Top notch!
This is another review that's best considered in comparison with other gyms I've gone to, but this spot is very impressive.
It's small, size-wise it's likely about the same size as the Wall in Russellville, but they're Bouldering-only, which makes much more efficient use of the space. Their floors are fully matted, with mobile crash pads as needed.
I was very quickly impressed with this one. All of the Climbing Gyms I've been to in Arkansas are small, with this one likely close to tied for smallest. But, this is the only one that addresses all of the needs I've been looking for. Here are the bullet points:
PROS:
- Wide variety of wall faces, with several overhangs and transitions from one angle to another. There is also some flat slab, but it's way in the minority
- The walls are top-notch, textured and painted
- Tremendous route density, there's very little wasted space on the walls
- Good flow, with walls facing various directions and great use of surface area to get the most usable space, helps a lot with crowding.
- Some Routes have color-coded holds as well as tape
- There are top-out routes on multiple walls, all leading to a small upstairs area
- Rating system encourages trying tougher routes (see below)
- Fun regulars, chipper and friendly
- Warehouse door that can be opened on nice days
CONS:
- Their rating system is unique, with difficulties determined by color. But, it doesn't match the V system that everywhere else I know uses. It also uses arbitrary shades. While White is easiest and Black is the hardest, everything in between is shades of green, blue, red, and purple. But every level has a light and a dark shade. On the plus side, it made me try routes I probably would avoid if I could see the rating ahead of time. On the downside, it's confusing and seems arbitrary.
- Because of the Rating System, a lot of routes have to have the same color tape, and because of the density of routes, they also often overlap. A lot of the time the difference between to routes that cross each other is a yellow circle vs. a yellow dash, and mid-route it's very easy to mix them up.
- Worst gym music ever. It was mildly-electronic smooth jazz, gross :P
- It's still small. They've handled the space remarkably well, but on busy days it's still going to get very crowded, very quickly.
- The routes I tried were, for the most part, not especially interesting. A lot of straight ladder-climbing, a lot of tough holds, but this one rates the worst of the three I've tried in Arkansas for complexity (if not difficulty)
Still, on balance, this is an amazing Bouldering gym, and is one I would happily become a regular at. read more