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Rockreation Sport Climbing Center
Categories: Active Life Fitness & Instruction Gyms Active Life Climbing Gyms, Climbing [Edit]
1300 Logan AveCosta Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-7625
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 10 pm
Fri 12 pm - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
53 reviews for Rockreation Sport Climbing Center
53 reviews in English
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Review from Joe S.
Cypress, CA
5/25/2012 3 Check-ins Here
As a beginner to rock climbing my review may be a little different than those from experienced climbers.
I was introduced to Rockreation through my GF (she used to work here PT). She has been climbing casually for 8+ years, me less than 1 year.
This place can get busy at the obvious times (evenings/weekends) but I haven't experienced ever being crammed or packed.
I am not a huge bouldering guy - but apparently the boulder cave is pretty cool here. I use at the end of my workout as a "burnout" for the shoulders/back. The boulder cave is where it's at. There are always people in there - usually in groups of 2-3 and they'll literally hang in there for several hours. The routes are pretty cool and there are def some challenging routes. The Boulder area is about 1/3 of the climbing area.
One day I aspire to lead-climb The Arch! (imagine the church bells ringing as I say that and the heaven's parting) - what a thrill it must be to be suspended upside-down by the muscles in your back, legs, forearms, and fingers! The Arch is ~30-35' off the ground. The Lead area is about 1/3 of the climbing area.
Top Climbing/Anchoring is the final 1/3 of the climbing area. This is where I spend 95% of my time. There are ~10 faces with anywhere from 3-6 various routes based on color/level of difficulty. I started with 8s and 9s, now I do mostly 10a and 10b. I prefer the overhang and those climbs that require you to literally pull yourself up over a ledge. There are 3 walls that have this feature. :)
The employees are pretty cool/chill - but most are at rock gyms. I think it's in the culture of the sport.
About Pricing - as you know - climbing isn't necessarily an expensive sport, but definitely is not a cheap one either. I am not 100% certain but this is what I recall for pricing: The Day Passes here run ~$15-$16. The rental of shoes, harness, etc. is $5. Monthly passes run upwards of $60 for singles. Their prices are average from the other gyms that I have visited. -
Review from Aaron L.
4/16/2012
Rockreation is a great place for both newcomers to the sport and experts! I am the former in that equation, but got to meet and briefly talk to a few of the experts. It seems that everyone working and climbing at this gym are friendly, welcoming, and easy going.
A visitor pass, shoe rental, and harness will run you about 20 bucks. Well worth it for a fun and different experience, as well as a great workout!
Once inside, there are several sections available:
- Top roping: Where you climb straight(ish) up a wall while a partner belays you.
- Bouldering: Sort of a "freestyle" section where you don't tie in, nor need a partner.
- Horizontal climbing wall: Allows you to climb horizontally for practice (again, without a partner).
- Lead climbing: Expert method of attaching clamps for your rope as you go.
- Gym (small): A few weight and cardio machines are available.
- Yoga studio (small): Yoga classes are offered.
With the assistance of a very trustworthy belayer, I made it to the top of one of the "top roping" walls on my second try! Working against me was my fear of heights, but my upper body strength and adrenaline were on my side and made up for it.
From what I understand, this is one of the best rock climbing gyms around. One climber let me know that she travels all the way from Ranch Santa Margarita to use this facility.
I heard that Rockreation will occasionally offer a Groupon, and that may be the extra push that gets me to be a regular. In the meantime, I'll use it to keep my workouts diverse and fun on an occasional basis.Listed in: I Work Out
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Review from Jason F.
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
For a bouldering guy like myself, Rockreation was a downer. It's great for people who love to belay, but their bouldering section is horrible. It's pretty much a giant rock with the inner gone, and all the routes are cluster f*cked and hard to see due to improper lighting. Furthermore, everyone seems to want to play camp and just sit in the middle where the inner is and just chat.
It's definitely not beginner friendly in the sense that you don't even know where to go and what to do.
If you go to the ARC in Arcadia, or Thresh Hold in Riverside, you'll see why this is 2/5 stars. -
Review from Anna C.
San Francisco, CA
Fantastic place for a beginner (like myself)!
The staff was super helpful and encouraging; they fully understood what they were doing and explained pretty clearly how to start. There is quite a bit to climb here. I started off bouldering, as this was my first time, there was a lot for me to explore - so I didn't get bored. The one day pass was $20 & they take cash and credit. Fun, inexpensive experience. I'm definitely inspired to climb more & I'll probably be coming again. -
Review from Kayla T.
