I previously had 4 stars and now feel that wasn't fair enough! So I updated my review to 5 stars and make one additional sentence for my minor gripe. Cliffs of Id is basically the Disneyland of climbing gyms--minus the overpriced churros and crying toddlers. Huge space, creative routes, and a vibe that screams, "Yes, we climb stuff, but we're also pretty chill about it." The bouldering area is legit--sprawling with problems for all levels, regularly reset, and always fun. Top rope and lead walls are tall enough to make you question your life choices halfway up--in the best possible way. Route setting's fresh. They post updates on Kaya for my fellow climbing nerds who love tracking sends or getting alerts when new problems drop. I don't check it religiously, but plenty of my friends do. Staff is mostly friendly and helpful, though once in a while you might catch someone at the front desk looking like they just got back from a mental crux. Understandable--it gets busy here, especially weeknights. If you hate crowds, aim for mornings or early afternoons. Membership is definitely on the pricier side. But you're paying for a premium space, good route setting, yoga classes, a decent training area, and the occasional climber who smells like sandalwood and ambition. Minor gripe: the grading can feel inconsistent sometimes. One day you're flashing V4s like a boss, the next day you're stumped on a V2 that feels like a cruel social experiment. Still, that's part of the fun (and frustration) of the sport AND every other climbing gym 'suffer' the same subjective problem. Overall: if you're serious about climbing--or just seriously curious--Cliffs of Id is worth checking out. Just remember to bring your stoke and maybe a backup pair of patience. read more

Parking can be difficult with the small lot. They have tandem parking spots and they will make announcements when it's time to move your car if you're blocking someone in. The top rope routes don't seem to be changed out frequently. There's a lot more boulder space than rope climbing. Lots of table space for people to do laptop work. Staff are a mixed bag for friendliness. read more

Relative to 2 other touchstone gyms that I've been to in the area, parking is probably the most difficult here, as there's some tandem spots. Luckily they have a system here where they'll call the description of the car on the PA to move their car if someone parked inside needs to get out (trusting that people who did park behind log it on the clipboard at the entrance.) Gym feels stuffier and smaller too, and it was pretty crowded on a Thursday evening. Lots of overhang here compared to the Post. The ladder coming down from problems that require going over is intimidating for a beginner climber as there's no railing for a steep decline. Still was able to get in a decent number of climbs though on the other walls. All the other amenities are standard for a touchstone gym. Overall, it's alright compared to other gyms, but if you're a first timer or live nearby, it's nice and well kept. 3.5 stars would probably be more accurate imo, but I'll round up bc this place is better than non touchstone gyms Despite this gym being the closer drive, I prefer Pasadena or Torrance (15-20 min difference). read more

Great gym, but the closures are becoming excessive. I understand closing for major holidays. During the holiday season, the gym also closed early on multiple days close to the actual holidays, which was frustrating for members trying to keep a consistent routine. Today the gym closed with little to no notice to support a protest against ICE. I support the right to protest, but closing the gym punishes paying members who had no say in that decision and who pay a premium price for access. There are better ways to show support without denying service to members, such as donating profits, hosting voluntary events, or sharing resources while remaining open. Closing the gym shifts the cost of activism onto members, which is disappointing. read more

Aces is an AMAZING instructor! Aces is friendly, patient, and he is really good in explaining and teaching you how to use the rope in safely and as your first time rock climbing. It was my husband and six year old first time rope climbing. As Aces was giving my six-year-old instructions on how to tie her rope, he was so gentle and patient with her. He was also patient with my husband and teaching him how to shorten the rope as she climbed. I was really nervous at first because my husband and daughter looked completely clueless when Aces was teaching them but as he kept on teaching them, you can tell that they're confidence was going up because they understood what to do. My daughter (6yr old) Was so excited and felt so accomplished in climbing the wall. My husband was also really confident in knowing that he did and learned something new. Thank you Aces for making rock climbing an enjoyable experience. read more

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My friends invited me to climb with them while our gym was closed for a week for renovations. I had never been climbing before but my friends thankfully showed me the ropes (metaphorically, as we didn't use any ropes). It was a fun workout and also showed me how underdeveloped my upper body strength is. I suspect now that I am stronger, but how humbling it is to not be able to lift your body weight using just your hands and arms. There is also a traditional gym here if you want to lift and do other cardio. I was definitely initially embarrassed to climb in front of others, but everyone just does their own thing. read more

