The next climbing gym on my list was the Toronto Climbing Academy. This gym is located in an industrial 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. read more

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We recently came here thanks to my lovely friend (and her hubs) who got is in with their membership perks. 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! read more

Climbing Academy - Waiting for them to open - Climbing Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We went way out of our way to check out Toronto Climbing Academy because I liked the pictures on their website. We were definitely disappointed. The place just isn't that tall. It seemed kind of silly to be roping in for climbs that were only like 20% higher than the bouldering wall. There also isn't a large density of routes. That means that if you are only climbing 5.10 or 5.11 you can quickly run out of things to climb in one session. There are also a lot of walls that are only accessible lead climbing. They have a good number of highly textured walls, which is fun for visitors but in my experience gets old for regulars because you learn where all of the good naturals are rather quickly. I also didn't like how they dumbed down the belaying. Bouldering was better than the route climbing. There was a pretty cool freestanding boulder with a top out. Not a ton of problems in each area, but the problems were good. If I were a regular here I wouldn't bother with roped climbing at all and pretty quickly we took off our harnesses as well. If this were my closest gym I'd be a bit disappointed, but I'd still enjoy it. It definitely isn't a destination though, even if Toronto really doesn't have a destination worthy gym at the moment. read more

If you live in East York, then TCA is the gym for you! If you don't live in East York, good luck getting to TCA. LOCATION: 1/5 There's buses from Coxwell and Woodbine stations that drive past, but it'll take you an hour to get there. I've biked once or twice, and from Bloor/Yonge it's about a half hour. By car, it's in a rough spot, on the other side of the Taylor Creek bridge where O'Connor meets St. Clair. Even if you drive, it's no picnic getting there on a weeknight after work from the south (DVP north...eep) or west (Danforth during rush hour...yikes). Since this describes most working Torontonians, well...suffice it to say the location is less than ideal. CROWDEDNESS: 5/5 There's lots of routes and there's usually not a lot of people (for reasons why, see: LOCATION) so you can generally climb to your heart's content, without waiting, on whatever routes you feel like at the exact time you feel like it. You could bring 'Tiny' your pet Elephant too, there's lots of room. SELECTION: 5/5 The routes don't change that often and there's lots of variety. This is to TCA's detriment for advanced climbers, since there's usually a glut of 5.6-5.9 level routes. For beginners and novices, this is the perfect place to climb. TCA's greatest strength is its diversity of wall angles. There's lots of overhangs, steep climbs, straight climbs, and a few walls that change slant halfway up. My favourite is the cave, often requiring you to climb parallel to the floor before eventually getting to a really challenging overhang wall. ROUTES: 4/5 The enjoyability of a route often depends on the hold colours. Their yellow/purple/blue holds can be really small, grainy and terribly painful. The orange/green/black/pink holds are generally pretty good. If you like to simulate what it's like to climb a really spiky painful outdoor route, then maybe this appeals to you! As far as design goes, I also find TCA's routes to be frequently engaging and challenging. BOULDERING: 5/5 TCA's has a great bouldering section. There's always lots of routes, they're labelled and graded fairly, and I always feel super confident about falling on the nice padded floor. PRICE: 5/5 At 16 bucks, it's a fair value. The 10 pass (about $140) expires in 6 months which is something I don't understand - you already have my money, why do you care how frequently I come? If I don't fulfill the 10 pass in time...well, I probably wasn't going to spend much more time at your gym anyways, right? On the other hand, if I'm a frequent climber, I'll easily use the 10 pass in time. But god forbid I don't...well, congratulations, you bilked some cash out of an otherwise good customer? Maybe someone can explain this to me. I'm baffled! STAFF: 5/5 So far, TCA has the friendliest and most helpful staff I've found. GENERAL FACILITIES: 3/5 To be fair, I probably haven't made great use of their amenities...from what I've seen there's only a stationary bike (maybe there's more gym equipment upstairs?) the change room is decent size, considering there's never a big crowd. Overall, not impressive, but you get what you need. MUSIC: 3/5 The thought is nice, but no thank you, I do not need The Barenaked Ladies to score my climb. Why do so many gyms LOVE 90s rock/Canadiana? I don't get it. Please, climbing gyms, put more thought into your playlists! There's nothing more discouraging then being stuck on a rope and suddenly hearing "eeeeeyiiit's been...one week since you looked at me!" Nope nope nope no. read more

G and I went to try climbing for the first time last night. We were both pretty impressed with the place. Really friendly staff, brightly lit and spacious space... I can't compare it to any other climbing gyms since I've never been but TCA is definitely a place we'll go back to based on first impressions. The beginner's course was informative and thorough. Ray was the group instructor and he was really patient with the group, even with some of people who didn't quite listen to his instructions... didn't lose his cool once. The guy behind the front desk, Alan, was really helpful with any questions we had about lead climbing and the like. Overall, really helpful bunch and very friendly and open to newcomers. I think I just found my new addiction! read more

