Plenty of problems to work on at this climbing gym. The routes are also decently rated. Staff at…read moreIronworks are helpful. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and set up here.

Amazing gym, went with our old neighbors for climbing, been a hot minute almost 20 years for me and…read moreit was a good plunge back into climbing. really friendly people both employees and patrons, parkings a bit of a fight if you don't know where to go, but membership gets you into other gyms.

Touchstone gym located in downtown Oakland…read more This is a more small and intimate gym in comparison to Pacific Pipe. There is a small Boulder section, top roping, work area, weights, and workout area. The staff here is super friendly. My friends took the intro to climbing class here and they really enjoyed it. The staff was really helpful in teaching them the ins and outs

One of the better Touchstone gyms (I've been to most of them). The staff have always been polite to…read moreme here, and the boulder setting somehow feels more consistent than other gyms even though it's just down the street from Pac Pipe. Things feel a little older/more run down, but I kinda don't mind. Parking is a hassle during pay to park hours of course, otherwise a good enough gym to check out. I really love the Kilter Board area that's away from the noise and hustle of the rest of the gym. You can board climb for hours there!

This review is primarily for my experience with their competition and the atmosphere around when…read morethere were competitors from Cal & Stanford. I highly enjoyed my experience here as well as many of my friends who normally climb at Touchstone gyms. I've had the opportunity to try out their SF location early when they first soft launched during the pandemic and it was great albeit smaller than other gyms I've been to in the Bay. I will note that this isn't quite as corporate as Touchstone or Movement so they may not have the same level of funding which I see as reasons their sets are a bit more adventurous comparatively and membership can seem pricey Overall, the aspect I like the most about the gym was the sets for the comp. It really had a huge variety of non-traditional climbs with toe catch starts, partner climbs, lache, and run up dynos. All in all, I very much enjoyed the variety that is less typical comparative to the sets you'd see at Movement or Touchstone gyms. The fact that they have these unique sets despite the small space is what makes me enjoy it more I would recommend people who want to expand their skills check out this place. I didn't feel like they had any sets that were more inherently dangerous which I sometimes feel with some run up dynos at other gyms. Furthermore, not all the climbs were jugs which really helped to find fun ways to improve. It's also close to Indian Rock if you wanted something more natural and being so close to Berkeley campus it's a quick walk to good eats I find the diversity of climbs here the best of all the climbing gyms seem so far, including gyms in NYC/Texas. The interior space also seems to welcome students or people who treat it as a third space with a large table, small but adequately sized parking lot, and essential gym equipment. The one con I may say is the price may not be as cost-effective as some other corporate gyms in the Bay but having smaller gyms that have an inviting space and good diversity of climbs will be reasons I'd continue to come back

I visited Benchmark twice while in Berkeley for a holiday stay. I was glad to find a decent place…read moreto climb close to the house I was staying at. I was able to take advantage of a special 2-week pass that was the same price as a day pass, which was a great find. The staff is helpful. The toilets and lockers are small, but clean. The climbing space itself is also small, but adequate for two visits. There is a good range of difficulties represented. My two beefs with this gym: 1) the mats are thin and HARD. I felt nervous trying anything slightly outside my comfort zone as I was afraid of falling. That really detracts from the experience. 2) there is no rhyme or reason to the colors of the problems. You have to get close to the all and squint to see what V rating it is. Yellow here might be V2 and the Yellow over there is V0. Why?! I much prefer my regular gym where Yellow is always the same level. That way you can easily scan the whole room to see which routes will suite.

I brought my son here for his first time with his friend that has been coming for awhile. I am…read moreamazed at how big this place is and how they fit so many things into the space! From rock climbing, to the gym, to the saunas in the bathrooms! Definitely enjoyed coming and was happy they have some seating for us parents who just hang out and wait for their teens to rock climb. I may need to try my own day pass next time just for the sauna!

This gym is really great in terms of the scale and options you have to choose from. The gym is big…read moreand the facilities are well kept. Points deducted because although some of the staff are super sweet, the others are literally the worst touchstone staff I have ever had to interact with. The catty tone that a majority of the staff have at this location is insane. You can walk in with a smile on your face and be as polite as possible and 2/3 I have been treated like I just walked into the DMV. It's especially demoralizing when me as a calfresh user has to do this interaction each time and can't just walk in. What other reviewers have stated about the customer service here is exactly on par with what I've experienced. Obligatory complaining about touchstone in general that isn't specific to Pac Pipe: touchstone sucks. The performative compassion and wokeness that the company has for both its employees and their visitors is ironic when they charge insane monthly memberships and day pass prices ($30 for a day pass plus additional if you need gear). They'll claim these prices are to pay their staff (it's not - their setters are still underpaid for their work). The student monthly discount is also so laughable compared to their normal fee. They're greedy and heavily corporatized, which is really reflected in a lot of their gyms and can lead to some locations' sets feeling stale and uninspired.

