Spontaneously decided to rock climb with some friends as a fun activity on a Sunday afternoon. We…read moreare complete novices to climbing. We were intimidated by the reviews about how crowded Basecamp Queen W is, so we decided to come down to the east end to check out Rock On as the reviews made it seem much chiller. When we arrived the staff asked us if we had climbed before, and because we hadn't, he gave us a lesson on safety tips (how to fall correctly) as well as how to locate/navigate the different holds. After a useful hands-on demonstration we were off to try some climbs. We worked our way around to all the climbs VB, V0 and V1 level (some successfully topped, some not) and had a lot of adrenaline pumping fun. Overall we were very scared to try rock climbing for the first time but we felt like we were in good hands with the staff here. On a Sunday afternoon it was also not very busy so we had a lot of time to try the same climbs over and over, and didn't have to wait much. I would definitely recommend for any beginner, and it looked like there were some advanced climbers as well!

Tried rock climbing for the first time at Basecamp Climbing and had such a great experience. The…read moreatmosphere felt welcoming, and really beginner-friendly. I got to try both bouldering and harness climbing, and I have to say, I especially loved bouldering. It was my first time giving it a go and it quickly became my favorite. All the instructors were super helpful and encouraging, which made a big difference as a first-timer. I can barely feel my hands while typing this but honestly, that just shows how much I enjoyed it. Definitely coming back!

Lots of fun!! We took an intro lesson and learned all the basics for safe climbing and belaying…read more The price difference between a day plan and the rentals vs a lesson with those included was only a few dollars so we took the lesson. We started upstairs and learned how to fall safety and did one quick practice climb. Then we moved downstairs for a lesson in ropes as both a climber and a balayer. The instructor, Sasha, made sure we were confident and certain of our ties because they're fundamental for all climbs. They really emphasized safety, communication, and being confident in yourself. We got to climb on our own after the lesson and had a lot of fun!

My daughter had a great time climbing the walls in this rock climbing gym. We were lucky that we…read morearrived when they weren't too busy. There is also a great area for young kids to play in too and belay. There is dedicated space for adults only. The instructors give you a quick run through at the beginning so that you know what to do, and how to use the harness. A great way to spend an afternoon!

This establishment is one of the older rock climbing gyms in the city, yet it still holds its own…read morerustic charm to it. They maximize the space/setting well and the renovations seem to have made this place significantly better as a result. Here's to more fun climbs, sets, and memorable moments to be had!

Always so good to visit here, especially with good friends!…read moreI haven't been here since last Summer, and truly enjoyed their new rock set up (renovated). I visited on Friday afternoon and it was quiet enough to try all my levels (of my level haha) without waiting so long. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable too. Maybe I should visit here more often!

Great gym for bouldering toprpping and lead! Set very frequently. Day passes can be a bit pricey…read morebut monthly is worth it.

Routes are not bad but the gym is rather small. The one in Etobicoke is way better than this one.read more

Solid gym(s), Tons of toprope and lead, even more…read morebouldering. The smaller location is tiny, but still holds the title of best gym in Toronto.

Awesome place to climb. Good setters. Welcoming for all and not too expensive…read more I think there are enough climbs. If they get more members maybe they could add a new set 2x a week instead of 1 but I think there's enough projects to work on. Was able to meet and climb with others so felt it was welcoming and inviting place and not too crowded

Great for kids birthday parties! This is a wonderful facility and the staff were super with all the…read morekids at my daughter's birthday party. There were plenty of climbs for them to spend their energy on and they had a blast.

The next climbing gym on my list was the Toronto Climbing Academy. This gym is located in an…read moreindustrial area that is close to a few cookie factories so it might smell exceptionally good near by. It seems like they don't have great airflow inside the gym (no air conditioning possibly?) because we went on a hot day and they had all the doors open to try and keep it cool. The staff here are really friendly! They took the effort to get to know me during my session which was different from other places that I've been to. They have all manner of climbing here. Bouldering, autobelay, top rope, and lead climbing. When I visited, there weren't any grades for one section of the autobelays, not sure why. There were labels around the rest of the gym though. Overall the facility itself seemed a little bit older but a good gym to check out if you want a well-rounded climbing experience.

We recently came here thanks to my lovely friend (and her hubs) who got is in with their membership…read moreperks. We had gone climbing previously but nothing where we had to belay or tie knots a lot. I had gone to another climbing gym and found the experience a bit too overwhelming for me and I had written off climbing as "one of those things I'm not good at". Coming here was a breath of fresh air, it was spacious, calm and wasn't intimidating. Thanks to my friend who also made us feel super comfortable with any issues or questions we had. The staff were super nice and the owner himself, Chris, gave us our belay test and gave us a refresher on belaying. We knew how to tie the standard knots but not too familiar with the belay devices they used there. Chris was super nice and patient. Not once did I feel pressured or inexperienced. The gym itself offers tons of different types of walls along with bouldering with different levels. We climbed, we rested on and off for about 2-3 hrs. It was quiet that Saturday morning. I cannot say on what it's like in the evening. Definitely will be back! Thanks for such a great experience!

