First time there. It was not busy on the may long weekend. Instructors are very knowledgeable, patient, helpful with setting up you gears. Instructors also showed us a few different climbing styles. Great place for beginners for give a try out!
I wish they had more staff on site though to be with us and teach us more tricks when we climb. There are only two staff helping nine of us. Most of us are first time climbers.
Decent climbing gym, but always packed, so be prepared for b.o.
Recently moved to Vancouver and have been going to this gym for the last year or so. Great gym and climbing community. The staff are very welcoming and are doing their best to keep everyone physically distanced. Will be back soon!
Small, but love the vibe: it feels like home. Interesting wall features, and setting that works well with them! The only reason they don t have 5 stars are the ropes: many are bloated from use (and imo need to be replaced), which makes belaying (especially lead belaying, especially with a grigri) really difficult.
One of the original climbing gyms in Vancouver. I remember going to the one by False Creek!
First of all has to be said: I m German and might be used to the standards in our gyms back there but I ve seen many gyms in different countries all over and consider myself als wellclimbgymtravelled ;)
The optimizing part:
SHOWERS
This seems to be a huge thing. As far as I know: The only gyms in the Metro Van area which have showers are both of the Hives. Bouldering only.
WIFI
No Wifi at all. Not even a Telus hotspot.
SOCIALISING
Yes, it s a small space but some chairs and couches could probably make it more enjoyable. But thats probably not the intention.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hey. It s still a cool gym :)
STAFF
The staff was very friendly and helpful, even a bit confused (but I m known for that :))
ROUTES / / DIVERSITY
I like the routesetting from 5.10 upwards even if would appreciate a more technical approach. The holds seem to see a brush from now and then.
It gets crowded the people seem to be responsible still. There are no belay tests in gyms in Germany. Im still see a lot of advantages AND if you ask for doing the toprope and lead test, you can get both for 10 CAD even if you wont do it at the same day.
The most important part: Have fun and enjoy climbing :)
I've taken my boys here many times and they love it. Their self belaying system is good for them climbing safety. Can't wait to go back again.
PANDEMIC-RELATED REVIEW
To the new folks giving Cliffhanger a one-star review please remember that we are in the midst of a pandemic and protocols surrounding safety and hygiene are essential. This is **not** business as usual and all things considered, Cliffhanger is doing a pretty great job with a less than ideal situation.
I've been a member of the gym for over 6 years and even I have to wait outside for the sanitation to be complete before I can start my climbing session. Even I have been told to allow more space between people when I've accidentally gotten too close to other climbers either on the floor or on the wall. No one should be taking this personally. It's for the safety of the climbers and the staff. Remember too, as climbers we're only in there for two hours, but staff are in there for all-day shifts, day after day, week after week during the second wave of a pandemic. I count myself fortunate that the gym is even open at all considering the closure of so many other fitness facilities.
To the new visitor complaining about the lead climbing area being closed, it doesn't make sense for lead climbing to be open when the gym is at capacity because it chokes off three ropes. There are already fewer ropes in there to allow for more distancing during the pandemic, but you wouldn't know that since you aren't a regular.
As per the complaint about the markers in the bouldering area, I was up there yesterday and had no problem finding the right routes for my skill level. The tags are perfectly clear.
The big ask from me as a gym regular to anyone who is new to Cliffhanger is to please have patience. This is not the old days. It's awesome that you are supporting this fantastic local business but please cut this team some slack and adjust your expectations as they work to keep all of us and themselves as safe as possible.
I like the bouldering here even more than that in the bouldering gym "hive"
First learned to climb here. Have been a regular on-and-off for a long time. Could be a bit bigger with more variety of problems and routes but a good solid gym nonetheless.
Love it. There are lots of climbs and the staff are helpful.
The gym itself is not terrible. The routes are kinda awkward, and the tape system they use is pretty confusing and kind of a mess, but the walls are nice, even though they're only 40 feet or so. But what really annoyed me about this gym is that they charge you an extra $6 fee for the privilege of registering, beyond what you would pay for a regular day pass. And then another $10 fee to allow you to lead climb. Neither of these fees include any instruction. And from talking to the people who administered the belay / lead test, they don't get paid extra from these fees. This makes this place extremely uninviting for out of town climbers looking to get a work out. The staff also seemed like sticklers for rules, moreso than being concerned about safe climbing. One staff member asked me to climb on the other side of a rope with a large swing (potentially unsafe) b/c they 'preferred it' that way even after I pointed out it was less safe.
Awesome gym for top roping, leading, and auto-belay, totally recommend
Front desk staff rude, strict on me sharing showing members tips on rope work and belaying. Modest variey in routes. 27$ for drop in... Too much for the experience. It was ridiculous ... 7$ for a belay test and another fee for a lead test which they would NOT let me do on my first visit. Ive been climbing for ten years and never seen a fee for belay and a seperate lead fee. I inquired about discounts through the ACC, the staff seemed to get very flustered and very curt with me over the question. Won't be going back. Weird vibes here
It can get quite busy in the evenings and quite hot in the summer. My only complaints are things that are almost unavoidable for a gym in the city.