Costa Mesa, CA
1/5/2012
I've only been here a couple of times and during those times, it was through a class that was offered at Orange Coast College (no longer offered). Spring 2010 was the last semester it was offered so I was lucky to get the experience to learn rock climbing from the instructors here.
First off, this is an extremely small gym. Considering the amount of traffic it gets on a daily basis, it tends to get a little muggy and sweat-smelling in here despite the all the doors and windows being open. There's a bouldering area near the back, belay areas in front and to the right of the reception area, and right when you walk in they have the area that's designated only for advanced climbers. They have a workout area with treadmills etc, and space for yoga instructions. Further in, you've got the bathroom and lockers. It is clean and they do emphasize on safety, but my only problem with this place is just how small it is and how expensive it is compared to other gyms.
However, everyone who comes here regularly are extremely helpful. You have experienced climbers who have done this kind of sport for decades and then you've got young people who are just as willing in giving you advice. The staff here are really cool, too.
Although I give this gym 3 stars, I do recommend that you come in and give this place a chance. Despite its size and the odd odor, during hot days, you will meet a lot of great climbers here. Sometimes I think to myself, "If Rockreation was a little bit cheaper, closer (I live in Diamond Bar/Chino Hills area for school majority of the year), and somewhat bigger, I'd drive 40 miles down just to climb here." -
Review from Alexander G.
Irvine, CA
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really enjoyed my experience here at Rockreation and will likely be back again sometime soon.
I took my Little Brother here for an afternoon of rock-climbing. He had never been before so we took the beginners class together. The instructor was very helpful and even though we spent a good chunk of time focusing on the learning aspect no one seemed bored. Everyone in the class had the opportunity to both climb and belay multiple times as well as practice "falling."
We stopped by on a weekend afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to find that our class only had a couple other people in it. Considering I was expecting to be jammed into a large(r) class, I was pretty happy.
The location was very easy to find, parking was readily available, and the prices were reasonable. As others have pointed out, be sure to make a reservation if this is your first visit.
My only gripe: Since my Little Brother is younger he was required to have a waiver signed by a parent/legal guardian. When I explained to the desk attendant that I was his legal guardian she sarcastically asked me if I was telling the truth. For the first few minutes she was rude, but once I was able to show her the requisite paperwork she seemed to adjust her attitude pretty quickly. -
Review from Anita L.
5/27/2011
I brought the kid here with a friend to do some indoor rockclimbing. The staff were pretty cool, they harnessed the kids and they have a person spotting them and guiding them the whole way through.
It was only $12/hour for the kids and I thought it was a great experience for them to try it out to see if they like it or not. They don't hard sell or push you to buy anything which is always a plus.
Would definitely come back again if the kid wants to do it again. They are offering summer camp for the upcoming summer holidays so if your kids are looking for something like this, by all means check them out. -
Review from Ted S.
Orange County, CA
12/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's too bad the reviews can't be separated between those who went climbing for the first time and those who climb frequently as both groups are looking for something very different.
If you're coming for your first climb or don't climb often just be open and when in doubt ask. Climbing can be nerve racking at first, and for those who come to do a kid's party or such I imagine even more so, but you'll have fun and if you want, you'll leave super sore... You may just get hooked.
That said, if you're looking for a great workout or already climb and want a local gym, Rockreation is the best choice in the area that I've found.
1. The staff. They don't just check you in... most of them climb regularly and everyone that I've met on staff is friendly and recognizes familiar faces.
2. The climbers. Super friendly, very helpful [including for new climbers like myself], and just fun to be around for a couple hour session. Climbing is about the community and this place gets a solid 5 for having such an open one.
3. Bouldering. It's not the biggest area I've used, or the most cleanly marked, but there's a ton of different style walls, a big variety of problems and frequent changes to keep things fresh. One of the most unique features is the features built into the wall... I've never seen a gym with as many natural holds as this place has.
4. Wall Climbs. Unfortunately this just isn't what it could be... The walls are pretty short for when and there isn't enough space to get a huge variety of climbs in at any one level. Seems like most of the setting is in the boulder area then lead rope and top rope here and there.
5. The Gym. I doubt many people sign up for their weights but they do have a solid assortment of machines, free weights, even some cardio. If you're a member it's enough to cut it unless you really want some serious size or special machines.
