Stronghold Gym

Bouldered here for the first time today with my girlfriend. We were a little disappointed that the climbing wall wasn't going to be open until 6pm at night but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy ourselves. The gentlemen was very friendly, showed us the rooms, we hooked up our phone to some speakers they had btwn the connected bouldering rooms and listened to some music. We really had a blast! The walls have a variety of obstacles and levels of difficulty. May get a little crowded with more than 4 people in a room. The man was nice enough to give us a free climbing pass next time. We will def take him up in this!

Owner is very accepting and accommodating for all her members! Hours are flexible and gym is very clean. I enjoy my quick stops in there for 1-2 hours. They have every machine, including free weights, that you would need and everything is great quality.

Seemed cool until we were given a total liability waiver (of all legal rights even in cases of neglect) after purchasing memberships. Happy 2016, everybody! I don't feel like a nutjob expecting the owners to be on top of maintaining their space and equipment. Which is to say a broad, blanket waiver raises questions. And when I asked if there had been any serious injuries or equipment failures, the answer was a glib "Of course, the gym is 20 years old." I also asked about how and how often the ropes were maintained, and was not given a definite answer (except that the auto-belay gets inspected once a year.)

Yes, I've seen other membership waivers, and that they are usu a little more carefully worded, and that care matters given the inherent trust you have to place in a gym's equipment while using it. Even a little concern for the clientele makes a big difference.

I would whole-heartedly support Stronghold with ongoing business if it didn't take such a hands-wiping approach. Nothing is 100% safe, but a blanket waiver makes every missing hold or old rope take on a certain questionable quality that kind of sucks the fun out of things. Stronghold should be so awesome, but it's like a rusty merry go round at the playground: you could get on it, and as with any equipment, you could get hurt, but unlike a more fit version, you're rather a bit more at risk there. I wish I didn't think the owners were cashing in on eager ignorance and running the place into the ground.

So: caveat emptor, most literally, or perhaps a "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" in their doorway? Like the old "No shirt, no shoes, no service" signs. (And on that note bring your own shoes. Holes, cracks, super gross stretched out rentals abound. Look online. Do or don't buy into the whole maim your feet and work through the pain school of climbing. A lot of pros are regretting they did, so. Be willing to find what works for you. Or get really gnarly, hurt & unhealthy feet in a few years that don't, you know, heal?) Ok. Good luck.

*UPDATE* Owner contacted me via Yelp and said that climbing is no longer offered at this gym, so this review is probably no longer applicable.

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We went there for the rock climbing. Apparently the current owners aren't rock climbers but took over the gym from the previous owners who were. There's a lot of neglect in the climbing area, but apparently the owners are still invested in the climbing and are still planning on investing money into the climbing side of the business.

The walls are plywood, the pads are busted and worn out, and some of the routes are stale. That said, the setter(s) (looks like there might just be one or two) do a good job, the holds are good, and the walls have a lot of interesting features. You can definitely get some good climbing in - especially if you stick to the incline or curved section (the flat walls are a bit neglected). We didn't try the routes section, just the bouldering cave.

You're not going to find another climbing option in the area unless you're a member of USC (and from what we were told they don't have a great climbing gym either). Go give this place some money and help convince them rock climbing is a viable business in this area.

Super friendly staff. It's a gym plus a rock wall (with routes that get changed frequently enough that you don't get bored), bouldering room, and fitness classes.

Go here for rock climbing. it's awesome and only like $6 for rental of all equipment needed.

really cool people here.

I went this Saturday with a few people for the rock climbing, and we were kinda disappointed.

The review that says the price is only $6 is off by $14. It's now $20 to get a day pass. Pretty pricy if you ask me, but not ridiculous.

What IS ridiculous is that when we went the belay guy was late and he was the only guy doing it for about 15 people. I only got to climb once. :[ Not worth $20 to climb one time.

Luckily my boyfriend got to climb twice thanks to a nice dude who volunteered to belay for him - THANKS NICE GUY!

I dunno if I'll be back. Maybe I'll go when they do a GroupOn discount... They need to hire some more belay people for the weekends or lower the price... preferably both.

This is the only climbing gym in the area(besides Strom, which I dont count). The previous owner was a rockclimber and he kept it up for the most part. The new owner took over a few years ago and is not a rockclimber. At that point it began its dowhill spiral.
1. The owner cut gym hours but kept our monthly cost the same.
2. Bouldering area is so hot in the summer its unbearable.
3. Only half of the bouldering is usable because there are no pads on the floor.
It has been like this since Jan. Inquiries always received the same response, "it will be finished in about 2 weeks"
Now we just call him "Two week Steve"
4. Half the bouldering areas dont have holds on the wall.
5. The incline section has holds just put on the walls. No routes, its like a childs play gym.
6. Climbing tower routes rarely get changed.
7. Climbing tower not padded, someone fell from the top a few months ago and got seriuosly hurt.
8. Dont trust the belay staff; young and inexperienced.
9. Bathrooms are not nice. One morning I caught a cleaning guy mop the toilet area and then rinse the mop in the sink.

If it wasnt for the fact that it is the only bouldering gym in the area, it would probably be out of business already.
I have bouldering friends that drive from a hour away to boulder here, but have cancelled their membership because it is just not worth it anymore.

Safety does not appear to be a high priority for the owner. I have been climbing since the mid 80's. I had a concern about a rope that would be a safety hazard. I brought it to the attention of the owner. Nothing was done. I pulled the rope down myself.
Now a sign has been put up that states no one is to pull any ropes down.
There are so many experienced climbers here and we know a dangerous situation when we see it.
Why he would not rely on our expertise to keep people safe is beyond me.

Have been climbing here on and off since 2005. The climbing gym consists of two bouldering room and a tower room. The routes are set by experienced climbers with a variety of difficulty. There are plenty of routes to work on. The people who climb here are mostly friendly and helpful and always ready to give friendly advice in climbing when you ask for it.

Great for climbers. Convenient location. Nice classes. Weights a bit dated, but all the equipment works. Not crowded. Hours a bit short on the weekend. Overall, it's a gym.