Your Questions, Answered

Bouldering is rock climbing without using ropes or harnesses. Typically, the climbs don’t go too high off the ground. Our boulders are usually thirteen to fifteen feet tall, and the tallest ones are sixteen to seventeen feet. To climb outside, boulderers move crashpads under the climbs to pad the fall zone. In our gym, the entire floor is a giant, squishy pad.

Top-roping is a type of roped climbing. The rope is anchored at the top of the climbing wall, with one end of the rope connected to the climber and one end of the rope connected to the belayer, who controls the rope and minimizes the fall for the climber. Top-roping is the safest and most beginner-friendly type of roped climbing.

Lead climbing is the next step after top-roping. Instead of tying into a rope that is already attached to the wall, the climber brings the rope up the wall with them, clipping in to new anchor points as they climb.

The only thing you need to come bouldering is a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag (chalk keeps your hands from becoming too sweaty). Climbing barefoot, or in non-climbing shoes is not allowed. Climbing shoes make climbing a lot easier, and will help you feel more secure and confident on our walls. We have rental gear for purchase, and with a membership, you get great discounts on climbing shoes and much more from our retail shops.

Anyone! Bouldering is a physically demanding sport, but we’re here to help. You don’t need to have previous experience to start.

We recommend children are at least 4 years old to start bouldering. All children need to be supervised by a parent or guardian while in the gym.

We recommend comfortable, stretchy clothing that is easy to move around in. However, whether you wear shorts, tights, or hammer pants, we do ask that everybody wears a shirt or tank top.

Yes. Rock climbing is inherently dangerous. Highly-attentive adult supervision is crucial for the safety of youth and others. Any youth (younger than 14) must be actively supervised by the adult who is responsible for them during their visit to the gym. Any parent, guardian or chaperone responsible for a youth must maintain direct supervision over the youth during the entirety of their visit. Contact your local gym for more information on adult to youth supervision ratios.

The suggested minimum age to get the full benefits of our facilities is 6 years old, although there is no age limit for participation.

We generally recommend younger climbers try out our Eastside location first as they may find the Auto-belay routes more accessible.

Our memberships come with a ton of perks and make it easier to become more involved in our climbing community. For more information on memberships, click here.

We don’t want you feeling ‘stuck’ in a membership. Canceling is a breeze – give us a call or chat with our staff in person at either gym. Quick and painless, usually under 5 minutes. And if you’re planning a triumphant return, ask about our monthly membership pause option. Easy peasy!