Could the place be bigger, newer, or better maintained? For sure. But the community and the staff make more than the most of what's here and while it's not the best argument, you won't find better anywhere near by, -
Review from Mary J.
3/4/2011
I chose to go here for my birthday and had a good time here with my friends. Although there were few hitches.....
IMPORTANT BEGINNER CLIMBER TIP: Make and Schedule Reservations a head of time!
--We arrived at 11am on a Saturday hoping to get a spot.... but the schedule was packed. Although the facility opens early, the only people that can climb any time are:
1) experienced climbers and experienced belayers (who have to undergo a small test beforehand to certify their skill)
2) people who just want to do bouldering (climbing without ropes)
Our party of 4 was about to give up when the staff said there was a spot for 3 people for 1 hour of 'Climb Time' (Climb Time is belay-rope climbing with staff assistance) at 2pm through 3pm.
We took it, my hubby ended up standing in the sidelines being our photographer (God bless him.. :p) Minus one star for that.
CONS:
Our staff was nice. The facility was nice. The only thing I really didn't like was that they tried to squeeze in too many people with one staff. With our one staff, he assisted us my two friends and I in climbing, so we spent most of the hour we paid for waiting our turn one after the other..... AND in addition to that we had 2 other people being assisted by our staff through our entire "one hour session"
So, instead of a one hour of climbing that we paid for, it was a TOTAL of 10 minutes of climbing, per person. We paid 12 dollars for this session, which included the climbing shoes rental. Minus 1 star for that.
In conclusion, convenience-wise-- this is probably a great place for experienced climbers. For beginners who want to climb, its recommended to make reservations ahead of time, and probably sign up for their 'Fight Gravity' Lesson series... which I think trains beginners to belay on their own.... and costs a bit more.
Will I probably go here again? Yes. -
Review from Victoria Y.
Saratoga, CA
2/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I came here to use my living social coupon and found the staff and the instructors to all be really nice and helpful. I had a lot of fun in the lesson even though I climbed before. Hence the four stars.
The gym is a little smaller than the one I climbed with in the bay area but it still has nice routes to climb. I think this would be a good place to start practicing and learning to climb, after awhile I could see the lack of height in the climbs making it seem repetitive though.
I still have two more classes to take so I'm really excited to see how it goes. -
Review from Del C.
Irvine, CA
2/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
We've been to the one in West LA and we thought it would be fun to go and do some indoor rock climbing here. The first thing we both noticed: This place smells of feet. I have no idea what the deal-io is here with the feet smell, but guys, please do something about that.
Other than the smell, it is a lot of fun and even though the space isn't too big, they have a lot of different levels you can try.
I would definitely bring my own chalk next time because they basically ran out. It's always better to reserve lessons, which is waht we'll do next time. Overall, a lot of fun, but would be better if the place didn't smell of feet. -
Review from K B.
San Juan Capistrano, CA
5/23/2011
I read the review below and am super bummed i didn't see the living social deal for this!
They make you take a test before you can climb here, so make sure you practice! You have to be able to tie a figure 8 properly and show them a correct belay technique. If you don't pass this test you can only boulder climb. They have a pretty good boulder area, so it's not too bad... but it's definitely more fun to belay (in my opinion) :) . Great work out and fun activity! -
Review from Sunny T.
Long Beach, CA
1/14/2011
Prior to going to Rockreation I had only tried indoor climbing like 3 times and thought it was fun but nothing fantastic--NOW I LOVE IT!! I purchased a one-month membership through LivingSocial and ended up driving to Costa Mesa from Long Beach 3 or 4 times a week, rush hour traffic and all!
--The instructors and employees are all super friendly and helpful.
--The walls are challenging but not impossible; there are enough levels that you keep pushing yourself to do better.
--They are constantly adding and changing the courses so even if you've been a bunch, they'll soon replace it with something new to try.
I didn't realize it until I started going to ClimbX in Huntington Beach, but Rockreation also has a really nice facility and is way bigger! They offer cardio equipment, yoga classes, lockers, and showers which ClimbX doesn't offer. -
Review from Olin B.
Corona Del Mar, CA
1/5/2011
The nicest and most helpful staff around:
I walked into Rockreation and was greeted by an open, honest, and pretty face. Her name was Allie, she was dressed in pale blue - her favourite color I wondered - a loose shirt and pants, with matching blue headband propped in her thick blonde hair. She looked like a creature of light, a creature made out of sky and clean, white light. She could sense that I was new and welcomed me with a smile as big as a gambler's promise. She answered all my questions with caring detail. Like a hero returning from battle, I have never felt more welcomed in my life.