Helpful staff, very inclusive to newcomers. Tyler was especially helpful in basic safety and 101's…read more Overall pleasant experience!

I bought a day pass for a visit here for some bouldering. The day pass is 25 before 3pm and rental…read moreis included for the first time. The process was easy and we filled out our forms rapidly. The shoes are self serve and i noticed that they also provide rental chalk. The bouldering area is quite minimal, but they had a number of interesting problems and the boulders are all on Kaya, my preferred app for logging my climbs. They also provided 0 training or onboarding for us so if you are new to the sport, I would recommend coming here with a friend who knows the ropes haha. The grades made sense, I wish there was a bit more slab type climbing though, and the overhang area is also fairly minimal. This is obviously a much more top rope oriented gym. There is little AC but they do have fans, and there's a small strength training area and some treadmills. The bathrooms are quite well appointed with hair dryer, tampons, and nail clippers. Enjoyed the trip for sure!

This is the only climbing gym in the east South Bay and the closest to Pleasanton…read more Pros: -Friendly staff -Not too expensive for a membership Cons: -Way too many kids at 5-6pm, feels like a daycare. -Routing setting is okay, but routes are not changed very often. -The gym is very lacking (no treadmills)

Reach another level of personal growth with a visit to The Peak of Fremont, the biggest indoor…read moreclimbing facility in the area. Remember those days in the playground and their climbing structures? Well, as an adult, The Peak is the place to reignite that hobby and enjoy the sport with a rich community of professionals and enthusiasts. This huge facility is shared among The Peak's climbing structures, an indoor volleyball court, a casual restaurant, and a small arcade. There aren't many parking spots up front but around the back of the building, you'll see plentiful spots. Once you enter the building, head to the left through the glass doors where you'll see the many climbing walls speckled with multiple colored protrusions. The pricing is transparent and it's all available upfront. They do have day passes, multi-visit passes as well as memberships that will waive your entrance fee. In addition to the entrance fee, you may also be required to pay for the harness and shoe rentals (members get a discounted price). They also have chalk for the more advanced climbers. If it's your first time, consider completing the waiver online ahead of time. You may be asked to go through a quick orientation regarding the use of their auto-belay system, however if you already know how to belay traditionally, they may ask you to go through additional training just to be sure. Each wall seemed to feature a variety of colors to distinguish the different difficulty levels for more advanced climbers. Aside from the walls, they also have a huge structure designed for bouldering with a thick padded floor underneath. The boulder and auto-belay walls seemed the most popular but it didn't seem there was much waiting given the ample space in the facility. There was certainly enough climbing space for everyone. As a novice, the activity was fun and tiring; there's definitely a balance between technique and strength! Despite having entry for the whole day, we definitely were tired out within an hour of constant climbing and by hour two, it was just about time to leave and refuel. Fortunately, the location of this space is quite convenient due to having a restaurant right on site as well as its proximity to the highway and other eateries just a few minutes away. The staff were friendly and informative. Besides the initial onboarding, there wasn't much interaction with them. They seem to keep things organized, cleaned and well-maintained. Overall, The Peak does a fantastic job introducing the sport of climbing to the local community and providing a clean and safe environment for newbies and experts alike. The price is reasonable for an all day activity and even more so if you become a member. For kids, they also have camps to build a new passion and train them up as climbers. For the more serious climbers, you may want to consider investing in the equipment to further save on the rentals. If this is a new challenge for you, take the opportunity to get in on this sport! The Peak makes it relatively easy to pick this up and continue leveling up with each visit!

I love coming here. Staff is friendly, the routes lots of fun. As a member, I really appreciate the…read moremembers only hour on the weekend. I also find the kids area to be a lot of fun, seeing kids experience the joys of climbing.

