Really, really nice climbing space. Lots of tall walls, a very wide variety of climbs for people of…read moreall levels. The bouldering area is small, but you're set if you like to top rope or lead. Whoever sets their routes does a great job -- the climbs are always very interesting, and they update them regularly. There's lot of overhang, straight-up-and-down and a small slabby section. Lots of fun corner climbs. There's also a decent number of exercise machines and a weightlifting area. Bathroom and locker room areas are nice and clean. Nice general vibe Staff is always friendly and helpful. Basically, everything you'd want in a climbing gym, except it's across town from me.

Day 57 of my side-by-side comparison of Movement (fka Planet Granite) vs Mission Cliffs (Touchstone…read moreGym)... look. You're both getting five stars but got different reasons, but both have really made the best of their footprint to maximize their space. +Mission Cliffs (MC) change up their routes on a rotating basis and with much more frequency. They now also have partner climbs (5.11- on the left, 5.10+ on the right for two climbers and two belayers!) - while i love/hate the MC double overhang in the corner and the slightly higher number of true stemming routes, +Movement (Mvt) has some very unique and fun features like that monster stalactite, more aggressive "pretend you're Stallone in Cliffhanger) overhangs and way more in the way of slab practice routes (which are NOT my forte indoors) are various ratings from chicken sh-- to "i totally trust my toes" + not for most but crack climbing. I think Movement has easier practice routes for first timers and those who are angry at their palms being TOO supple, but def more variety at Mvmt, but the cracks in the cylinder at MC are truly a level up. - - both have very limited free weights space/benches compared to your normal "gym" gym and you might find yourselves adding a second membership or using your building or friends building gym between climbs. Both also have small footprints and get very busy even outside of peak times ++ amazing classes though at both + see the bulletin at Mvmt for when shoe resoling comes onsite. A+ perk to arrange that onsite. ++ both have tons of community get-togethers ranging from theme nights to run clubs to game nights (last two at Mvmt) though MC started a group puzzle activity (pictured) and love the MC memorial pins for their 30th anniversary (pictured too) + Both have study areas. Mvmt is more of a lounge, MC is a short scramble up from the bouldering. Slight edge to Mvmt but kinda cool that MC requires approach shoes ;-) + love love love the music at MC (Dan is the man), Mvmt is much more "eclectic" but some of the 6am EDM covers by Ava Max could be skipped (sorry). Did love that the next morning it was Bach concertos and Mozart sonatas and i think the same staff. Again "eclectic" +/- Check-minus MC for transit accessibility (not the worst walk from BART) but parking is rough; + Mvmt for parking (though paid by meter after 8am), otherwise great if you're running or cycling from Cow Hollow Both have deals for new sign ups so keep an eye on those. Summer discounts, January discounts/no initiation fee. + way more generous bring-a-friend options at Mvmt (unrestricted plus one each month on top of free days), come on MC! Don't give us bad wedding flashbacks! Everyone loves the option of a plus one (just make sure you take some photos without that person in the shot... just in case... aka HIMYM "who's that bi---???") ++ MC resets like crazy but in a very organized cycle giving you a few months tops to complete your projects; Mvmt ratings are slightly more accurate but MC is starting to migrate away (especially in the new bouldering (pictured) rating approach. Still MC is the Northstar of local climbing difficulty (suuuuure this is a black diamond/suuure this is a 12a) but come on, at this age, I need that ego boost!!!!! In the end, the best gym is probably the one you can get to the easiest and where your most reliable climbing buddy(ies) go(es). Both are gems and we're lucky to have them. And yes... now I've accepted that I'll just have a third gym membership and stopped doing one dinner out a month.

This passed Saturday, I ventured to my next active event. I might say it was one the hardest things…read moreI've struggled on, but made it all the way up 52 floors without stopping. For those of you who don't know what Fight for Air Climb is? every year in the city of San Francisco, the American lung association holds a sponsored event for those who fight for healthy lungs and healthy air, you help save lives today and keep America healthy tomorrow. In order to be a participant you would either donate monetary or climb the stairwells of Bank of America. My job has participated in this event for the last five years and I've decided why not join? To train, practiced for a week going up my building everyday four times a day. When I say this was one of the hardest things I've struggled on, I felt like my lungs wanted to kick my ass!! no not my thighs or my calves. It was so hard to breathe inside and is totally a different kind of struggle compared to running. What made it exciting for me? Firefighters from all over the bay were running right behind us! LOL Even then I thought they cheated because they used their oxygen masks to climb. Props to them for supporting the event. Reward is priceless!!