Thank you Rockreaction staff!
BTW: the climbing is good too. -
Review from Myles A.
1/6/2011
Nice gym. Helpful staff. Good variety of obstacles. They had a traversing wall, nice bouldering area, lots of different climbs and another wall to practice on the different grabs and techniques.
We liked this gym a lot when we went and since we had some experience, the staff was great at just familiarizing ourselves with their gear and letting us do our thing.
The only thing that I found on the (sort of) negative side is that the levels seemed to jump back and forth. The easy to intermediate and slighly above climbs seemed really easy for me. But when I tried some of the harder ones there seemed to be a big gap in the experience/climbing level between say a 5.9 (which I found easy) and a 5.10 which I couldn't complete. Could just be the fact that I haven't been climbing that long, but that's just my perspective.Listed in: Out & about
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Review from Beatrice H.
Mission Viejo, CA
2/18/2012
Like this place!
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Review from Kat N.
Los Angeles, CA
7/11/2008
Totally love this place, haven't been in forever. The thing is, I'm a selfish rock climber. All I want to do is climb. I might be the worst belay-er (is that a word?) ever so if you ever see me here, RUN, don't let me hold the ropes for you because I can almost guarantee that I will leave you hanging or slamming into the wall.
Oops, sorry Miss Laylan. Love you. Thank you for taking me here. -
Review from Mike L.
Norwalk, CA
11/2/2006 1 photo
A fun activity for the active sportsman and for the whole family.
I was invited to a rock climbing a year back when I was a little bit more limber in doing these stuffs. It's in a converted warehouse with high ceilings. There are several types of wall to climb upon.
They divided the walls from beginners to a much more challenging course with inventive ways to climb. There was an arch where you can climb upside down. Safety precautions are taken at this place. You will need a partner as a backup for the latitude for the rope. I'm glad that someone is holding the ropes while you climbed up.
Yes, the activity is draining of energy. The excitement of it and the rush will contribute to that. Just don't burn out all your energy on the first climb. It's a little hard not to get nervous when you are doing it for the frist time.
There's a kid's version of the course where they also hold birthday parties. A great way for the entire family to have fun.
One drawback is the place might be a little bit hard to find at first, but just make sure you plot out the routes before heading there.Listed in: Behind the Great Wall of…
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Review from Jenny C.
San Diego, CA
8/10/2008
Heck yeah, I finally went rock climbing yesterday and I'm freaking feeling it today. Ohhh yeah baby, the pain! Of course mostly in my arms because instead of using my legs to push myself higher I used my arms and boy did I get tired out. Ah, must work on that!
Staff and members were friendly and the super regular hard core members were a treat to look at. Forget 24 Hour Fitness, I signed up with the wrong gym yo! I was very tempted to sign up for a membership here on the spot haha. Anyways, it's pretty amazing watching them boulder. It's like they are the stunt doubles for Spider Man. Just insane! If I could just do even a quarter of what they can do, I would be stoked.
Yes, they don't have AC, but it's not too bad. I mean I live in Riverside, so I kind of felt like I was right at home. What got to me was the ropes in the top rope area, is it just me or do they smell like a smelly wet dog? I would smell each rope I used too and I wasn't ninja enough because some people noticed :x haha they probably think I'm weird. Whatever, at the end of the day my hands smelled like I rescued a crap load of dogs.
I rented equipment and the only thing was my chalk bag barely had any chalk. I plan on buying my own ish ASAP though. It's just too awesome not to continue the fun. You can get a package online for like $150, which I think isn't bad. Get gloves too, if you plan on belaying because my hands got F-ked up. I'm rugged, but not that rugged. -
Review from Kay D.
8/18/2010 15 photos
I LOVE this gym, and it definitely satisfies all my climbing needs. The reason I don't come here anymore (SAD) is because of the price. I can't come often enough to warrant a membership, and the price for a one day pass is way too much (especially since I can only climb for about an hour or two before collapsing from sheer exhaustion).
They used to have $5 Fridays, and I used to come every Friday with my friends. They got rid of that and I have not been back since...so sad. They need some sort of student discount; I cannot afford a climbing gym.
The staff is super friendly and helpful, and I always have a blast here. They are expert at setting routes and I especially love the bouldering area.
