One of the best spots in St. Louis. It's a social scene, it's a rock climbing mecca, and it just has a good vibe about it. I have brought a handful of people to this gym with me out of excitement, and they love it too. It's one of those places that you find, and then you are proud of. Great staff, a superb facility. They have a ton of extra activities as well. If you've never been climbing before, this is a perfect place to start. If you're a seasoned vet, you'll probably meet 15 of your new best friends on the first night. If you're thinking about going, go. It rules. read more

Can't believe I haven't written a review for this place yet. Gees, where do I start... If I could give any business listed on Yelp 10 out of 5 stars, it'd be CSI. I've visited this place countless times, and even taken a few classes. The vibe is of the sickest, and super chill. The staff treats everyone like family, and they are all super knowledgeable. They keep the place insanely clean, and when it comes to a climbing gym, this is not an easy task. Their pro shop has all the good stuff, so stock up on swag before you slide out the door. My only complaint about this place is that it's not located immediately out my front door. I wish all the good things on CSI and their future! read more

Visiting STL with my 10 yr old and bought a Groupon cause we needed something fun to do that was NOT outside, considering it was 15 degrees out!! My brother was a frequent climber in the recent past and loved it as much as he always did. He's afraid of heights so he sticks to Bouldering. My son has no problem with heights so he loved all the routes and also had a blast wearing himself out on the Bouldering routes. The staff was great -helpful and friendly! The facilities were clean, upgraded, safe, lots of route varieties and the clientele was pleasant! We will definitely return during our next visit! read more

First time rock climbing! It's so much fun! Lots of areas to climb at inside the building! Definitely a work out. Bought a groupon $30 which include 2 ppl day pass with shoes and belay. read more

Climb So iLL - Climbing Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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My boyfriend, who has experience with this type of activity, took me to Climb So iLL since I've been interested in trying it out. The woman who checked us in was very helpful in working out some issues with my boyfriend's pass. My only issue checking in was that the iPad was horrendously slow! The climbing shoes were in good shape. According to my boyfriend, it's not recommended to wear socks but I did anyway since the shoes were rented. Prior to climbing, I was given brief instruction by staff on the wall, how to fall/land, etc. During a break, we headed up to the mezzanine to have a snack. On my way out I was given a coupon for the next visit. Overall, I was impressed with the facility and the staff. I'm not sure rock climbing is something I will fall in love with and do regularly, but it was a nice experience. read more

Terrible experience. As an experienced climbing instructor, I was disgusted by the lack of professionalism of the staff and disregard for safety. From the moment I walked in I was greeted by rude staff and had to fill out wavers on iPads slower and older than the gym. The staff who gave me my belay test rigorously questioned my girlfriend, but didn't even pay attention to me. Seemed very sexist in how he treated her vs. me. He even told her to take her hand out of break when lowering me as if to test her, to which she ignored him keeping me safe. The gym itself was ok, with the only thing setting it apart from a typical gym being the height. Routs were set in unsafe ways, weaving left and right well beyond what is safe. Aside from 2 lead climbing routs, there were no interesting slopes, just mostly flat walls. If you're into bouldering then you might find the gym more interesting, but only if you want a crowd of hot shots watching and commenting on you the whole time. Poor culture. Was visiting from out of town, wish I went to Upper Limits. read more

I initially only came here as a 'once every now and then' kind of a thing, but eventually I got a membership and it has been the best decision I've ever made. First of all, if you're bored and tired of going to the gym, rock climbing is a great way to find something new to try and challenge yourself with. The routes here are changed once or twice a week, and there are always challenges set up by the staff and friendly competitions among fellow climbers. The space is very large with options of auto-belaying, belay or lead climbing, or bouldering. There's even a small area downstairs where there are weights and other training equipment, as well as a training wall if you want to refine some climbing skills. Everyone who works here is always extremely friendly and more than willing to help you out if you have questions about anything. There are also classes and workshops available if you want to learn more about climbing or want to refine your skills. They even have yoga! This is truly a great place to try out if you want to be (or continue to be) active and are looking for a challenge. I'm in love with this place! read more

Climb so iLL as in Southern Illinois but really it should be called Climb So iLL because this gym is so iLL. iLL as in sick, rad, awesome, cool or whatever word you kiddos use these days. The staff is super friendly and more than willing to answer any questions. The are knowledgeable and seem genuinely passionate about climbing. To be fair, I have to say this is the only climbing gym I have been to in STL. The facility is clean and well maintained. The routes are interesting and get re set often enough that you won't get bored. They have a training gym in the basement. The rental gear is in good shape. They have several auto belays. You can pay for a drop in, punch card or membership. A few cool things about the membership: no contract, 15% off stuff in the pro shop, and 2 levels of membership. There is an awesome bouldering wall with routes ranging from V0-V12. They have training/learning labs and yoga on Thursday evenings. The only reason I'm going to even try another gym is that I have a Groupon. Check this place out. You will not be let down. read more

