If your ego has bloated to the point where you have perpeutal neck pain, this is the place for you.Reading Rocks will humble you. It will pain you. It will conquer you.
It's been years since I was at Reading Rocks...last time I was there, they were located next to The Works. I am as amateur as climbers can get, and there may be bigger and better, but thier new location on George Street is very impressive. The climbing areas consist of one wall of relatively flat climbs, with taped hand holds indicating the difficlty of each climbing route. The backwall will offer a series of angled/cantalevered walls, where you must climb off-pitch, around angles, and of course, eventually to the point where you are hanging upside down. The far wall- and the "island" in the middle- are made of faux-rock composite that forces the climber to face the reality of real-rock geometry, texture, and shape, with fewer installed hand holds. Ground-up tire shreds provide the soft landing on the ground.
Upon arrival, the staff will suit you up with a harness ($3), teach you bellaying (sp?) technique, and stay with you until they are confident in your ability to safely lower your partner to the ground. Once you are deemed confident, you are on your own. A day pass for unlimited climbing is $12; other rentals (shooes, chalk, etc.) are available. Both times I've been there, the staff has been friendly, helpful,knowledgable, andyes, safety-oriented.
They do also like to host groups, for team building; they help Boy Scouts with various badges; and, they do nights for advanced climbers- last Thursday they offered a "lights out" climb, where all that was allowed was headlamps; even the vending machine and bathrooms were blacked out! Cool!
Attire? Long pants and T's are the climbing fashion. I found out why; two skinned knees from a roughly-textured wall will serve as a reminder!
In case you haven't climbed for awhile, prepare to feel muslces that nature had long forgotten. Follow the white tape routes and you have chance to reach the roof; limit yourself to more difficult colors, and the holds get smaller, and are placed at more difficult intervals. Bottom line: you will feel the pain, and you will fall off. You will shake, you will burn, you will fall. Even those who show up with their own harnesses, shoes, gear, etc. fall also. It is inevitable. These walls will win.
Reading Rocks has thrown down the gauntlet to those who love an adventure, even if it is indoors. So, watch Stallone in "Cliffhanger", thump your chest, and get your chalk on! read more