The team set out to investigate why young people in Bergamo were disengaging from spaces they had actively chosen to join. The research centred on Orobia Climbing, one of the biggest indoor climbing gyms in Europe with a strong local reputation, a lively atmosphere, and a dropout rate nobody had measured.
Field interviews surfaced a pattern that was precise and uncomfortable. Every single member had arrived through personal invitation. Without that initial chain, nobody found the door at all. Once inside, whether they stayed depended on something even harder to design for: luck.
The boulder area was the most social zone in the gym that had shared failures, natural pauses, physical proximity, yet for newcomers, the gap between standing next to a group and belonging to it was total. The gym had designed everything around the climb. Nobody had designed for the sessions before belonging forms.
Peak Partners is a structured buddy system embedded inside a standard gym membership. New members receive a physical welcome kit that includes a NFC integrated membership card, a colour-coded wristband encoding their bouldering level, a colour-coded carabiner for lead climbing that acts as a level recognition wearable, and a set of instruction cards based on the membership opted for (lead or bouldering) that helps the climber to get acquainted with the basics of bouldering or lead climbing. After receiving the membership card, the user taps the card to their phone and the Peak Partners’ app reveals their buddy: a name with and a short message. Someone is already expecting them before their first session begins.
The buddy is physically present for the initial few sessions, they are also available by in-app message for more sessions, they check-in weekly, answer any questions the new climber might have or to schedule more sessions with the buddy. An AR route tool overlays difficulty grades and personalised recommendations and tips directly onto the wall. Milestones achieved are registered through a tappable NFC keychain.
When twelve sessions are complete, the new climber goes through an evaluation with the Instructor and the buddy. Once they pass the evaluation, they receive a block badge to register their achievement. Those who finish the programme have an option to join the community of buddies to become a buddy for another new climber and give back to the climber’s community. This helps the system to replenish itself. All new climbers who join the climber’s community as a New Buddy, their achievement is celebrated by posting their photo with experience testimonials on the Wall of Fame.
The team learned that the barrier to connection is never distance. Every ingredient was already in the room. What was missing was one small, deliberate moment that made the social connections and belonging inevitable.