Great staff, service and options to climb, gets a little crowded but it is worth it
good gym, beautiful people and amazing environment. I like it a lot.
Quite nice climbing gym. Fair nuber or routes of varying difficulties. Staff are pleasant and yet vigilant for anyone doing anything unsafe. Usually is a bit overcrowded in the evenings. Usually has only 2 autobelays available so bring a partner.
Great use of space. Great for climbing. Have small bouldering area.
Great place with a friendly atmosphere and amazing top roping routes of all difficulties.
A pretty good climbing gym. They get too busy sometimes, and some of their holds are Really old but they have been getting better about buying new equipment when it's needed.
It's best not to go Tuesday through Thursday evenings as that's when it's the most busy.
Me and my friend we to visit this place this afternoon and had this amazing, friendly and welcoming customer service experience. (Just NOT)
I presenteded myself and said that I would like to know more about the place, how it works and the prices and had the following:
"Now it is members only, we are having training and we are at full capacity, please step outside the building."
Just like that, no Hello, no how are you doing, no I am sorry, no thanks, no good buy, no see you another time... Fantastic
Definitely one of poorest customer experience I ever had, to say the least... I absolutely DO NOT recomend this place, at least for "non members".
this place! The BEST climbing gym!! Highly recommended great prices, location is super clean with amazing employees who are extremely nice and polite!! My kids had a blast! We tried all the north van / Coquitlam locations and never going back there. They are just filthy and rude...
Gets quite crowded past 9-5 work hours but staff is very friendly. Once you adjust to the smell, it's a load of fun
Lots of climbing options and wasn't busy when I went. Definitely need to go with someone who knows how to climb but the staff was very friendly and helpful. It was a great workout too. 2 hours flew by!
Pretty nice gym. It's a bit small, but the routes are very nice and they get reset fairly often. The gym tends to be overcrowded on weekday evenings and autobelays are almost always taken by intro courses at this time. In the summer days, it can get very hot and humid due to lack of effective ventilation. A bit pricey for a climbing gym in Canada, but on the plus side, the location is quite accessible.
No wifi. Free parking available. Plenty of bike racks.
Epic climbing gym. Good top roping and small boulder cave and hangboard / campus corner
Best climbing gym I've ever been to! Great sense of community and helpful staff! Gym is spacious and of great quality!
Such a great indoor rock climbing gym. Koi and the other gentleman was very professional explaining to our group how to safely rock climb. I highly recommend this place as it is family friendly and very fun. Great job to the staff as they made our experience a memorable one.
Attended Cliffhanger for the first time since COVID. The Cliffhanger team has done a very thorough job with their COVID safety measures: online advanced booking with limited spaces, mask required signage, hand sanitizer stations throughout the gym, plexiglass barriers for check-in, stanchions with max capacity limits in narrower spaces, belaying standpoint markers for social distancing, an opened door to allow fresh air to be cycled through and a safety conscious staff. I was pleasantly surprised with the experience and am look forward to booking my next session!
I always have a great time at Cliffhanger. The staff are friendly and helpful and the place is really fun. There are plenty of different climbs to try, ranging from beginner to advanced. Other climbers are friendly as well - the place has a good atmosphere overall.
Good crowd, nice space, fair prices. Gets a little too busy most nights but that's not on them.
Was new to climbing learning with a very experienced climber. Staff was not helpful and down right rude. Both girls were very offered no help but would keep telling me I was wrong. I accept that safety is number one but the rude comments from the one staff member were not needed. It's a good gym but maybe try to avoid the two very unhelpful snotty Asian girls...just a suggestion
Friendly staff, great selection of climbs for all abilities
Mostly great! Staff can be a little cold and you have to pay $11 for gear every time
Pretty good climbing gym. If you're downtown, can't beat the location!
Great gym for route climbing in vancouver, however the bouldering cite is too small which makes sense cause this is a mainly route climbing gym.
I went with a friend today and Steven was so helpful! He was really patient with us and give us tips on how to belay. Thanks Steven :).
Desperately needs the expansion promised (over a year ago!!!!). The climbs are good overall, usually set a bit soft and some being a bit contrived.
CH owner(s); Please follow through on your promise and give your long time, loyal members, a reason to renew.
Really enjoy training here. Lots of routes available as well as self belay routes. There is a bouldering wall if you are without a belay partner that day. the change rooms feature lockers and a shower.
$7 to do a belay test? I paid $27 as a student to climb one drop in session and I brought all my own gear. Bad pricing. Also this gym is so weird. They have all the top rope climbs clipped into every climbing draw the entire route. When you climb up, you have to unclip all the draws and clip them back in on the way down. Super annoying.