Yesterday was my second time completing the Fight for Air Climb. I had to agree with a fellow…read moreclimber, a woman I crossed paths with at the water station around floor 30, who told one of the volunteers, "every time I do this, I forget how difficult it is." Pay $25 to register and raise a minimum of $100 (for a fabulous cause) and then you are good to go. Oh wait...you also have to climb up 52 floors. (1,197 steps!) Last year I was approximately 40 pounds heavier and was just getting back into the swing of things exercise-wise. (I reviewed year one on the ALA page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/american-lung-association-of-the-east-bay-emeryville?hrid=t5p2fpqNMo_Ijzflr4O31A) I was excited for take two, now that I'm in better shape. (Needless to say, this year was much easier for me than last year.) Event communication leading up to the event is excellent and the event volunteers are all very friendly and helpful. I especially appreciated the mini dance party just before entering the stairwell. Keep in mind, this isn't a long event (average time is 20-25 minutes) but it is challenging. Challenging, but doable. Don't worry about the crazy fast people (some in full firefighter gear!) running past you. Take the stairs at your own pace, utilize the water stops (every 10 floors or so) and you will feel awesome when you ring the bell at the top. I certainly did!

I love hoops Lyra so I went here for two classes . It was great the instructor was fun . They have…read moredifferent aerial classes for newbies and above. Tissue and ropes aerial conditioning many different classes. It's a small studio with qualified instructors they even over open gym use and pilates mat classes. Prices are the going rate for this type of activity. We are lucky to have them here and I truly hope they stay around.

Found this gem on tick tok and booked a class through class pass! It was a super fun and inclusive…read moreexperience, and if I lived in the city, I'd definitely be a regular here. I tried the intro to silks/tissu class and had a great time. The instructor was really patient and kind, giving good instruction and helping out where ladies were struggling. In this class, we warmed up with movements to warm up our shoulders and abs. On the silks, we then learned how to hang upside down, climb, do a lock with our foot, and then a sequence where we climbed up the silk and posed. She encouraged us to try both sides and went over instruction again when we asked. I had a really positive experience and would say this class truly is beginner friendly! Be ready to engage your core! There were 6 ladies in our class and we had 3 silk stations to practice, so I felt like I had a good amount of time to practice.

5 Stars - Outstanding Backcountry Experience in Lassen I…read morejust returned from a weekend of guided backcountry skiing with the outdoor adventure club in Lassen Park, and it exceeded all expectations. The trip was exceptionally well organized from start to finish. Our guide, Richard, was excellent--not only in leading us through the backcountry terrain but also in smoothly handling any logistical issues that came up. I learned a tremendous amount about backcountry access, avalanche assessment, and understanding danger in the field. Having the park essentially to ourselves made the experience even more special. The food and lodging were both great, providing comfort after long days in the snow. Most importantly, this trip taught me a lot about myself and my limits in the backcountry environment. Special thanks to Richard for professionally managing my health issues during the trip while keeping the experience fun and seamless for all the other participants. Highly recommended for anyone looking to develop their backcountry skills in a supportive, well-run environment. Disclaimer: written with the help of AI, but truly reflects my state of mind and impressions of the weekend.

My friend introduced me to OAC on our first backpacking trip on the Lost Coast Trail. I knew we…read morewere on a great adventure when I met our guide, Mike and the other OAC members. This trip is an unforgettable experience that no words can do justice to my feelings and thoughts of my journey. It is a bucket list check off for sure and a milestone in my life. It was more than a backpacking trip, the conversations and scenery made me reflect on me, my life, and what's important moving forward. My husband is now eager to backpack and join OAC after my stories and pictures of my journey. I appreciate our guide, Mike Boyd. WOW! I'm in awe of how he led us (with a very heavy bag and a big smile) in situations that others might doubt whether we would even make it to our next camping spot, however, he did with his grit, determination, patience, and love. With our teamwork and collaboration plus sense of humor and the motto of "never leaving the team behind" made me realize why OAC is so special. I will definitely keep in touch with Mike, Richard, and some of the OAC members. Who knows I might see them again on our next adventure. I highly recommend joining OAC and start making memories.

