d recommend both of these teams in a heartbeat.” — Jessica Mitchell
Want to Learn More?
📩 Explore how Approach and Allthenticate can transform your gym’s operations at
Approach and Allthenticate.