One of my OG bouldering gyms - I'll always have a soft spot for BRBG. Tons of problems, variety of angles, holds, and styles - love the feature / comp problems, but they have also have plenty of non-comp, normal but still very challenging climbs that will help you train/improve specific areas. Yoga and fitness classes are offered, and there is a good fitness area with all the essential equipment you need to do a strength or cardio routine. To top it all off, best staff around, hands down. The community here is like no other - I have made lifelong friends at BRBG and I'm so grateful that this is where my bouldering journey began. @azfitfoodfun read more

See all

First time at this climbing gym and was so impressed! Facility was nice, and I enjoyed the open garage doors for some fresh air. I would say that there was a large variety of beginner, intermediate, and advanced climbs - but the term "beginner" here is definitely a bit more complex. The holds on the VB, V0, and V1s were still challenging as someone who has climbed about 10-20 times so far. It was a good push! Will definitely be coming back and may even consider getting a punch pass/membership! read more

See all

I climbed at black rock for several years and loved the community there! There's a good range of difficulty for the bouldering problems as well as a small fitness area and a yoga studio upstairs. They set new routes weekly! The climbing there is a bit more on the comp-style side. read more

Nice and clean, but there's not a ton of routes for beginners! We were in Phoenix for the weekend and decided to check out this gym. Sign-up for a day pass was quick and their welcome tutorial was geared toward our experience, which was nice! The gym is pretty sizable and has assorted work out equipment for warmups. If you're a beginner, there were only a handful of V0-V2's to choose from compared to other rated routes. They have a large beta section, which was really cool to see! We'd come back again next time we're in Phoenix! read more

Black Rock Bouldering Gym - Rock Climbing Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Excellent indoor bouldering only gym with challenging routes that will push you to be better. I've been coming here for a few months and recently they had a summer sale where $679 gets you a full year of membership, that's only $56/month. So if you come a few times a week, definitely worth it! This place is pretty big with routes for every level climber. I'm an advanced beginner so I stick to VB, V0, V1 and V2. These routes can go high up and I really enjoy all the variety and pushing yourself beyond your own perceived limitations! They also offer yoga classes mornings and evenings, Mon-Thu. I really wished they offered some classes on Fridays and the weekends. I know that Girls Who Boulder meet up here regularly and also a PoC group too, so if that works for you, definitely check out when they have meet ups. Plenty of locker space to store your items and clean bathrooms. They also constantly play music here and for some reason, I'm in here often when electronica is going strong. Really love this place and enjoy belonging to BRBG community. Come check it out! read more

I am new to bouldering and the staff was very helpful in making sure I was being safe and having a great time. Everyone is so friendly and made me feel like a part of the community. read more

Cool little gym in Phoenix area! All bouldering with nice sets and challenging routes. A little too comp-style for my personal taste but we all know that's just me not being good at comp style moves Everyone was friendly and I had a nice time falling off some really cool routes and getting some nice sends. I'd recommend it! read more

Fantastic place! My wife recommended it to me. I haven't climbed in 20 years and it was a fantastic experience Chris Iliana and Stephanie were very inviting. Chris was awesome. Super nice guy very encouraging. Can't wait to go back. read more

Black Rock Bouldering Gym - Awesome variety of difficulty from beginners like me all the way to pros! - Rock Climbing Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

See all

Easy check in, lots of routes, nicely padded. No AC which is fine with me, just a heads up if you're out of town or visiting like me.