A busy indoor climbing gym. Limited space, extremely crowded. Some of the staff are weird, maybe in a strategy to reduce the popularity of the location? There are lots of other great places to climb indoors and outdoors that are much better experiences.
Didn't like that the problems were burly, it was too commercial & definitely NOT a climber's gym.
Visited gyms in LA, London, New York and Milan. Cliffhanger has the best/most interesting route setting I've experienced.
Only 5 autobelay climbs so it gets busy if you aren't going with someone who can belay.
Friendly staff, lots of regulars and there are new climbs set every week. Too busy for me during peak hours
Best staff! Also the new routes are bomb. Thanks Tom and Holly.
Great climbing gym but a bit expensive if you go just once in a while. Also, tends to be really full, at least in the afternoon/evening and the ventilation isn't great: in fact it's always really hot and stuffy.
Gets a little too crowded unless you're visiting on a weekend night, though I can see why. They are small to moderately sized but have a lot of variety that caters to people from different experience levels. They even have a small bouldering section upstairs (though Hive, which happens to be next door, is definitely the better place to go to if you're specifically looking for bouldering). The staff is quite helpful, and their intro course is quite beginner friendly.
Good place. But if you already lead climb it'll take you two visits and $16 on top of entrance fee to be allowed to lead climb here. Can you say money grab.
Decent service, clean, well maintained. But it's the only top-rope gym in the area and therefore gets *packed* on weekday evenings. Also, it's aged a fair bit in comparison to other climbing gyms I've visited while in other cities.
Great climbing gym with fun routes!
Can t wait to go back!
Yes it's super busy the evenings, bit it's Vancouver after all.
If you have a baby with you, the crew is the BEST to entertain her/him!!!
Good climbs, friendly staff, fun community. They rotate their climbs here between 2wks-2months depending on popularity.
Great gym. Wasn't too busy. Staff are friendly and helpful. Great variety of routes for newbies and pros alike. Also have a couple of crack climbs that most people are hesitant to try, yet they are challenging and never, ever busy. Great workout and an awesome way to stay lean and strong. Definitely recommend.
Staff is rude and their pricing is expensive. The gym is small and crowded. Do not recommend.
Really nice facility, lots of routes set up, and I appreciate the care they are taking during the pandemic to help insure the safety of the climbers
Cool place to experience indoor rock climbing. Make sure to go with someone who is an expert to get help. That being said, the place is not very clean and smells really bad.
Great spot, friendly staff. Would definitely recommend!
Awesome place to climb, great Rise and Climb program!
Best climbing gym I've been to. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Routes are fun and high quality. Interesting moves on each one.
Great route setting and friendly staff! Gets very busy at peak times and still had a bit of a shoe aroma but that s what a popular gym is like!
Great routes and plenty of them, bouldering is set just like my home gym and honestly a lot better than hive just next door. Will be coming back many times!
Charging for a belay test for top rope is a shameful money grab.
The worst customer service experience I've had in a while. We paid an extra $6 for an introduction to the gym and the young girl was extremely frustrated that we weren't familiar with the belay device. Her exactly words were "I'd show you how to use the proper one but I have another stuff to do", which meant sitting behind the counter talking with her friends.
We explained pretty clearly at the start that we weren't experienced climbers so good luck to those of you who have never climbed before.
Go down the road to the Hive climbing gym where everyone is friendly :)
So much fun! I took my seven year old here and she used the auto-belaying system and had a blast. I highly recommend it for a fun rainy day activity.
Cliffhanger is an awesome climbing gym with trusted employees who make sure that you're safe. Large climbing walls, and six auto-belayers that allow you to climb without a human belaying you. I was frustrated by an employee who cut in front of me in line so that a customer could use a climbing wall. Aside from her, all of the staff are kind.
Interesting routes but gym seriously over crowded with people climbing over/under each other.
Had a great experience doing an intro to climbing course here! Jake, our instructor, was patient, fun and friendly. Will definitely go back for more climbing
This is one of the very few climbing gyms that you can find that was built from scratch to be, a climbing gym!
Lots of other places have crammed a gym into whatever kind of building they could rent.
I find the staff very friendly & helpful, the routes cover everything from easy to you-got-to-be-kidding-me.
Lots of parking in the lot or on the street.
Now that the rains are coming I can't wait to start climbing here again.
Great place for top roping and lead, also pretty well spaced out between people
Nice, modern gym. Can be very busy but we'll equipped.
Great place! Packed alot of the time but great! Vancouver needs more climbing gyms!!
Good clean climbing gym... Good social distancing protocols... Bathrooms aren't marked clearly....
Interesting and very long routes. Good variety of difficulty.
cliffhangerclimbing.com