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Our daughter started watching climbing competitions on YouTube and was hooked! We decided to come here over other gyms in West LA because of its size and the affordable pricing. We immediately signed up for a membership because there was nothing to lose, considering my husband and I both wanted to take the two introduction classes for climbing (free with membership) and we wanted to enroll our daughter in a kids climbing class (discounted with membership). We have been happy members for several months now. We love Cliffs of Id! The staff have been wonderful, with special thanks to Lauren who was an exceptional instructor. We were able to pass our belay tests in one try! There are many options to choose from when top rope climbing, and their bouldering area is extensive! This is one of the few places that we have been to that has the bouldering walls that let you climb over the top of the structure so that you can walk down the stairs to get back down (as opposed to jumping down from halfway after completing a climb). I've also not seen so many extreme overhangs like the ones at Cliffs. We really appreciate that this location has a lot of seating, because sometimes one of us doesn't exactly feel like climbing. We often see people with laptops doing their work here in between climbs. On-site parking could be tough, especially in the evenings. Metered street parking is free after 6pm, when it's extra busy. Afternoon parking is manageable, mornings are great. In addition to the free intro classes, the membership comes with lots of perks, like access to the fitness gym, unlimited studio classes like yoga and conditioning, and our favorite one is that we can visit all the other Touchstone gyms whenever we want! Combined with the other gym locations, we have been going climbing at least once a week. People who exercise are happy, and climbing is no exception. I love the climbing community and am excited for my daughter that she is starting young. We are sure to be members for a long time. Thank you! read more

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An excellent climbing gym! It has both a bouldering and ropes area. I stayed in the ropes area and there were excellent routes available - a wide variety of interesting options (a volumes only route, a chimney, some excellent aretes and cracks). The grading is a bit inconsistent with other places, but that comes with every climbing gym. The staff is also super friendly and helpful - they're knowledgeable about gear and take the climb to explain through everything. There's also a lot of different community building events and a large work bench. If you are looking for a belay buddy, they're happy to put a call over the intercoms. Overall, very happy with both the climbing and the staff/community here! read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

Very nice place! Nice and clean lockerroom, showers, and sauna. I don't climb but appreciated the room with exercise equipment, the towel service, and the sauna. If I could do yoga and the other classes, those are great too. read more

I just stared coming here recently, and the facility is amazing. theres a ton of space and they change the routes pretty regularly. the top rope area and the gym are also great, but what stood out to me the most was the staff. every time I asked to rent a bag of chalk, they gave it to me for free. this happened five different times with different people, and they're always so nice. the people there are also pretty nice. overall amazing climbing gym. read more

As many of its members might agree, cliffs is almost more of a second home than a gym at this point. I honestly can't last more than 2 days without going. Because there is too many good things to say, I'm going to just create a list of the best things about this place: 1) whether you are a ropes or a bouldering person, cliffs has large sections in the gym dedicated to both 2) cliffs is one of the only climbing gyms I've been to that has so many perks outside of climbing. Between a sauna, gym upstairs, yoga studio, training rooms, and a large area to hangout and do work, you have everything you need in one building 3) if you decide to become a member (which if I was a betting woman I would put money on it happening after 1-2x there) you get many perks like free yoga classes and group activities, and it's reasonably priced 4) last but not least, the community is great!! My rant is done but if you take anything away from that, go try it out with a day pass! read more

Cliffs of Id - Ropes - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

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Had a great time at Cliffs of Id. Staff was friendly. Only $10 for a day pass with an EBT card, which is a great deal! Comes with gear! Otherwise I think it is $20 for a day pass. They have other discounts so be sure to ask. It's a large space with both top rope and bouldering. Belay certification is easy - you can practice knots and the motions with a friend if needed beforehand and then the test itself takes only a few minutes. If you only missed something small, they'll let you have a day pass to belay and tell you to take the test again next time for full certification. Bathrooms on-site. They also have a small shop with climbing gear and merch. Good variety of entry level routes and advanced routes. Come early to get a parking spot in the lot. Bandaids are free for those wrecked hands. Will definitely be back!! read more

Cliffs of Id - Top rope - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

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I had a few days stay in LA. I'm glad I squeezed in some time to climb at Cliffs of Id. It's spacious with a large area for bouldering. The top-rope area was a decent size too. Upstairs holds a classroom and a room dedicated to exercise machines. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would definitely come here frequently. read more

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I was getting checked in with a group of people and the front staff was extremely rude, I am from Colorado and have tons of rock climbing experience and I have never been welcomed into a gym so rudely. This gym is wonderful, but usually expect a warm happy environment and this was just not the case. The lady with brown curly hair needs a better attitude I was so excited to climb but yikes they need more hospitality. read more

This gym is expansive and awesome. The staff are helpful and the community of climbers that come here are fun and dedicated!