TL:DR - Great bouldering gym. Well maintained has great music. Routes are super fun, creative, and are updated relatively frequently. About $25 day pass, which is pretty standard. Gets pretty busy between 5-7. Fave gym in the central Phx area. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualifier, I normally prefer rope climbing, but given my location that is in relatively in the middle of the Phoenix metro area and about 30 min from most rope gyms, I've been very happy with Black Rock to get my climbing itch scratched. Black Rock is a relatively large sized bouldering gym, with walls that come in all shapes and sizes. Over hangs? They got em. Corners? They got em. What nice is that the gym routes get refreshed relatively often. And given that they do it section by section, you'll always have new routes to climb, but you'll also have enough time to work on that project too. Route wise, this place has some of the more fun and create routes/problems I've come across. I do find myself more often than not, thinking, "Man, that route was super fun." The gym itself is also well maintained and pretty clean. It does get busy between like 5-7 when people get off work and come to get a session in and also when they have the kids climbing team in for practice. But before and after that are good. Day pass is about $25 and standard. Beyond that, they had probably the best exercise area I've seen in a climbing gym. They have a decent cross-fit/ninja warrior set up that also double as a barbell squat rack. They have some rings and a pretty extensive dumbbell set along with a row machine. I do think this could replace a regular gym membership if you're not looking for anything super specific. Staff are also pretty nice and the music here is legitimately great. It's usually a staff's personal playlist, but it is always a great mix of music. All in all, this place is easily my go to spot for climbing in central PHX. read more

BRBG has fantastic setting, a great community, amazing employees and overall a positive feel. They have climbs for EVERYONE, not just young comp climbers. Great for beginners and experienced climbers. Definitely recommend! read more

Awesome gym with great routes and super friendly staff. Always clean, and the vibe is really welcoming. One of the best climbing gyms in Phoenix and Arizona! read more

In my option you should avoid this gym. They will revoke your membership and not even give you a reason why.

I spent two hours here for my first ever bouldering experience and loved it! The staff was personable, knowledgeable, and newbie friendly. The community itself was also very welcoming which helped ease the anxiety of working out somewhere new. The beginner routes made it easy to get a feel for the sport while still providing a challenge as you worked through them. As a total rookie I decided to book a private instruction session and recommend doing so if you're just getting into the sport. The instructor was very patient, encouraging, and provided excellent instructions on how to climb while covering the terminology of the sport. The instructions were detailed enough to make me feel comfortable coming back on my own, which I'm definitely going to do. read more

Visiting from WA state. Great boulder variety, friendly staff. Moonboard is nice to have. Nice little spray wall also. We came during setting by chance so a large portion of the gym was blocked off, still had plenty to climb for a couple hours. read more

Went bouldering for my first time and absolutely loved it here. I even was able to get two V3s (flashed one). It also did make me realize how hard routes actually are though. I got taxed quick had to go back to V0-V1 which were still occasionally difficult. Still plenty to do though in that range. Definitely going to return and try to learn some better technique. My agility and long arms got me through more than I should've gotten. read more

Very nice gym, not huge but a great selection. Good challenging problems. Super cool gym though and you can wear headphones so that's a plus

Awesome gym! Love it here, ppl are great. Best time to go in before 4pm- no waiting whole gym to yourself read more

Black Rock Bouldering Gym - Rock Climbing Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

It was so much fun and felt very safe. It's a great date night which we will do again

The staff are really nice and friendly. The routes are very well set. The grading is fair. The space itself is clean. There is a fabulous community cultivated around this gym. read more

Front desk girl was super weird, rude definitely not good customer service Maybe I came on a bad week but WHO DID THE SETTING? Might be the weirdest setting I've seen, Kind of felt like they just threw a bunch of holds on the wall, hands and feet, no flow. Definitely sandbagged for beginner climbers, this isn't a gym I'd bring newbie friends to check experience it, they would definitely leave hating it, this actually isn't a gym I'd come to u less it was my last resort, although this is Phoenix and I'm never here by choice so it kind of is the last resort to train while out do town. The weight room wasn't bad, has a lot of room and good weights...hang boards etc. Transition wall Get rid of the weird girl at the front and get some real climbers in there! Environment was off putting for sure read more

Went to go rock climb only to be told that it's membership members only on Sunday, but where on the website says it's a member day only. It's the 21st century we can use technology to keep others updated. read more

Great gym great people only complaint is that i dont live closer lol. Great route setting and staff

Took our nephew here for his birthday and the staff was so nice and helpful! There's surprisingly so much to do even as a novice. It felt so inviting and we had a great time! Could not recommend more and can't wait to go back. read more