:-( -
Review from Joseph F.
San Francisco, CA
10/6/2009
OK... as I have for the other rock climbing places, I'm gonna review this place as a climber, for other climbers, and NOT as someone who thinks "yay! i love rock climbing! 5 stars". I mean... if you like swimming does every pool get 5 stars? no!
I was down in Irvine for work, and made it here basically out of the blue. pretty different feel than the norcal gyms, so I'm going to touch on the differences.
First to note, this was an older gym. it's been worn down for a while, and you can tell by the gear, the walls and from the feel of the place. Nothing wrong with it.. but it did make me slightly more nervous. They color code the rocks (no tape) but half the colors were indistinguishable... purple, black, and dark blue are allt he same color when you cover them in chalk. The place is a bit smaller than I'm used to, but apparentely it's the biggest in the area... guess I'm spoiled (woohoo norcal!).
the bouldering kind of pissed me off. Instead of straign V ratings, they had a weird color coding that they used... so I had to keep running to the side to figure out what I was climbing.
A couple other things to note:
-features galore
woah woah woah. Eevery wall is loaded with them. plenty of tiny ripples, little knobs and even a couple crimps you can use mostly for your feet, but your hands too. it adds a much better "outside' feeling to the climb, but it makes the ratings ALOT harder. I dropped down like 2-3 grades and was barely hanging on.
Ropes
they Only wrap the ropes once around the top... so, when your partner falls, you feel it hit you ALOT harder. I belayed with a guy a bit heavier than me, and I was jerked into teh air time and time again. Good practice for lead climbing I guess... but just uncomfortable and unesseacry.
Other than that the place was fun. I'll definately be back next time I'm in town, hopefully with my own gear (rental shoes suck). -
Review from Alex C.
Woodbine, MD
11/10/2010
This rock climbing gym is the first I've been to in California. I plan on checking out Rock City before I leave.
In comparison to Earth Treks in Maryland...
Interior: A LOT smaller. Climbing walls are a lot shorter (35-40ft?) and space is pretty limited.
Routes: Very different. I like that they have a wall just for traversing. The top rope/lead walls have no tapes on them, so difficulty measuring isn't very standardized. The bouldering problems are all fairly more difficult that what I'm accustomed to - even a V0 is a pretty good work out hah! Lots of walls are inclined :( (90% of them are) They use a color tape/writing system to tell what kind of V it is, which can be kinda confusing after a while.
Overall experience: Price is also cheaper than in MD, 16 for day pass, 4 for shoes, 3 for harness, 5 for everything. I would give this place a 3.7/5. I'm rounding up since I feel particularly generous today -
Review from Kim B.
Newport Beach, CA
6/20/2010
I never write reviews, but had to in this case in hopes that the management at Rockreation might read the feedback and consider making a couple key changes.
Having been to a lot of other climbing gyms in other cities/states, (moved here from Colorado & also enjoyed climbing in San Diego at Solid Rock) there are two huge drawbacks here:
1. Single-looped rope on top rope routes
2. They don't allow use of Gri-gris (auto-locking belay devices)
These two issues combine to make climbing extremely dangerous and frustrating. My husband weighs about 100 lbs more than me, and though I've been an avid climber and safety nut for 10 years, I don't trust my ability to belay him without a gri-gri and such little tension around the top rail. The management seems to feel that these policies are good for the pureness of climbing, but I've never heard of anything like this in the top-notch gyms I've climbed at in Seattle, San Diego, Denver, or San Fran. I will have to look for another gym option now in SoCal that meets "normal" standards.
If you've never climbed elsewhere before and never knew anything different then I'm sure this gym would seem great, and you'd be used to having bigger falls and raw hands that are unnecessary.
"Joseph F's" review is a very fair one as well. -
Review from B. ..
South Bay
2/8/2008
great place for a good full body work out, an adrenaline rush, excitement and fun:)
Indoor rock climbing experience with several different levels. training on how to use the harness and stuff was very detailed and well instructed. Place does smell a little bit of sweat due to lack of perfect ventilation. Great idea if looking for something new and different to do.
i'm itching to go back again some time:) -
Review from Nikki T.
Newport Beach, CA
8/5/2009
OK, so as you know.. I am totally a climbing addict. This place is the first gym that I have ever rock climbed at and from what I hear, around Orange County, it's the best.