I'm loving the new updates to this gym, the bouldering wall is fantastic and they do weekly setups…read more The climbs are always so interesting and suitable for climbers of all heights (particularly biased because I am short). The setting here is superb. Lots of variety for climbers of all levels. Since they've updated the gym I feel like the pieces that they use seem fairly new, very raw and fresh. Their bouldering levels are by colours. They have some auto-belay options and their top rope is also varied and interesting. Top rope uses a grigri that is pre-installed, which is similar style to most Toronto rock-climbing gyms, and their figure-8 knot is typically left in the ropes. I don't do lead but I see the lead climbers climbing all the way to the roof and across and it's always amusing. Since they've renovated they've added a much-needed water fountain, the ones with automatic sensors for your water bottles. Also since they've renovated and started this routine of weekly resets the gym gets incredibly packed and as a result, I think it can be a bit unfriendly for beginners. One area that I think that they can spend more attention on is their change rooms with rusting lockers and just an overall dirty and cold feeling.

Disclaimer: this is the only climbing gym I've been to so, you won't benefit from any benchmarking…read moreanalysis here. I love this place--intro class by Sean (sp?) was dope and the one-month deal* that comes with being a new member to the community is the sweetest. Flying solo for the intro? No problemo. Come anyway. Oh, and you have unlimited access to the gym post-training so, yeah, stay and climb for as long as you like. For me, I love figuring out the routes whilst building strength. (I then pair this activity with dance classes to get my cardio in.) Wear a light long sleeve, long pants (yoga pants A-OK), bring water, bring a lock for lockers, and you're set. *Come as often as you like for $30. And ALSO? ALSO. Also: includes rental shoes, harness, chalk bag.

I had a really great time at Up The Bloc! This is one of the many gyms that is affiliated with the…read moredifferent Rock Oasis Gyms and Joe's Rockheads. If you have previously filled out a waiver of these gyms semi-recently, they should be able to find you in the system so you don't have to do it again. This is one of their newer offerings and it shows! The gym is really shiny and new, the holds still quite abrasive on the skin if you rub them the wrong way haha. I thought the set up was quite grand - two huge walls that go from the front of the gym all the way to the back. They were able to work in overhangs and slab problems well across the walls. Everything felt seamless and the problems were interesting. They have some branded merch at the front which is great if you forgot any of your work out clothes at home. They also have a selection of shoes, chalk bags, and accessories. Interestingly they have lip balm that is themed by the different sister gyms. The change rooms here are sort of co-ed. There are lockers back here and changerooms that are single stalls kind of like you would see at a clothing store with cloth curtains. There is also a sink here which is communal. The parking was a tad difficult because there was a wedding going on at a banquet hall that shares the lot. There's also a church there with a lot of reserved parking. Make sure that you check for any reserved signs so you don't get towed!

Came here to use a Groupon that I bought in January, $30 for 2 ppl for a 2 hr slot + intro session…read moreincluding shoe rental. It was our first time bouldering and we were at our physical worst (lmao thanks to covid) to do this activity. Still, it was a lot of fun and a great introduction to bouldering. I'd definitely recommend for people looking to try something challenging and new. We signed the waiver and booked our slot online (the booking system only allowed us to book 3 days in advance, for time slots of 12-2pm, 3-5pm, and 6-8pm). Since it was our first time, we had a quick 5-10 min intro session on how to climb, helped us find climbing shoes that fit, explained the colour coding, and how to safely jump down from the wall. The staff were nice and gave us tips and tricks for trying the different levels. After that, they left us to climb on our own. The facility was bright and clean, with good air flow, mats for people to jump down to, and lots of space between us and the other people climbing. The gym is colour coded (the tape, not the rocks) and we completed all the beginner/yellow ones and just a couple of the next level/orange ones. There is a lot of variety and challenge for advanced climbers, not so much for beginners, but we really didn't have the energy/endurance to get that far so it was alright. When we went, most people present seemed to be advanced/experienced climbers. It was really interesting watching them attempt the harder climbs and seeing what they did to complete them. For the average person, they make it seem easy, but when you do it yourself, it's far far harder than it looks. Personally, while I understood the technique from watching, executing it was a completely different story. Originally, we were worried a 2 hr slot during Covid (previously the Groupon was a day pass I believe) wouldn't be enough time, but it was. It's such a challenging physical activity, my friend and I were both exhausted by the end of it. After our first climb, we were a bit surprised how much muscle/arm strength it took to hoist ourselves up there. By the end, our fingers were throbbing, hands rough, and after getting home, our muscles were sore for a couple days after. Since like 90% of the walls are slanted/angled, when we reached a problem we couldn't figure out on the wall, we had to jump down since it was too tiring to hang around on it. The slanted walls made the climbs much more challenging than a straight wall, since for some climbs you're at an angle where gravity is pulling you back and you need muscle strength just to keep yourself on the wall, let alone move to the next rock. For newbies interested in coming here, I'd say definitely bring more water than you think you need, conserve your energy, take breaks, and know your limits. I think people who regularly work out (especially their arms/fingers) would likely have an easier time, since the activity takes a lot of finger strength, but even for beginners, it was a lot of fun trying something new - I enjoyed the problem solving/activity aspect to bouldering, which made it a fun way to exercise.

Friendly staff, nice well-lit atmosphere, and a cafe that's held down by very knowledgeable people…read morewho really know their products inside and out! The gym is ranked by the "V-Grade" classification. A nice combination of easy and hard boulders for every skill level

Favourite gym in the city. It doesn't look big on the outside but they have a great assortment of…read moreclimbs. Really beginner-friendly and a very welcoming environment. The climbs are challenging but remain to be very fun. Aside from climbing itself, they have a yoga space, change/washrooms, a small cafe, spacious seating/work area, and free weights towards the back. A ton of seating all around. It is a great community and an amazing space to start climbing if you are looking towards doing so. A day-pass and rental shoes can go anywhere from $22-35, and if you are a student they have student discounts.