Very good customer service, excellent variety of climbing walls, pretty clean. I got a beginner lesson and 1 month of visits including equipment rental package for m'lady and I. The guy who gave us the intro lesson was pretty good with the exception of when he would look away or play with his phone while he was supposed to be watching us climb. He did however try pretty hard to not make us trainees like we were doing anything "wrong" as he was a bit sensitive about that word, which was all good :-) There was a very good variety of walls both in terms of difficulty and different scenarios. I'm definitely going back, and doing some more climbing at Toronto Climbing Academy, and I'd recommend it to my friends. read more

The location isn't very convenient, even though I live in East York - it's TTC accessible via a bus from Woodbine or Coxwell station. However, if you drive, they have a decent sized parking lot so you shouldn't have trouble with parking space (there's also a huge home depot parking lot right next door). Being a beginner climber, I found that the ambiance was very beginner friendly and non-competitive. The instructors were also highly knowledgable, patient, and friendly - special shout out to Ray who instructed my brother when he went for his beginner lesson; Ray seemed especially thorough, and made sure every single person in his class knew how to safely climb and belay. I also liked how he explained the reasoning behind certain movements/techniques. In addition to the lead climbing routes, the top roping routes and the large boulder in the centre of the gym, they have a small training area upstairs with some free weights, kettle bells, hang boards, an exercise bike and a rope and ladder climb. Although I haven't been to any other climbing gym in Toronto, I think it would be safe to say that TCA's lead and top roping routes are a bit shorter than other gyms (e.g. True North). Having said that, I would still come back to TCA for the comfortable atmosphere. read more

I've only been to this location a handful of times, but back in the day I was a huge fan of TCA. The walls aren't nearly as high as the old place, or any of the more central competitors, but there are a ton of walls to choose from. The routes are a lot of fun, and they have a huge bouldering area. It is a very spacious area, including nice and large change rooms. They are a tad short on lockers, though. The space is also very clean. This does appear to be a very beginner friendly place. read more

Location: Located on Curity Ave (just off O'Conner). Lots of parking but a tucked in/ hidden location. Facilities are large, great space with lots of natural lighting. Lockers are TINY, you can fit your coat and boots maybe. $2 per lock, free if you bring your own. Washrooms are clean with automated systems. There is a shower available as well. Small "party" corner for birthdays (basically two adjoined tables) and a random couch. Quality and Price: For beginners (or something to do as a group), the cost is $40 (which includes beginner lesson and all equipment rentals). If you already know how to do your figure 8 knots and how to belay, you don't have to attend the hour long lesson and just pay $20. Pricing is fair for the value and experience. There is a large selection of walls for all levels of climbers and the boulder climb had a great variety of routes as well. They also have many staff that walk around in case you need help and to give pointers while you are climbing/belaying. Service: Friendly and helpful staff. The instructor was very knowledgeable and had good charisma. Overall: I'm reviewing TCA as a newbie who climbs for fun (group outings like birthdays etc). I think it's a fun place to go and a great price for what you get. The only downside is the lack of locker/storage space. Many people just hung up their belongings on the hooks in the change room and locked valuables away in their car or the lockers. I would return to TCA again in the future. ETA: Also, after climbing, if you're looking for a good place to eat, check out my review on Rally Sports Bar. read more

Oooohhh... the back is completed and there's more bouldering, more leading climbing routes and a few more top-rope routes. The lockers from the old location have been moved to this location. They seem out of place given how ratty they look compared to the new-ness of everything else. They perform their function though, so no complaints! The one shower in the ladies' changeroom is nice and hot and definitely an upgrade from the plastic hostel-shower units that the old location had before. A great place to climb, especially as they have air-con which is such a bonus in the summer! Yes, I'm a princess. Moving on now! read more

There are only a handful of climbing gyms in Toronto that I like to frequent and they are: Rock Oasis Joe Rockheads TCA In terms of cleanliness and spaciousness, TCA and Joe Rockheads has always done quite a good job at that. So with TCA's new location, I have nothing but good things to say about that. Environment: It's essentially one large room with one bouldering rock and one giant wall in the middle, with walls on the outer edges as well. The change room is large and clean. I guess only time will tell as to how well these facilities are maintained since this place is still relatively new. There are no lockers unfortunately so be careful with your belongings. In the main gym space, there are open storage compartments where you can stuff your bag in and keep an eye on the whole time if you want. Otherwise, I would suggest carrying whatever you deem valuable in a pouch or..man purse as some people have commented on for me:P Walls: I'm not a super climber and I usually do 5.9 walls with the occasional 5.10- mixed in. For those who are unfamiliar with wall ratings, the higher the number, the more difficult. A few things I would note here are: a) Though I do plan on learning the skills to do lead climbing (you don't use the gym's rope pulley system, instead you use your own rope and clip into various points on the wall), I do wish that all the walls were accessible with the gym's pulley system. There were a bunch of walls that I wanted to climb that were for lead climbers only which disappointed. b) I'm not sure how gyms decide how to rate difficulties on walls but from my experience so far, TCA and Joe Rockheads are more on the easy side and Rock Oasis is harder. I find myself being able to do 5.9s with ease at TCA usually but at Rock Oasis, sometimes a 5.8 is challenging for me and 5.9s may be undo-able. So I guess this is just an FYI for avid climbers looking for a challenge. Overall: I do like this gym because it's more accessible for me since it's not all the way downtown and I'm not trying to be girly here but I like a gym that doesn't smell like feet (which unfortunately, Rock Oasis does since the last time I went). I wish that all walls were climb-able if you didn't know Lead climbing as well. read more

