Reading Rocks for sale but will remain a climbing gym, owner says

Ashley Matrone was scared of heights when she walked into Reading Rocks climbing gym in Muhlenberg Township, convinced by family members to give it a shot.

Her nervousness was understandable.

It didn’t last long, though.

Soon the 30-year-old was in love with the place.

“I very quickly became addicted to the sport, and to the climbing community,” said Matrone of Wayne Township, near Schuylkill Haven.

Since Reading Rocks opened in 1996 — first in Wyomissing and moving to Muhlenberg in 2009 — it has fostered that passion for climbing among many, owner Joanie Bebb said.

It’s been a place where climbers can challenge themselves physically and mentally and make close friends through their shared appreciation of the sport, she said.

It’s even been a place where many love stories were born, with more than a dozen couples meeting there before eventually marrying, Matrone and her husband, Dominic, included.

Bebb also likes to talk about the babies those couples have had, photos of whom she proudly hangs in the business.

“That makes me feel good,” she said.

Now Bebb, 66, said the time has come for her to retire, and she has listed the business for sale.

But she’s going to make sure the eventual buyer will keep it running as a climbing gym, she said.

“I’m willing to train the next person (to run it as a climbing facility),” said Bebb of Wyomissing. “I want it to continue.”

Reading Rocks, with 32 top ropes and an assortment of walls with varied climbing difficulties, has been such a big part of Bebb’s life, as it was for her husband and climbing companion, Tom Bebb.

When Tom died in 2016, Joanie lost her desire to climb without her partner. But she kept her love of their businesses, and said it will be hard to leave.

“I’ll miss the people and the friendships the most,” she said.

The couple opened Reading Rocks because they saw a need for it in the area, and they stuck with the business through the difficult early years, and even as they both worked other full-time jobs.

That need remains, Bebb said.

Climbing makes you think, problem solve, set goals, and is great exercise, she said.

It’s also a great family activity and is great for team building, which is why it hosts events for student ROTC groups, Scout organizations and businesses, Bebb said.

“Quite a few kids come here regularly, too, and it gives them a positive activity to take part in,” she said. “I think we’ve helped keep kids off of drugs.”

Matrone said she, like many of Reading Rocks customers, appreciates that Bebb wants to keep it a climbing gym. They want to keep going there.

Matrone and her husband are among numerous clients who volunteer as helpers during regular business hours and for special events because they want to get others into rock climbing as well.

They all love Bebb for her personality and for her devotion to the sport, she said.

“I call her my Rock Momma,” Matrone said.