North America
USA
Inner Peaks Climbing, Charlotte, North Carolina
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★☆☆
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$19
(or for free on Mondays when you go with a member)
Chalk:
info N/A
Review:
This gym is mostly laid out for rope climbing. It’s great for both lead and top rope. The bouldering area contains a lot of overhangs, which wasn’t really suitable for me as a beginner.
I feel like the bouldering area in this gym is mostly for rope climbers who want to work on their technique.
I did not need/use their locker room, so I don’t know which amenities they offer.
Would I come back?
Yes, but probably to do both rope climbing and bouldering.
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Dogpatch Boulders, San Francisco, California
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★★
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$20 - $25
Chalk:
$2 rental
Review:
This gym is just for bouldering and it’s great. There is something here for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a pro.
They offer free towels, have a small gym and are explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly.
Would I come back?
Absolutely! (And I did: I went there twice.)
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The Seattle Bouldering Project, Seattle, Washington
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★★
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$20 ($15 for students)
Chalk:
free rental
Review:
This gym is just for bouldering and it’s great. There is something here for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. If you don’t find what you’re looking for on the ground floor, go check out what they have downstairs. There are more problems and the gym.
They offer free towels, have hair-ties in the locker room, lockers with pin-codes so you don’t have to worry about your key, a gym, and a café. I have to say, though, that the lockers are very small and I had to use two when I brought my camera and a few lenses with me on one of my visits. Usually, there are plenty lockers available, so that should not pose a problem.
Would I come back?
Absolutely! (And I did: I went there 5 times.)
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The Circuit Bouldering Gym North East, Portland, Oregon
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★★
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$17
Chalk:
$2 rental
Review:
This gym is just for bouldering and it’s great. There is something here for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. It is a bit small compared to what I’m used to, but it still offers a lot of varieties.
They have a small gym and a slackline. I did not need/use their locker room, so I don’t know which amenities they offer.
Would I come back?
Absolutely!
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Berkeley Ironworks, Berkeley, California
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★☆
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$20 - $25
Chalk:
info N/A
Review:
This gym is for both rope climbing and bouldering. The area for bouldering has a decent size and offers a few varieties. I wasn’t too happy with the problems offered for my level (V2-V4), but I still managed to get in a good workout.
They have a gym, which I did not use. I did not need/use their locker room, so I don’t know which amenities they offer.
Would I come back?
Yes, but depending on my plans for the day, I would probably rather go back to Dogpatch Boulders in SF.
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Canada
Joe Rockhead's Indoor Rock Climbing, Toronto, Ontario
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★★
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$15
Chalk:
info N/A
Review:
What a cute little gym! They offer both rope climbing and bouldering. The bouldering area is quite big and scattered through the whole gym, which makes it less cramped. They offer a nice variety of problems and I managed to spend 2 hours there without getting bored.
You need to bring your own lock here. The locker room is spacious and so are the lockers. I did not use their showers, so I don’t know which amenities they offer.
Would I come back?
Yes.
South America
Bogota, Colombia
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Lima, Peru
Europe
Germany
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Boulderwelt München West, Munich, Bavaria
Rating for Bouldering:
★★★★★
Price for Day Pass (in USD):
$9 - $11
Chalk:
no rental
Review:
The gym that started it all. One of the biggest bouldering-only climbing gyms in the world. It has a vast variety of problems and there's something there for everyone. Has a nice outside area for the summer with a slackline.
The gym has several different areas, one of which is reset every week, so there are always new problems, while still giving you the chance to work on the same problems for a few weeks if need be.
It has a gym, the locker rooms are really big (as are the lockers). If you forget to bring a lock, you can buy one for a few bucks.
Would I come back?
Absolutely! This is my favorite gym.
Africa
Asia
Oceania