Fun local place for exercise and fun! I'd been a few years previous but forgot how fun and challenging it was! The staff is young so not overly friendly but we got the information we needed and then went to the refresher on belay. There were a lot of unsupervised children while we were there, which is annoying. It's not the staff's fault but it would be nice to be able to use the equipment without kids running into you or cutting you off. A kid also kicked a water bottle from the top floor and almost hit a mother walking with her baby below. It seemed chaotic but it was still fun. I'd love going for an adult only time if that was a thing. read more

Climb Iowa - Climbing Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

Climb Iowa's two locations are the only climbing gyms in the metro. They aren't bad gyms by any means. The route setting is good and the spaces are clean. I'm rating 2* because the monthly price is way too high for what you get. For the same price, you could get a membership somewhere in Minneapolis or Omaha for 20x the space and double the amenities. It's a little ridiculous to ask for nearly $800 a year for two of the smallest gyms in the Midwest. I climbed happily for two years and really fell in love with the sport, but I've had to stop for now because the price is way too much to justify. read more

Get Sendy Great Gym, Great Staff, Great Problems. I can't say enough good things about these guys! read more

Climb Iowa - Get Sendy Great Gym, great prices, great staff. - Climbing Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

Climb Iowa is a great climbing facility and I had a very fun time at this gym. The walls are adequate and there are a good # of routes overall. As a fairly experienced rock climber, the route setting was decent (could have used maybe a few more feet on the harder routes) and I was happy with the variety of styles available. Overall, nice staff, good setting, nice facility. I appreciated the fact that you could also use their lead ropes without paying (and belay/lead checks were painless). There's also a gear shop as well. read more

We arrived knowing nothing about climbing. We had reviewed some info on their website but they mentioned having a balayer and taking an introductory class before starting the climb. Unsure about what we were reading, we just decided to come to Climb Iowa to check things out. John was working the front desk and told us that we could use the auto belay and did not need to have a belayer. He told us that anyone, even people that didnt know how to climb (like us) could do the climb without having to take any introductory class. The only thing we would need to do was go through a 10 minute orientation which was quick and painless. Another employee, also named John, walked us through the facility, told us the rules of what was allowed and not allowed, showed us how to use the auto belay and how to put on our harness and clip on the ropes. We definitely had a fun time doing the climbs on our own and at our own pace. They have about four auto belay ropes, but we were only able to get through two of them (some are more difficult than others). Our only suggestion would be to have the auto belays on a separate wall instead of mixed in with the walls that required a belayer just because it was intimidating for us to be so close to the professional climbers. The cost was very reasonable. It was $15 per person for an all day climb. We were told we could leave the facility to pick up some lunch/dinner and then come back to climb some more without having to pay extra. Approximately $3 for harness rental and $4 for climb shoes. I definitely recommend renting the climbing shoes. They work a lot better than regular tennis shoes because they have pointed toes. You'll have to sign a waiver before doing any climbs because accidents can happen. But Climb Iowa stresses how dangerous climbing can be if you dont pay attention to their rules and guidelines. They have free climbs (bouldering) where there are no ropes. They have some on the first floor and second floor. They are fun but quite challenging though. If you have a backpack or a purse, you can bring that in to the facility with you. They have lockers in the bathroom and cubes on the main floor to put your things in. We definitely recommend Climb Iowa. They are very professional. It is a safe way to learn all about climbing. We would definitely come back (after we've regained strength from our sore arms). Climbing is a great way to work out! read more

See all

I love this place the staff is nice, there are great climbing routes I love to go here

I mean, this apparently is the biggest climbing facility in Iowa. It really isn't that big, but take what you can get, right? My first time climbing was here. I like how they are required to give you a mini orientation rather than just throw you into the wild. I also appreciate the padded floors cause hard floors hurt. I'm not much of a climber (afraid of heights) but I do enjoy bouldering. Less equipment needed too :) Rates are about $15 per visit, but if you don't have shoes or harness, you're going to have to rent them as well. They hold a lot of camps & mini competitions so that's pretty neat too! Their shirts look legit. read more

Climb Iowa - Climbing Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

See all

I had to do a refresher course since it has been 3 years since I lived here. Anyways, it's funny I still recognize the same faces at this gym. Well, I can't say that anyone remembered me beside the front desk attendant when he found my account. Well, it is $16 for daily pass since I brought my own shoes and harness. The auto-belays make it easy if you come alone. Well, I found that the routes to be easy to challenging. After 30-40 minutes, I realized that it has been a while for me. My shoulders were getting achy but good achy. Well, I hope to come back again when I am around the area. read more

What a fun, challenging, and great workout! This was our first time at a climbing gym and a great experience. We will definitely make this a stop the next time we're in town, which is 4 times a year. Thank you Duncan and Climb Iowa, we're hooked in! read more

Climb Iowa - What a fun time and a great challenging workout! - Climbing Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

This gym does not allow visitors to teach other visitors how to belay in the gym. This is a senseless policy that's inconsistent with the policies at all the other gyms I've visited. read more