If you're a beginner, don't go here. The girls that work here have sticks up their asses if you ask questions which you will have to because they're hardly informative. But my least favorite part about being here was that my friends and I arrived at 8 and they made a last call for 15 mins. We started to leave about 10 mins before 10 (close) and as we are getting our shoes on and gathering our things the employees are saying things like "should we turn on angry music so they'll leave faster?" Which I found quite rude. Rock climbing was a fun new experience for me and I don't like to finish the day with knowing they want you to "fucking leave already." If you're not one of the regulars, you'll get eye rolls from all the hipster kids working there. Otherwise, cool place lol read more

This is what a climbing gym should be! Always new, always challenging and so, always fun. Completely accommodating for the beginner to the expert climber. And a fully engaged staff to help with anything your heart could desire. The owners are there everyday and fully invested in getting to know everyone in the community. If you want the best... SoiLL is the best! Do yourself the favor. read more

Great staff, good sets, safe gym, this place has it all.

This was pit stop two on our trip to St. Louis to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Instead of the boring movie, dinner and drinks to celebrate, I was excited to do something active and fun with my husband that we could bond over. We had never climbed before and this was an awesome place to get our feet wet. The facility was empty when we arrived since it was mid-afternoon on a Monday. As we were leaving, the nine to fivers were trickling in and we got to watch some good blundering action. Now that I am back home in Chicago, I am looking for some climbing facilities because I enjoyed the experience so much. read more

To be fair, I only bouldered. The bouldering routes had a good spread of easy to moderate (v0-v5), not many hard routes (v6+). I like their safety policy of having climbers who aren't currently climbing sit back to leave the fall zones clear. The staff was so friendly from the get go! I discussed with them about how me and my boyfriend were from out of town and passing through on a road trip. The staff helped us get acquainted with the gym, and recommended taking a nice, hot shower in their facility and even recommended food options around St. Louis for afterwards. read more

Took my daughter and her friend for their first climbing experience and the staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. The girls had a blast and my daughter can't wait to return. The facility is super-cool. read more

Daniel and David know their stuff. More legit than anything I have ever seen.

I have been to about 20 gyms and Climb SoIll is my favorite...great climbing in a visually stunning facility! I only wish it was in Chicago... read more

had the most fantastic experience coming here with my family and husband. a few in the group had never climbed before and they did an amazing job setting us up. There are some walls that are easy for beginners and our starters had so much fun they want to come back every week! read more

Best gym in STL hands down! I loved it so much that I got a membership on my third trip there... and that was only my third climbing trip period. If you haven't checked it out yet, your life is missing something huge! read more

The building is very clean, and the courses range from easy to difficult. I have never seen an auto belay, so I was very impressed with that.. The bouldering course was pretty difficult. Had a great time! Staff are very friendly. read more

Really had a great time here. I bought a Groupon signed the wavier and we were off. The staff were extremely friendly they explained things in detail and answered every question we had. The area was neat and clean. I liked the fact that it was fairly quiet and not a large crowd. We randomly went after work during the week, so I'm sure that's why. read more

I was sitting in my hotel room bored one day and decided to get out and try something new. I came down here and walked in and said, "I don't know shit about rock climbing", and immediately the staff took me for a tour and told me all I needed to know to have a great day of climbing. I had so much fun that I came back a couple days later and bought a pair of shoes. Great facility and a truly enthusiastic staff. Pay them a visit! read more

My first time climbing and glad I had the expertise of Dave and Molly to get me started. The space is amazing and I was lucky enough to be there during the late morning when it's a bit slower so I had all walls at my disposal and loved it! Will definitely be returning! read more

First time climbing in St. Louis. We have climbed extensively in Ohio and Wisconsin. The height of the walls in the main wall room are awesome. It mimics outdoor climbing in that you need the stamina to get to the top. We found the routes to be decent. 5.8 was easy, but 5.9 and above was impossible. We wished there was something between 5.8 and 5.9 to help us ease into harder grips. The walls are all non-organic (i.e. Nothing looks like a faux mountain). The belay check off was demeaning. He treated us like idiots even though we've been belay certified in three states. The front desk worker was super friendly, but the bouldering peeps were judgy wudgy. I was stared down at all times. Jake helped me with shoes and I bought 5.10 shoes. He helped me with the fit and was the best. I had just been at REI that morning and tried shoes on there. No one was there to help and I could have easily bought the wrong size. We saw him later with a child and he was a very good baby sitter. We would trust him with our child if we had one. On the over hand, there were workers there climbing and they were "superior." We could care less about the people there or how judgmental they are. With that said, the thing that killed it for us was the texture of the wall and holds. When you're forty feet up you don't want to feel like letting go. The texture of the holds reminds you of sand paper. The wall is rough too. It appears they painted he walls with a sand mix. This makes knees and any extremity that touches get a hefty exfoliation. I thought snags on my shirt were bad at our Norma gyms but this was whole new level. The training/gym area was legit and totally what a member would want. There's enough auto belays that a person would be able to come alone and get decent climbing experience alone. Many gyms don't have higher level climbs on the auto belay. I would say the only con is the roughness of the holds. It was straight painful to do finger grips let alone hand grips. Also, Friday is kids night. They allow children to be dropped off and a staff member to belay them even on harder walls. This proves for annoying flailing and inconsiderate wall etiquette. Overall, I would rate the gym experience as an 8. If the holds were less abrasive we would rate it a 9 or 10. We are currently traveling the country climbing all the gyms we can and having raw hands is not optimal nor necessary for a strong climb. read more