I was here on August 12 and although it was quite busy (a school group was just about to leave and an afternoon summer camp was starting), the staff were very accommodating to me and my family. We didn't have an appointment, but luckily an instructor stayed an extra hour to belay my 4 kids. There was a 20 minute wait since they were setting up their camp groups, but I took that time to fill out the waivers for my kids so it wasn't too long. We were lucky and grabbed the last spot that day, but keep in mind that you should book an appointment to secure a spot. Without an appointment, it's first-come-first-served, and if they're full, then you're out of luck. Some woman had a meltdown because the camp was full and started screaming at the poor girl behind the desk! The manager, who was harnessing my kids, looked agitated but stayed focused. My kids loved it (not gonna lie, my husband and I were eager to try it out as well), so we'll be back, but next time I'll call ahead just in case! read more

My friends and I bought a "beginner's climbing lesson / 1 month membership" deal through a Groupon last year for $48. However, on the day we showed up for our scheduled lesson, they insisted that each of us pay an additional $5 under the pretense that the money was to cover the 'new' HST! The coupon clearly stated that all taxes were included, and moreover, the HST has been around since 2010! We reluctantly paid the $5 because we were already there and didn't want to just turn around and go home (they were clearly counting on that fact). The gym itself and the staff are nice enough but we decided to climb elsewhere after our 1 month membership ended. With so many other good climbing gyms in Toronto, why go to one that extorts money from its customers? read more

I like this place much better than Rock Oasis. It is one of the cheapest gyms in the city, and is never crowded so you never have to wait for a route to free up. There are a ton of routes to keep you busy, but because it is spacious and not crowded, there is less of a community feel here amongst the climbers. The bouldering is pretty decent, though there isn't as much of it (but enough to keep you busy if bouldering is not your #1 main thing). They keep things pretty clean and there are big dressing rooms (the lockers just outside are small though). The walls are pretty decent, with some interesting surfaces, and the route setting is pretty good. I don't know why they do not grade with letters though (i.e. 5.10a, 5.10b, etc.) - instead, they use 5.10-, 5.10, 5.10+ (then what is equivalent to 5.10d?!).. I don't love this system. Another con is that unless you live in the east end or drive (if you do, lots of free parking), it mentally feels kind of far (even though it is just one bus from the subway station). Wish they had some auto belay routes for those days when you cannot find a partner and want to top rope anyway. Also, it would be great if they would offer technique clinics the way Rock Oasis and True North do. To Jordan who mentioned the difficult drive - don't ever take Danforth! Drive up Broadview to O'Connor and drive across there. Or take Cosburn or Mortimer across (though those do not go all the way to St. Clair, I don't think). All are north of Danforth. Also, no need to take the DVP during rush hour (why would you?!)... it's only just a bit further north from Danforth. read more

TCA's is a great place to climb. Lots of interesting climbs - good mix of textured and un-textured walls, different climbing angles and a wide variety of different grades / difficulties. Only issue some people might have is that the walls are generally only about 3 stories high. They have a large area specifically for boldering as well as a "gym" with free weights, rope ladder and an "arms only" climbing wall. The place is air conditioning which is really nice on hot summer days. The toilets are clean and the staff are reasonably friendly as well. There are lockers but you need to bring your own lock. For top ropers, though their grigri's aren't connected to the ground because they've got a pulley system up top instead of just having a carabeina, even climber's with partners who are much lighter don't have a problem. read more

I had a terrible first experience. I was really excited to go climbing, but the girl at the desk turned me off from the experience completely, and my friend and I respectfully left without doing any climbing. I felt she was extremely standoffish and for someone coming for their first time I felt I left with a really bad first impression. I feel bad if it was that one employee who made my experience so bad, and maybe the academy is really good, but the interaction really dissuaded me from going back to find out. She initially requested I pay 39 dollars for one day of climbing, and one lesson, in my opinion, it was too much, as that's almost as much as I pay for one month access to my gym. I came in after reading online about the deal I saw online, thinking it would be more reasonable. So I was shocked, and showed her what I read online, the academy wouldn't honour the price. But, one employee there, came and offered me a deal, which was still more then I expected to pay, but I really wanted to go climbing, so I said okay, the employee left the counter, and the girl disregarded what he said, and insisted I still pay more. It wasn't even the conversation about money that upset me, it was really how she acted in general. I experienced a really bad customer service experience, and wouldn't recommend the academy. read more