Out of towner passing through. Great routesetting. Friendly staff and clean. Plenty of space to work a problem without worry about someone falling on you lol. Nice workout area too. Highly recommended! read more

I left a gym due to poor route setting, which was extremely painful for my tendon. I couldn't take it (will not name the gym) and decided to make the drive to Black Rock. I am so glad I did. The V0 was challenging, but perfect for warming up. I was able to climb V2 which did challenged me physically and mentally and I'm a V5 climber on a good day. I loved that the routes are set closer to outdoor level because it will help me improve. I am extremely picky about routes since I look for reach, flow, consistency, and creativity. This gym has it all. I love how there were plenty of jugs and slopers on v2/v3 routes since it was easy on my wrist issues. I did not feel like I was lacking anything at this gym and I'll be back for more. Oh yeah! On top of all of that, the staff was super friendly! That's a big plus. Thanks for being awesome! read more

I waited a long time for Black Rock to open and I was not disappointed. The staff could not be friendlier and they want you to have a good time and stay safe above all. The facility is brand spanking new on the inside and is welcoming and impeccably clean. I have been climbing for a decade now and have never seen such a clean climbing gym. There is a large area with weights and training equipment if you want a more traditional workout. There is additionally an upstairs area where yoga classes are held. The route setting is likely the best in the valley. It concentrates on movement as opposed to one's ability to hold on to small holds. I think the grades are pretty spot on but this is always subjective. A previous post had some harsh words about the grades being stout and I disagree. Difficulty grades are a ballpark approximation and I see no problems here. Don't let your ego get in the way of having a good time! The gym has not been there long but already they are integrating into the community with partnerships and outreach with local businesses, and a nice community is forming here. read more

Moved into town and came back. Much more routes this time around with more variety for different skill levels. I ended up signing up for a membership and look forward to having this as my new gym. read more

My 11 year old son has a membership here. He loves it! The employees and patrons are all helpful and really nice. Overall atmosphere is really uplifting. This place is great. My son doesn't get bored because the routes get changed up and that allows for new challenges! read more

99.9% overhang. So it's working out muscle strength only! Which is very limiting to me. And then the holds are mostly old and greasy and hence slippery. On top of that they make you learn AND SHOW them how to fall even if you're an experienced climber. AND couldn't use the yoga room for stretching or yoga or anything. Felt very supervised and restricted the whole thing. Sorry worst climbing gym I've been to so far :( friendly staff though hence 2 stars. read more

Great bouldering gym. Good variation in difficulty, tons of courses, nice workout gym, clean, friendly staff, and just a good vibe all around. I was just there for the holiday, but I would get a membership if I lived here. read more

Amazing climbing gym in Phoenix. Only has bouldering, but that's the discipline I prefer so it's perfect. Has great route setters. The gym is amazing has everything you need for training including hang boards, and a plethora of different holds on the campus board. Even has a moon boards. Great climbing gym! read more

This place rocks. There's just a general sense of stoke and gladness to be here that you don't find to this level in many other places on Earth. Tons of routes, everyone's super friendly. It's a bit expensive to climb here in my opinion, I paid $20 a month less in Flagstaff at Beta, but I'm so glad Black Rock is around, what a spot. read more

This gym has fun routes and the staff is very friendly. They are frequently changing the routes so that there is always a new challenge. The routes are all color-coded and they are in the process of renovating the weight training area. Overall, this is a great bouldering gym--highly recommend! read more

Lots of space to climb. They also have a lot of weights, a rowing machine and 2 bikes if you wanna do cardio. They are very clean and friendly. read more

Best Bouldering gym in the area. If you don't like ropes this is the place. Very clean, safe and friendly gym. Bouldering only. I tried every other indoor gym around from Scottsdale to Peoria and was very discouraged and disappointed. Then I visited this one. I knew just by looking online this was the one, but I live in Peoria. The drive! I tried to make myself like the local gym but it just didn't work. It's worth the drive. Highly recommend. Tip, for local outdoor climbing check out Beardsley Boulders off Cave Creek. read more

Love this place. New to bouldering so they gave me a demonstration and some pointers and I was off.