Huge place with so many walls to climb. Small parking lot for the crowd but not too bad. I came around 2pm and it felt a bit crowded for such a late afternoon. the bathrooms are so nice and clean, lots of first aid supplies and complimentary womenly items. loved it here! read more

first time at this gym. I went with two of my friends that go all the time and I had an absolute blast. This place is amazing. The staff was so welcoming. They have a room to warm up in, there was plenty of space and big enough that never had to really wait too long to climb. It was an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back. read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

Chris did a fantastic job giving our Intro to Climbing class on how to belay and be belayed! He was super thorough and very enthusiastic about safety. He gave great real life examples of why we need to do various safety checks/measures. He was welcoming, kind, and nice and we're so glad he was our first climbing teacher! read more

All the Touchstone gyms are excellent. This is a huge climbing gym with so many different types of walls that are sloped or overhang for bouldering. There's a good amount of parking here - in the lot and next door in American Red Cross (tandem parking included, but they'll announce over the speakerphone when you'd need to move your car). There's also a long parking lot across the street. I always park here. They also have facilities like an indoor gym upstairs, a variety of classes, rope climbing, storage space with the cubbies and bathroom lockers. The staff here are very friendly. read more

I love the gym and come often. There is a worker there that is super out of line making customers feel unwelcome. Not sure if he is just having a bad day and taking it out on people or if that's just how he is. Me and my friend were tying down to a wall and chatting, taking our time. As we were about to climb the worker came and told us to get lost and go to another wall. We were confused. He was rude to the point where it came off as aggressive. There were multiple walls free next to us but he chose to walk to us and say "he was the worker and he wanted that wall and we just needed to deal with it." We never saw his standing there or anything he walked up to us after we already were tied in. He could have said "hey we're about to climb" before we started setting up. And mind you we're were slowly setting up so he had a solid 5minutes or more to say something. Later while I was belaying he walked up to me and took my belongings and started walking off with them without saying anything. I stopped him and asked why he took my things. He said he didn't want them at that spot and that I needed to move them right now. I was confused as I have never had anything like that happen at the cliffs. He's a worker there so you would assume he knew climbing safety but is telling me to start carrying bags around while my partner is on the wall tied to me. I asked if I could safely finish belaying my friend before I did that. He just stared at me angry, seemed annoyed and walked off with some of my belongings without saying anything. Other than that everybody in the gym is fantastic. Just one bad Apple poisoning the tree read more

I've been to a number of climbing gyms in LA and various gyms in other states and Cliffs by far is my all time favorite. It's been my home gym in the past and I would make it home again if not for the commute. I love the overall atmosphere and community this gym curates. If youre an avid climber in LA and are looking for a membership look no further than Touchstone. touchstone also offers plenty of complimentary yoga, climbing, massage classes. read more

Cliffs of Id - Ran into some folks from the alma mater - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

*DISCLAIMER* I am NOT a rock climber/it's not a hobby of mine. That being said, I've visited this place twice (once last year and another time last week) for a team building experience with my coworkers and both times have been great. I love that it's huge so, for the most part, there's enough space between other groups without interference. Because of my fear of heights, I tend to only make it halfway until I give up and want to pass out so I much prefer being the anchor to the person rock climbing lol. However, the reason I'm finally taking time out to write a positive review on this establishment is specifically for Jordy. He didn't initially check our team in this time around, but when half of us came back to get tested on our belay skills, he remembered us from last year and I genuinely think something like that is worth praising. Just like last year, he was great and an absolute delight to interact with. Give this man a raise! lol Hoping to come back again next year with my coworkers read more

Climbing and atmosphere is insane!! Such a cool spot to bring friends show them around. Everyone I've met here has been super uplifting and welcoming including staff. Extremely clean and well maintained too! Great spot if you're a rock climbing enthusiast and more than beginner friendly! read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

This is a great climbing option if you live on the west side. Tons of walls for bouldering, and a large top rope/lead wall area. They set new routes frequently, and have very helpful staff. Haven't ever had a bad time here, though it does get very crowded on the weekends, and also closes earlier in the evening than weekdays. If you can come midday on a weekday, you'll practically have the place to yourself. Only downside here is that the gym is quite small - but if you come to climb only, that won't impact you. They have a main parking lot and an overflow parking lot (both free), plus street parking (metered and some residential free) is fairly easy to find. Just make sure you don't park in the back alley in spots that aren't parking spaces - you WILL get towed. read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