Max is an excellent instructor - he has good conceptual frameworks for climbing safety, but he also…read moreknows how to explain the gray areas at the edges of the textbook knowledge. You will cover a staggering amount of ground in the one day anchors and rescue workshop, with plenty of time for hands on drills and feedback. Highly recommended, there's a reason that (at the time of this writing) 100% of the reviews are 5 stars.

I took the Level I Anchor and Rescue Skills workshop this weekend. Max is an awesome instructor! I…read morehad some experience building climbing anchors in the past, but it was entirely based on what I thought were best practices, with little understanding of the science or principles behind it. Max starts from first principles, with instruction about the forces that occur on an anchor during a fall. You learn about why kN ratings on gear are important, and how the correct / incorrect use of gear can make a huge difference on the strength of the anchor. This isn't a course about memorizing how to build a set of anchors, but instead teaches you how to assess the overall attributes of any given anchor (e.g. how much force can it safely handle? how redundant is it?) From those principles, it makes it much easier to confidently build a safe anchor. Planning on coming back for more courses.

I come here regularly for heated yoga sculpt classes and generally I'd say the facility is pretty…read moreclean and well-maintained. They usually provide locks and hair ties in the front and all the teachers are very nice and friendly! Only thing is at this location specifically, there was 1 class where the heat didn't work and another class where the speakers were broken (both in the same studio).

This studio and the classes/teachers used to be better, but it has changed a lot in recent years…read more.. and not for the better. Most recent experience: The last time I was at this CorePower was such a frustrating experience! There was a group of us waiting outside the studio for class, but no one ever showed up to open the studio nor teach the class, and no one was answering their phones (we also tried to reach out to their support center). On top of that, the weather was wet and awful (obv don't blame the studio for that, but waiting outside for so long with no contact from anyone at CP wasn't great). When they finally responded to my support messages, they reimbursed my booked class and gave me an extra class that expires in one month, but it was still very unprofessional that this happened at all. Classes: After pandemic, the studio is less busy which is admitted kinda nice sometimes as there isn't a struggle to find space in class even during "rush" times; however, this also means that a lot of their classes have been getting cancelled. It's unclear why, though I suspect a combo of lack of signups and the inability to find a substitute if the scheduled teacher is unavailable at short notice. Teacher Training: They're always pushing their teacher training programs and it seems like teachers graduate often. When taking class at the same time a training is going on, the student teachers often socialized in the lobby during their break, making it more challenging to get through to the class.

A beautiful, cozy studio. I had never done pole dancing before and this is a wonderful place to…read morestart! It's been about a year now and I feel so confident returning here every week to take more classes The instructors are so kind and understanding

I decided to get out of my comfort zone and enroll myself in the Prelude to Pole class. I felt like…read morefor one day, 1.5 hours long, I could handle it. I'm so glad I made that decision, because Addie is awesome!!! She's super nice and really good at teaching! The class I was in had 5 other participants. We first showed proof of vaccination and our ID before filling out the waiver. The lights were dim and the studio itself doesn't have many mirrors. I felt that this promoted confidence because I didn't have to feel self-conscious in the mirror, or worry about how I looked in front of others. Because I'm more cautious, I kept my mask on. I appreciate that there was no pressure to have to take my mask off. Anyway, so we start off with a warmup that focused on flexibility and core strength. Spoiler alert: I lack both, but I did my best! We also learned how to crawl and do some sexy leg work. Then we got to pick a pole and we learned some moves: a spin, how to walk around the pole, and how to uh dance around it? At the end of the class, we learned a routine and had the option of recording ourselves. We even got to try on heels! Uh a little heads up on the heels: your best bet is to size up. I normally wear a 5. The 6 fit me fine, but I might've felt more comfortable wearing a 6.5 or something. I'm really considering taking the 5-6 week series.