I really like the staff there and the routes there are pretty decent. As for like top roping, there's a good amount to climb, but the fun part looks like the lead climbing wall. I spend most of time there on the traverse wall, and I just starting tapering over to the bouldering part.
There's also a gym in the back, which is nice because I know I don't have to invest money into a regular gym membership also to get my cardio workout after I climb.
Although my boyfriend is a avid climber and really only goes outdoors, he does also admit if he can't get outdoors he does enjoy going to rock reation. Invest your time, whether you're basically starting out, or been climbing for years, they have a variety of good climbing for both. -
Review from Kristi A.
Aliso Viejo, CA
9/19/2011
I love this place! I recently started backpacking, which led to an increased interest in mountaineering, which brought me to Rockcreation to learn a bit about roped climbing, belaying, etc. What I found, in addition to some good training for mountaineering, is a really fun sport and a great gym. We now come about two days per week and find something new to climb every time!
Rockcreation has done a great job with their gym, catering to everyone from complete beginners to expert climbers. I've seen little kids barely able to walk scramble up a wall and grown men and women climbing a wall for their very first time (that's me!) and everyone in between. And, the staff at Rockcreation are really great - you never get attitude from them and they're always really willing to answer questions and help you with your climbing. I really like that the whole place has a relaxed 'vibe' and it's not full of egos. No one who's learning wants to feel pressured or cajoled and I've never felt even an inkling of that in this gym - and I've had some tough days in there! :-)
The Rockcreation 'Fight Gravity' series of climbing classes is a great deal, even without 'Groupon' or 'Living Social'. For $99, you get three classes and a month of unlimited climbing (classes are normally $40/each and climbing is $16 a day if you buy individually). The only challenge is their FG 2 and 3 classes are really valuable, but if you are brand new to climbing, you may not get as much out of FG 2 and 3 in your first month as you would if you waited until you had some additional experience. I have only been climbing 2 months and still think I'd like to retake FG3 in a month or two to reacquaint myself with the great techniques they teach you in the class - but I am a slow learner in this sport! Either way, it's still a great deal!
I highly recommend this gym if you have an interest in sport climbing or just want a different type of workout. -
Review from Jackie N.
7/1/2009
More like a 3.5
I went here for OCC's rock climbing class. When I first looked for this area, it looked pretty ghetto and dark. Not a good place for a girl to be. The parking lot was seriously horrible. So small and barely any parking spots. It also had a creepy feeling especially when there's no parking spots and you're forced to park on the streets. It was seriously scary.
The gym itself was pretty small on the right side of the gym. I thought it would be bigger. The climbs were seriously squished together and everyone were all climbing all at once. This place can seriously get packed in no time. But it was still fun and the climbs were a nice challenge.
The staff is pretty friendly. If they see that you're doing something wrong they will assist you in any way, which I really like.
Btw, it smells weird in there, like dirty socks. But it's nice when they open up this place for the fresh breeze to come in. Still smells weird though. -
Review from Tami R.
Santa Monica, CA
6/4/2007
So don't get me wrong, I love me some West LA rockreation, but my friend lives in Tustin so I came down to her gym.... gots to love reciprocity.
Very nice, very cool chill people like my own gym, by way less of them. The place was pretty empty in comparison, and the walls are taller and the arch is a bit cooler. -
Review from Ron H.
Costa Mesa, CA
1/27/2009 1 Check-in Here
This place is great for newbies and...ok I can't claim it's great for experts because I am far from an expert. But it *seems* like it would be. Watching people climbing on the ceiling is almost surreal.
And the pricing is pretty good. I would think it to be a great contender to completely eliminate one's need for a traditional gym since the facility includes a regular work out room. It's small, but I have never seen it at full capacity (probably because the bulk of the people are, you know, climbing).
The newbie packages are good deals too, especially if you do it with a friend. With just the first class, you'll be belaying up and down the rock face with confidence.
I think it's a good sport for women to one-up the menfolk, too. I'm still a noob (and not very buff), but from my experience, arm strength is not a huge factor (like Jenny C's review). Rely on it too much, and you'll be done in just a few sets. That combined with their typically less weight, and you have my friend racing up and down the face side like spiderwomen while I'm wheezing on the side. -
Review from Prachi P.
Parker, CO
10/21/2007
I took the Fight Gravity (FG) lesson package and it was pretty good. The instructors are all nice and laid back. They are very informative and thoroughly explain concepts/answer questions. The good thing about the three-class package is that it includes a month of membership and free rental equipment. Having gotten a feel for the place and deciding I like it, I now plan to sign up for regular membership. And after FG1, they give a coupon for a sweet discount off of shoes and gear from Evolv's factory store in Westminster.