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Brought my (13 yr old) kiddo here to climb for the afternoon while we were visiting LA (he normally climbs at Ironworks in Berkeley as part of the Climbing Club). He had a blast, liked the various sets, and like all Touchstone locations we've been to, everyone was super nice. Even got a sticker to memorialize the visit! ;) read more

Since my first review 5 weeks ago, there appears to have been no effort to fix the A/C and the staff still can't provide any updates on progress. I had recently complained to the front desk because the weight room was 90 degrees, and the yoga room was the only other room large enough for strength training that was actually air-conditioned. However, it was off limits for a meeting between the climbing team parents/coaches during the only time I could workout. A few days later, I overheard a staff member telling a story about a guy (me) complaining about the unavailable room and how they made fun of him as soon as he left. As long as the gloves are off I'd like to also mention briefly a friend who used to work at the front desk several years ago who brought to upper management's attention an unsafe pattern of top ropes showing obvious signs of wear from rubbing on the edges of the anchors they were hung from. Rather than thank him for his concern and address the safety issue, they fired him. I remember the ropes remaining in their damaged state for weeks to months to come. Finally, I'd like to bring up a story a touchstone employee wrote several years back in a blog detailing the work they were doing to help bring climbing to lower income kids. What they conveniently left out was that when the volunteer coach who was working with the kids asked Touchstone management if he could bring in one kid in particular who had shown both special interest and natural climbing talent for several extra days during his spring break, they refused before abruptly disallowing him from bringing in any more kids. As the story was relayed to me, he was told "this gym is not a daycare"-- a stance that would have been less offensive if they hadn't just written a story about what great community outreach they were doing. I understand Cliffs of Id has a great deal of leverage in the gym market due to their location and the ample target demographic in the area. However, it would be really great if they could prioritize their customers and their community more. I don't believe having safe equipment or an environment open to member feedback is a lot to ask for. read more

Had a fantastic time climbing here lots of fun little routes. Alex was also particularly helpful, giving me a few pointers and an excellent saftey brief. Very welcoming environment. read more

Easily one of the largest bouldering rock climbing gym around! There is a medium-sized parking lot and an overflow parking lot for free across the street. This place is so big it never ever feels crowded. Everyone here is super friendly and genuinely open to conversation advice and very patient. No one is in a rush here so that's nice. There's so many different walls and climbing routes plus they change it monthly so there's always something new to do. The upstairs private training gym is legit with various weight, trx, peg wall, and gymnastic bands to work with! I highly recommend to check out! read more

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This is a great gym to visit if you like both bouldering and top rope because it has a good mix of both. It has a big bouldering routes in the main central area of the gym but it also has a decently sized top rope area too. I really liked how big the bouldering area was because I've been to two Touchstone gyms in the Bay Area and their bouldering zones were TINY. I also liked the big open resting area that had tables and benches. The membership is a bit pricey but it gives you access to all Touchstone gyms, fitness classes, and the fitness area so I think it's worth it if you like climbing a lot. They also sometimes have promotions where they waive the invitation fee so take advantage of that if you can. read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

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Great for bouldering. Relatively large gym. Not as much top rope. Lots of strong ppl present. read more

My favorite place to climb in LA!!! The staff is amazing (esp Gigi & Jonathan) and the vibe from the other climbers is cool. I love that they have top rope and bouldering and the routes are both challenging and unique. CONS: It can get pretty crowded and parking in the lot is difficult if you arrive after 10am, but you can park at the metered parking on the streets! read more

Cliffs of Id - My happy place! - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

I went here with my friend to go climb/boulder! The community here is amazing and and I would definitely go again! It's free first time and if you have a friend that has a membership, they are allowed 1 free guest pass a month as well. I felt pretty welcomed when I came and the place has a lot of beginner friendly climbs. The only thing that I wish they have more of is parking. I parked across the street, but tbh I don't know if we are allowed to park there. I didn't get ticketed though and I stayed for around 4 hours read more

So overcrowded now. Don't bother trying to park within a block. Gym is overcrowded 6pm til closing on weeknights. Impossible to get a good warm up. Feels as crowded as some competitions. It's almost 9pm and the gym closes at 10pm read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

I love the courses here and the workers are nice. You can also bring a guest twice a month. read more