This is the first time I've ever done rock climbing and had an awesome time here at Grimes. They've got various faces to cater to climbers of all skill levels (from Grades 5.5 to 5.12 or so). They've got vertical faces that are a simple way straight up with the jugs that don't require much sideways traversing and faces with aretes or overhangs not too sure which. They even got a bouldering portion which was way fun. They have gears on rental and also for sale and also are equipped with hydraulic systems for belaying or faces that require someone to belay. A gymnasium is also on the mezzanine for priming yourself up. read more

Climb Iowa - Climbing Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

See all

I knew nothing about climbing before I came here. I thought that the instructors gave a novice a really great introduction in the orientation. The employee instructed me on the use of the auto belay and helped me clip on my harness and clip. My friends were quite skilled on using the equipment, but I would have felt just as comfortable on my own using the auto belays. I had a fun time 'learning the ropes' and trying the more complicated climbing routes. The facility also has bouldering, where there are no ropes. And there are two floors, though we stuck with the first. The cost was $15, and you even get coupons on your birthday for free climb. I definitely had an amazing workout and adrenaline rush. I wouldn't hesitate coming back to this location, if I was in the area again. read more

Spent 4 hours boldering and climbing with autobelays. Great variety and multiple routes up each wall to test your skills. We had a blast and will definitely return. Well worth the cost. Spent about $27 each for all day pass and equipment rental read more

Climb Iowa is a great facility. We were excited when our son was finally old enough to climb there because we knew our little monkey would love it. We actually have had to fib to him a little and tell him they aren't open everyday because he would ask to go so often! We like that they have several auto belay options as it allows us now to climb along with our son now that he's a little older. Very well maintained with a nice staff. Other climbers are generally very friendly and respectful of one another read more

I brought three kids to climb and they let us check in and pay $70 only to find out once we walked into the climbing area that there was only one auto belay available and over twenty kids in line. I approached them about it and they had one employee come out to belay but refused to refund our money. They could have at least warned us that all of their auto belays were out of service. They were extremely snotty and I Will never come back l. read more

I went to the gym as a new and exciting hobby and found nothing but fun!!! I signed up for some wonderfully lead classes and was able to make new climbing friends easily. I did however have an unfortunate case of rare allergies to the chalk and therefore was no longer able to go (heartbroken) however the staff were more than amazing and wonderful, they called me, spoke in length about different options and offered every possible accommodation and idea for how to manage the allergy and still get back in to climb. I will be returning in the summer when the doors are open andI highly recommend this place, not only for the great adventures of climbing but for the most responsive, empathetic and lovely customer service imaginable! Even if I couldn't climb anymore I would possibly just hang out int here for the good staff and fun atmosphere! Thanks Amanda!!! Thanks to all the Climb Iowa Staff!!! you make this a great place to be!!! read more

Climb Iowa is a great place to go for a fun day or even to become a member & learn all about climbing. The staff is all wonderful too!

We love climbing here! We are in the midst of doing their movement class- for beginners but I'd definitely recommend it if climbing does not come very naturally to you haha. We were stuck on the beginner routes, but Craig has so far done a great job with the class! It's nice that they offer classes-in group or individual. They also have two bouldering areas. The routes are changed pretty often, and the people there are very nice. There are a lot of children so bring your children if you have them, or come late at night if you don't :P. read more

Worth a visit to Des Moines for this place alone. Friendly Staff and a great facility.

This place has been amazing since day 1. My boyfriend and I came in as beginners a couple of months ago and got a monthly membership within the first week. The walls offer a wide range of climbing routes that can appeal to any level of experience. There are also several auto-belay routes available, and an extensive bouldering section. We've taken both the top-rope belay class and the lead climbing class, and both were fantastic - particularly the lead climbing class. Our lead climbing instructor, Zach, was incredibly helpful and answered all of our questions thoroughly and happily. We could tell that he, along with every staff member at Climb Iowa, is eager to teach newbies the ropes (pun intended) with an emphasis on safety first. Highly recommend Climb Iowa to anyone who's been climbing for years, or has just decided to look into it. read more

In town for the Hyvee Triathlon. I needed something to entertain both a 6yr old and an 8 yr old. We had an absolute blast !! Both my girls said this was. "Way more fun than skyzo..." (trampoline park). The staff was very friendly and approachable. We enjoyed it so much we came back the next day !! All told we climbed nearly 9 hours between the two days. We're still sore! This was also a great confidence booster for my shy 6 yr old girl. Wish you guys would open one in Sioux Falls!! read more

I would not consider myself an expert climber but I would not recommend this place to anyone who is not a first time climber. First of all the layout is terrible. There is a bouldering wall literally in the middle of the climbing floor, which means anyone trying to wait for an auto belay has the chance to get pummeled either by people descending or bouldering. There should be more than 6 feet between your climbing wall and bouldering mats. It's just ridiculous. On top of that their belay check is a joke. While I was waiting my turn to get checked, I had to provide instruction to the instructor signing off on my check for another testing pair as he didn't know how to use a grigri and the person testing clearly didn't know either. But despite the fact the person testing clearly had NO CLUE what he was doing, the instructor signed off anyway. I was completely appalled about the standard of safety. And if that all wasn't enough, this place is a kid zoo. People literally set their children free and you have to swim through them to get to anything. I will never come back or recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

Great place for birthday parties. Reasonable prices and helpful staff. Would recommend.