The climbing gym itself is split into three parts: a lead climbing area, top rope area, and bouldering area. There is also a traversing wall which most people use to practice technique or warm up. In the back is a small gym with some basic machines and weights.
The members are also very helpful when I have questions. Sometimes they offer help when I look lost or confused. So yeah, people there are really nice.
There are also small yoga classes on Mon/Thurs. The instructor is really down-to-earth and encouraging.
The only thing I disliked is that the rental gear and some of the equipment smell gross (like the yoga mats and crash pads). Most people use their own gear and yoga mats. -
Review from Amy L.
Green Lake, Seattle, WA
2/21/2009
Tried it out through OCC's climbing class. It's a fairly small gym and I feel like the routes are a lot easier than they're marked.
The staff is friendly and there is a good variety of routes. Parking sucks - there's a small lot in the back and street parking in front of it. A little expensive I think for the size of the gym. There is a large lead climb only area which looks really good.
The top ropes are also a little too close together in my opinion. Avoid peak times (7 or so) if you can! -
Review from Scott T.
Mission, San Francisco, CA
10/28/2009
I think people's reviews of rock climbing gyms says more about the gyms they've been to previously than anything else. Given this, I have to say Rockreation is solid, but not amazing.
Things that are awesome:
- I was blown away by the quality of the features on walls. I haven't had much experience with other gyms (3 total), but the technical possibilities on these walls were wonderful. Such a refreshing relief from yet another gym of carbon-copy flat walls. Go climb a bouldering route where you don't have any feet for half the wall and tell me you can go back to having set feet again.
- For an average sized gym, they pack in a ton of good climbing. There is a decent amount of bouldering, with good variety in the type of route. There's even a crack in the corner, and a traverse section for practicing along the wall. Toss in your standard top roping and dedicated lead-climbing section and you have something for everyone.
- Staff is friendly and helpful, as you'd hope. Routes are set in interesting ways, although you should be aware that the bouldering may be graded a good deal harder than what you're used to (I dropped by 2 grades).
Not so awesome
- Not much here, except it just isn't that large. I will admit to having been spoiled by Sunnyvale Planet Granite in terms of sheer size and number of routes.
- If you're new, don't expect to be able to boulder unless you have serious athleticism. I can climb V3 maybe even a V4 elsewhere but couldn't initially get up several of the "V1" routes at Rockreation. Leave your ego at the door.
Overall, it is easily the best option in the area. If you want all around exercise, there is a (small) gym in the back with the basics, showers, and a free yoga class on a few weekdays. -
Review from Rony H.
Irvine, CA
7/11/2010
Although I've wanted to climb for forever, this was the first time ever climbing. I got the "fight gravity" series, went there on Saturday to try it out.
You need to make reservations for a spot in the classes, so call ahead.
Fight Gravity 1: There are six people in class, and you'll be paired up with someone so you can either be climbing or belaying. The teacher I got, Bill was just awesome. He took the time with you and was patient with you. I'm a quick learner, but there were some people who couldn't get the figure 8 down even after the class. But he was right there teaching it til you got it.
Fight Gravity 2: Different teacher this time. Cool chick, but she wasn't as thorough as Bill. She would teach you to practice some moves on the warm-up walls, for instance, but she wouldn't really correct you while you were doing it or see to it you're doing it correctly. I think there were too many people in the class, 9 I believe.
Fight Gravity 3: Last of the series. Same teacher but since there were much less people, she was able to spend a lot of time with us and we were able to really ask questions and get answers.
The people who work there are usually pretty cool and friendly. I don't know what his name is, but there's an asian dude with long hair who is awe inspiring watching him boulder. There a girl there named Ally though who would look me up and down every time I'd go there. Even when I said hi, she's really standoffish, and curses when she climbs. I tried to stay away from her.
Even besides that, I really found myself enjoying climbing more and more. I went out and got all my gears to learn how to lead climb so I can do it outdoors. After my flight series were finished though, they didn't talk to me and try to keep my business. Which I thought was odd since I went at times when not many people were not there.
As I said, I bought all of my own gear. The first thing I went to purchase were shoes because they suggest you wear socks in the rental ones. Guess why? You really shouldn't be wearing anything in the shoes, you can't get a good feel and grip.