Cliffs of Id - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

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Holy guacamole, I love this place! I wanted to try climbing as a distraction after a terrible break-up. This lead to taking a lesson with Gigi and wow, she is amazing and I felt super confident in her instruction and skills. Additionally her colleagues that were around (I think one of their names was Jonathan) were so sweet and nice and the facility is so nice (I might quit my regular gym)! I definitely look forward to coming back and hopefully getting a wee bit better - but hell, I made it to the top and was able to look down! read more

Cliffs of Id - I made them take this photo, ha! Needed photo evidence. - Climbing Near Me - Culver City, California

I've been going to this gym for over 6 years and this place is going way down hill. From the rude staff, to the blood and fecal stains on the towels, to the bug infestations on the yoga room, to the broken mirrors, to the broken gym equipment, to the threat of mass shootings I have had enough. For the past month the sauna has been broken. First the handle broke and instead of fixing it they left jagged wood. Then they put weak string. Now they have a metal carabiner that burns you if you touch it wrong. They also had some random guy come into the sauna not saying a word to drill the screws it that are already stripped. The tempature is extremely low, there's a hole in the upper right hand corner, theres the smell of sewage in the showrs and no one from the staff seems to care. I asked if it was broken and was told this is just the way it is now. I asked for the managers contact and was told no. I asked if there was anyone I could email and they said no. I asked if there was anything I could do and was told I could write a suggestion for the box that didn't even have a pen. I told the staff member this was ridiculous and was told to go f#@k myself. What the hell is going on! read more

The rock climbing was great! Just want to warn others to not park in the residential street across Washington. One of the residents came out of the house and yelled at me and kept on going about the rock climbers. Idk what her problem was but definitely now know not to go back for parking. read more

I went there with a group. The parking lot is pretty big, but it was full, even on a weekday. There's street parking, but it's all metered. When you enter, you need to check in on the iPads they have in front. It's not too bad. Basically, you're signing in saying you can't sue 'em if you get hurt. Fair enough, since you could possibly get hurt falling, but they do teach you how to fall properly, so you probably won't get hurt if you follow their instructions. We were given a group rate which was $5 off the normal rate. Pretty cool. They give you rock climbing shoes and a bag o' chalk when you pay up. Once we donned our super tight fitting rock climbing shoes (they're supposed to be super tight) we were given a really quick lesson on how to fall properly. We all had to prove we could fall properly. Unfortunately, those are the only tips we got. We were completely on our own with no tips on how to climb properly. A HUGE star off for that. Some of the kids had been there before and were given some very helpful climbing tips that are essential. The walls are high and there are no super easy climbs. Even the simplest climbs are challenging. The walls are high. If you fall from near the top you could really hurt yourself bumping your body against the "rocks" on your way down to the hard mat. Five more minutes of tips and helping the novices get started would have made a big difference. Also, it turns out when you pay you have access to other parts of the complex such as the gym, finger exercise machines, etc. We were told none of that. Another big fat star off for that. How hard is it to simply explain what's available to everyone? Some of the kids who were there before had someone who cared enough to give them a tour of the complex so they knew what else you could do besides climbing the walls. I had no idea I had access to other parts of the complex until we'd already left. Here's a tip from a novice. I don't recommend wearing shorts. My knees got a little skinned up climbing the walls. I did manage to make it to the top of one of the walls. The trick is to keep your body as close to the wall as you can...at least that's what someone who was given a lesson told me. read more

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Location, Decor, & Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Climbing (Rope & Bouldering): 5/5 Pricing: 5/5 Location, Decor, Ambiance: Aside from the dust/hairballs on the floor this place is really neat! They have a bunch of walls for you to climb if you're bouldering of all different levels. They have areas for you to rest, sit and chill with picnic-like tables by the windows. I like that their windows can open and let in fresh air too. It's a friendly environment and everyone there always looks like they're having a good time. Service: Their waivers are done on tablets when you first walk in. Afterwards you go to the counter and buy either the pass, rent shoes, etc. It doesn't take long at all. Climbing (Rope & Bouldering): They have a ton of different levels all around the facility so even if you're a beginning like me you'll have a lot of things to climb. For rope climbing it's separate from the bouldering area and it wasn't too busy when I was there so you only had to wait a short while for a specific wall. Pricing: Super reasonable for how big the facility is. I have climbed on the East Coast and paid the same price for a much smaller limiting facility. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Awesome spot to visit while in Culver City. I was able to get a good boulder sesh in before ending with some top rope. The environment was friendly and I felt welcomed to try new projects in front of strangers overall great experience read more