We went here on a Sunday Morning and it was pretty empty surprisingly!…read more This is a great spot for bouldering, they have a lot of routes and walls for rock climbers. The boulders here were quite tall some of them were! It was nice being to mantle over the top of the climbs and climb back down. Overall, a lot of routes here and a fun place to boulder!

Was introduced to bouldering here. Very accessible location. Super hectic on weekends and at…read moresunset. Great for families and solo projects as well. The rock (volcanic rhyolite) offers good grip but hard on the hands. Remember to bring a crash pad!

Indian Rock Park offers a serene escape, perfect for quiet reflection or quality time with family…read more The views are nothing short of breathtaking.

Some of the most fun climbs I've had in my entire climbing journey so far. I had the chance to…read morecheck this place out very early into getting started with climbing so many of the climbs back then were out of reach as I was climbing fairly low grades at the time but they really do have a lot of fun climbs that incorporate a variety of skills/techniques My main reason for the high grade despite a fairly large lack of amenities that my primary gym has is they just create a welcoming third space that overshadows their lack of space and feature rich gym equipment. The climbs are some of the more unique ones I've encountered with many of them challenging your sense of body positioning/tension with a good range of beginner styled climbs that allow for a friendly atmosphere. This has been my second time come and the community here seemed quite close knit as many were cheering for each other wrt their "projects" As for some nitpick downsides, the seem to only have one shower area for men's bathroom with a fairly small open changing area that is tucked into a corner. Given the space is nearly quarter to half the size of comparable SF climbing gyms I guess I could see the reasons behind it. Their sets were also a bit inflated imo but my reference points are Movement, Touchstone, and Mesa Rim gyms so it's not quite fair to say it's a universal truth but it felt like their climbs were a tad too easy for the higher grades. Maybe it's a reason people find it more welcoming but regardless the way the climbs are setup it felt exciting which is rare after climbing for nearly two years now They also have beer on tap (for members) which was surprising but seemed to really emphasize on the community focused aspect and their smaller membership size One other drawback as I think back is this location is honestly terrible for parking as it's on a busy corridor of Van Ness St so parking is really only good after 6 PM since meters stop charging then. If I take all these into consideration this place would be a 4.5 stars. I really like their sets, they have a two-week membership that is $50 / two-week period with discounts for students and Medi-cal You can probably try most of their problems within the two week period given how small the gym is but for now I see this as a slept on gym primarily because it doesn't have the same presence that larger corporate gyms in the Bay have

This place is sick, they have a 2024 set moonboard. I think what stands out for benchmark is their…read moresetting. Really stiff. Really easy to get to from union square. I just took a bus from union square to van ness then walked a few blocks. There is plenty of restaurants/bars down the hill.

We had my son's 5th birthday party at Bay Play and it was such a great experience from start to…read morefinish. The staff was incredibly nice, organized, and helpful, which made the whole party feel stress-free. The facility was very clean and there was so much variety for the kids to do -- climbing wall, arcade games, obstacle course, giant jumping pad, and plenty of space to run around and play. Every kid had an amazing time, and multiple parents told me afterward that they would love to have their own child's birthday party there. Highly recommend for a fun and easy birthday party!

We needed somewhere for my kiddo and nephew to go on a rainy winter break day and luckily Bay Play…read morewas one of the few kid spots open on New Year's Day. Off the bat, I want to say this is one of the more affordable indoor playgrounds I've been to (some I've gone to will charge for adults?!) and there was no time limit (some places give you a time limit of how long you can play for) so that was a plus. They do require you to purchase their socks (can't be grippy socks from anywhere else) but even with the socks and day pass, I want to say it was only $35? The kids loved running around the swing ropes, the indoor playground with slide, and the big bouncy thingy under the bouldering wall. My only concern about the bouncy thingy by the bouldering wall is there aren't any safety rails or things around it and I can't tell if it's safer with or without it but I definitely needed to stay close by in case he bounced off the entire cushion thingy. If you have highly sensitive little ones or neurodivergent kiddos, this place may be a tad overstimulating with the arcade right smack dab in the middle. Like other reviewers had mentioned, it would be nice if the arcade was slightly away from the physical play so that kids aren't distracted/overstimulated by the arcade screens. We did eventually end our outing at the arcades (spent another $40 on the game card...sigh) but luckily we won a big jackpot from one of the games to make it all worth it! Of note, you can't really wear your shoes in the bathroom which is kinda gross so bear that in mind. All in all, definitely one of the better indoor playgrounds in the Bay Area!