I give them a three star for location and all the good people that work there who made me feel welcome to climb there. They could do better though. -
Review from Amador A.
Cerritos, CA
4/20/2007
Back in my younger days I used to frequent this gym in preparation for our climbs out in Idyllwild's Tahquitz rock...
There were two indoor gyms we used to go to - this and another place called Alpine something...
Rockreation was the better of the two. The climbing walls here look more like actual rock. Most other places you see will just be plywood walls with different flat angled surfaces and climbing holds bolted on.
Before you can enter, you have to be certified to get onto the climbing walls - you demonstrate your ability to tie-in (using a double figure 8 knot), your knowledge of vocal belay commands, and your rope work as you belay someone.
If you don't pass, you can still come in, but you're limited to the bouldering wall (a traversing wall that you climb horizontally, rather than vertically.
When I went, it used to be $12 for the day, or you could purchase memberships for like $560 annually if you think you could go enough to make it worth the costs.
It's a fun and safe way to learn how to rock climb, each climb is about 30 feet, and if you get really good, you can give a try on the leading wall... that's where you're climbing "on the edge".
They even have holds on the ceiling so you can make it as challenging or as easy as you want. If you're tired of going to a regular gym and want to try something a little different, give Rockreation a try! -
Review from Jennifer H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/11/2007
So I packed up all my climbing gear to return to this wonderful gym on a recent SoCal trip.
It's a small place relative to what we have in the Bay Area, but the routes are better for training. They are short but very challenging.
The lead wall made me want to do something climbing friends couldn't do for 5 years - convince me to sign up for the lead class when I get back to SF! This gym makes climbing accessible.
The weights area is decent, and there is a magazine rack in the back for those who just want to chill. Got to love the chilled water fountain v. the room-temperature one. They also heat the locker area, so it's toasty after the shower.
The only drawback is the belay testing. They have an actual climber "pretend" to fall, and that was dangerous! What if someone wasn't able to stop in time?!! -
Review from Rico O.
Laguna Beach, CA
5/18/2010 10 photos
I love this place!! A few of us went last weekend, many of us for the first time. Our instructor (Collin?) made the experience very fun & easy, even though some of us suffered from the fear of heights!!
Great place to test out your climbing skills and to see if it's something you'd like to pursue. -
Review from Chris C.
Santa Ana, CA
6/8/2010 1 photo
I am not an avid climber; the extent of my experience was climbing that 3-story rock climbing wall that used to be a the GameWorks arcade in Vegas near the M&M factory.
A friend suggested RockReation to a group of us, and went went to check it out not really knowing very much about the facility or what else we'd be in store for. We went on a Saturday afternoon, and it wasn't busy at all.
The prices for everything are pretty much for day-passes, or for memberships for a certain duration of time (month, years). My friends and I didn't have the proper training to be able to belay ourselves or each other, and to get the harnesses you have to have the training (which was about $40 for 2 lessons).
Not wanting to bother with that, there is a small area for "boulder" which is basically rock climbing without the harnesses, meaning you can definitely fall down onto mats, but you'll only fall maybe 6 or 7 ft down (as opposed to 30-40 ft maybe when you have the harness).
The facility is GREAT though. The people there are helpful. You rent their shoes for $5 for the day, and for us doing bouldering for just the day, you spend $16/person (not hourly, per day). So within an hour or 2, you'll get your workout, but it's something different, and it makes you excited to want to really train when you see people rolling around on the rocks and even when they fall and yell and their partner catches them, it's pretty much a huge adrenaline rush.
Bottom Line: didn't seen too expensive, was a fun and something different to do, and lots of different "courses/routes" to take, and all in all a very fun experience. -
Review from Jay J.
Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2008
Great place for messing around! Went for a company meeting - the staff is really nice - Rick and Mark were funny and seemed like they really enjoyed what they did.
It's in a warehouse, so the OC location gets warm (no A/C), but they do have two roll-up doors to let the breezes in.
I'm sure I'll be hurting tomorrow.... -
Review from Lilie N.
Garden Grove, CA
4/4/2011
Cool indoor gym... different type of workout. The people are very cool and willing to help you out. The price of admission, equipment, and classes are very reasonable in my opinion.
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Review from Jonathan Y.
Irvine, CA
9/14/2010
YES. So addicting. I'm taking the 3 Tier classes. 6 Months from now I'm going to be climbing Cimmerian level. Who is nerdy enough to know what is?