My son loves it here! New routes almost every day, friendly knowledgeable staff, clean. Heads up-- they really do enforce the kid-parent ratio. It's can make it hard to plan and bring friends, but I know it's for the safety of everyone. BRBG is the highlight of my kiddo's week! read more

(For context: I've been climbing indoors and out for about 12 years) Visited Black Rock yesterday while traveling in the area from out-of-state. After trying another gym in Mesa, I'm really glad I made the drive to check out Black Rock. For beginners, this bouldering-only gym (no roped routes) would be a great place to get acquainted with the sport of bouldering and learn. But for the intermediate/advanced climbers out there, if you've climbed at various gyms you likely have appreciated the wide gaps gym-to-gym in terms of the quality of route & problem setting. That's where Black Rock really stands out amongst so many gyms I've been to around the country: the route-setting is as good or better as any place I've been! I kept waiting to find at least a few inevitable awkward/stinker problems with nonsensical sequences or tweaky moves, but all I found was gem after gem. It was hard not grin ear-to-ear as I beat myself into exhaustion trying as many problems as I could in my first session. Just a few highlights on the routesetting here: - They intentionally differentiate competition/"parkour"-style problems from more conventional problems during each set by setting them in different sub-areas and labeling them accordingly. This way, you can more intentionally focus your energy on whatever you're training for, instead of accidentally stumbling into something you won't like. - They don't label a grade on new problems until a few weeks after they are first set. This makes it fun to drop the ego, and try things you might not otherwise get on. - The setting is not only monochromatic, but is actually done pretty sparsely on each wall - they could easily set more problems interspersed between existing problems (and maybe that would be appreciated by regular members who may run out of new things to try?), but the spareness as it is makes it very easy to cultivate your route-visualization skills, ID on-route footholds from various angles above, and avoid accidentally knocking into volumes/etc. on other problems. - The hold sets are modernized and clearly well-rotated to provide not only a great variety of movement, but enough "freshness" that even the older problems had handholds with plenty of texture/friction and minimal slickness/grease. This is really an area where most small-ish climbing gyms around this size really drop the ball, and that's something I find that really detracts from the experience at so many other places. So if you want to climb on tweaky, greasy, slippery problems set 5 months ago and left to obsolescence, definitely don't come here. But if you want to challenge yourself across the full spectrum of bouldering styles on great problems, definitely come to Black Rock! Some final logistical info along with some very, very minor nit-picks (nothing at all worth subtracting a star for): - They conduct a smart "fall test" for first-timers - experienced climbers may find this an annoyance, but I was glad to see it, because I'm sure it saves a lot of tweaked ankles I've seen befall beginners at other gyms who haven't been taught how to boulder-fall properly (it IS a skill to learn!) - There's a nice open-space feel to the whole place - it was clearly designed intelligently to allow for traffic to flow on likely-busy weeknights (though it was very sparsely occupied during Saturday morning/afternoon when I was there) - The floor padding is a bit firmer than some other bouldering gyms I've climbed at. This isn't a problem as long as you know how to boulder-fall properly, but take note because the highest walls here are pretty tall if you want to jump down instead of downclimbing, or if you're pressing hard up high at your limit. - The training area has a decent free weight set, a few benches, a Moon Board (yes!), a couple systems board, and multiple hang and campus boards. But it could definitely be improved with some full-sized foam rollers, stretching mats, and more than just the single kettlebell I found. - For cardio, there is just a couple older stationary bikes and rowing machines. This area could use an upgrade with some proper ellipticals, treadmills, etc. - The bathrooms are spacious and clean, and include showers, but I believe you need to bring your own towels to use them. - The hours of operation are a little limited - weekdays it opens at 3PM, so if you're a morning workout person, you're out of luck for now. read more

Black Rock Bouldering is awesome. The fall test was different, but I don't have an ego about those things and I presume they have good reason. The problems are great and the staff is really welcoming. I've been to a dozen or so bouldering gyms around the country and this is one of the best. read more