Bouldering Project

I've been trying to determine what I don't love about this gym for a while and I think I've finally figured it out. There is not a great selection of holds (where are all of the crimps? the pinches? pockets?) and it seems like most climbs consist of slopers, volumes, or big awkward holds. I do agree with other reviews that say the setting is creative, but not in a good way. I think the lack of hold selection really limits the kinds of problems that can be set, which often results in the setting feeling awkward or sometimes just straight up dangerous. If there is a more delicate crimpy route set there is also inevitably a huge hold from an overlapping problem preventing you from keeping your body close to the wall. The thing that bothers me the most is that I don't feel safe on a lot of the climbs, which is not something I've experienced to this degree in any other climbing gym, and seems like it's been progressively getting worse. I've bailed on climbs more times than I can count either because the body positioning required is just not safe for your joints, or puts you in a position to potentially take a really bad fall. Combined with the fact that a lot of the sketchy moves are at the top of the wall it's just a recipe for injury. I am a physical therapist so I admit I might be more in tune to this than most. But I think the dangerous setting comes down to limited hold types and overall small amount of wall to set on. The one thing I do really like is the kilter board, it's a solid piece of equipment and most likely where I will be spending my time going forward.

I love visiting new climbing gyms when I travel, and I think this is the only one that I’ve ever had gym envy over! The amenities are wild, and I thought the setting was thoughtful and creative. They clearly have the $$$ to spend on big fiberglass holds and dualtex volumes, and I found myself enjoying the warm up routes just as much as my limit level. I can see how the advanced climber would chew through all of the sets though, especially considering the actual bouldering areas are fairly small relative to the massive gym space. I can also see how that would make it very crowded during peak hours. But I went at midday and didn’t find it overwhelming at all. I’m looking forward to coming back when I visit next!

Average bouldering gym that has a lot of potential. Very large space, but very little climbing. The exercise area is huge, probably two or three times larger than most climbing gyms of similar size. The main climbing area (the east wing) is about the same size as the exercise area, and much of the main climbing area has no walls in favor of space for slackline, ping pong, and empty space. The empty space would be valuable if it kept people from sitting on the mats, crowding the wallls, but it doesn't. There's a wall on one side and two boulder islands, with a gap in the middle and plate glass windows on the opposite side. Instead of prioritizing a view into the gym and non-climbing activities in this area, the slack-line and ping-pong could be moved elsewhere, the boulder islands could be closer to the exterior wall, and more wall could be built in between. The exterior glass wall looking into the airy bouldering area and the exercise area gives the impression that potential for climbing has been sacrificed for aesthetics and the possibility to be seen by passersby. The other side of the gym features a ramp with a continuous overhang above it, a training area (Kilter board, campus board, etc.) and two small slab areas, one of which has a very tight layout that forces crowding. The main climbing area also gets very crowded, in part due to chokepoints between the main wall and the two boulder islands, and in part because of people simply crowding the walls (probably since the climbable area is so limited). Beside adopting a more efficient layout in the climbing areas to fit more climbing, the exercise area is also suitably tall for climbing and could be converted in part or in total. The space under the ramp that is currently a cramped slab climbing area would be suitable for a more modest exercise area, more similar in size to other climbing gyms. Meanwhile, there is a space with a large table for people to work, spaces with couches and chairs for people to relax, etc. I know many people appreciate these amenities and this style, but I would prefer for the climbing gym to be more focused on climbing. If the gym would like to offer ping pong, then let it compete with space for working remotely or lounging rather than climbing space. Due to the limited climbing, it is very easy to climb out the whole gym between sets and be waiting for several sessions to even have one or two new boulders to challenge yourself with. I end up spending a significant amount of sessions on the Kilter board to avoid the chokepoints and crowding, but also to simply have new problems to try. I've seen much smaller gyms manage to set as many problems as this gym by adopting efficient layout and wall geometry (e.g. GP-81 in NYC, Rock Oasis in Toronto, The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Portland, the list goes on). Unfortunately the reality of the situation is that it's the best DC has to offer by virtue of being the *only* climbing gym in DC proper; unbelievable. Traveling to other gyms will require you to negotiate beltway traffic, which means you might be driving or taking the train up to an hour or more each way to get in a session after work. Not practical. P.S. This gym occasionally hosts birthday parties and allows them to climb in the main climbing area. IMO no gym should, and many don't. Those that don't seem to manage financially just fine. I have no problem with youth climbers, but kids coming to a birthday party do not understand etiquette and safety, and parents frequently (and often even gym staff) seem uninterested in enforcing discipline, even in dangerous situations. P.P.S. This is a nitpick, but the hold library seems limited. Almost every time a problem of a particular color comes down, a new one goes up using very similar holds. For example, for the past month or two there has been two pink problems composed of large slopers and one pink problem composed of small edges. Grading is by color, so there may never be a "pink difficulty" problem with pinches.

I come to this gym almost every day sometimes even twice a day. I love it. There is climbing, lifting/Cardio, yoga classes and even a sauna! It’s also a very social gym which is nice for a city like DC. They have done their best to make climbing safe but it is up to each climber know their limits. Also they have routes for all skill levels. Great gym, worth checking out