Climb So iLL - Sport climbing wall - Climbing Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I do NOT like rock climbing of any sorts. However, I had a great time and the people who helped us out (I cannot recall their names) were AAHHHHMAZING! They remebered my name the whole time. As they walked around, they would cheer on guests (especially a first timer like myself). They were just generally welcoming and very nice. I will definitely visit again, if only because I have to get to the top at some point! read more

I've tried Upper Limits and it's fun too. But ever since eating at Element, I've wanted to try this. So when I had a day off from work, my son and I decided to use a Groupon and try out the climbing here. The Groupon was a great deal. We showed up on a week day in the middle of the day and it wasn't too crowded. We got our shoes and harnesses and the employee gave us a quick lesson on safety and then we were off. The big part in the middle is harness free climbing, to be honest, I didn't care for that too much and it kind of scared my son, so we went to the first auto-belay wall and clipped in and climbed. We tried all the different auto-belay walls and had a good time. We were there for about an hour and it was mostly kids and moms there (middle of the day, summer) but older kids - like 10+ so everyone was really well behaved and waiting their turn. Initially we'd have only one person ahead of us for a wall but by the time we left, the lines were about 2-3 people deep. This isn't terrible but we figured we'd been there a little more than an hour so we could go. I had a blast and the next day I woke up and my arms were super sore - it was a great workout. I'll certainly be back. read more

amazing!! i am not a member but do make it a point to drive all the way out from saint charles to climb here.. the staff is very helpful in the pro shop and out in the gym.. the pro shop is awesome the products that they carry are all good quality and they are the only people in saint louis that carry eldelrid products, and when they size you they actually know what they are talking about the climbing there is great too the routes are nice and graded very well. the boulder wall has no shortage of problems as far as the staff goes i have not crossed one person who is not an avid climber and actually know what they are talking about as well as about as friendly as they can get read more

AMAZING! Facility? CHECK! Staff? CHECK! Owner? CHECK! Cleanliness? CHECK! Safety? CHECK! Fun? CHECK! Challenging? CHECK! Keeps it fresh with new routes? CHECK! There is no competition in St. Louis or surrounding areas as far as I'm concerned. Climb So iLL has everything you need whether you are newer to rock climbing like me or more experienced. They excel in all the categories I listed above and continue to exceed my expectations. The owner, Dave, has put together an unbelievably strong team so that Climb So iLL runs smoothly whether he is in the building or not...and he's often there! Everyone is so warm and welcoming. They listen to feedback, care about the facility and their impact and remember you by name! They switch up their routes frequently and keep it fresh so that you can never get bored. It feels less like a business and more like a community... for me, that's the mark of a well run, well centered business that has gained my loyalty. Kelly Reinhart read more

Great climbing gym, huge bouldering wall and a really tall lead wall with an arch. The members and staff are all friendly and helpful.

I always love seeing people's faces the first time they look up at the mosaic of colorful climbing holds on Climb So Ill's 65-foot wall. The unique layout, urban atmosphere and friendly staff of this gym make it a destination for any new climber, while the thought-provoking and expert route setting makes the gym a favorite among veteran climbers alike. Tired of climbing at a boring, dusty old gym that smells like sweat and looks like an abandoned warehouse? Climb So Ill brings unique, caring qualities to the table that makes other gyms look drab. The first thing you notice before entering is the awesome 200-foot smokestack rising from the roof to the sky. This gym was built from the remains of an old power plant building downtown, making the building have a cool urban feel inside and out. The owners of this gym put stress on sustainability, and they make efforts to play a positive role in the nearby community by collaborating with other local small businesses. A few years ago my brother and cousin were both into rock climbing, and they attempted to get me psyched on the sport numerous times. They took me climbing outside and to other St. Louis climbing gyms. It never worked. After I visited this new climbing gym back in 2013, I was instantly hooked. This place is insanely fun to climb at; anyone can become addicted to climbing all the new routes and "problems" here that they reset every week. Climbing has been one of my main passions for almost three years now thanks to this gym and its friendly staff. After being out in Denver for a few months for school and climbing at six different local gyms, I can still say that nothing competes with Climb So Ill. Nothing. Sure, there are MASSIVE gyms here twice the size of So Ill with three times the budget, but nothing beats the amazing route setting and friendly, non-competitive vibes at this St. Louis gym. Everyone could use a physical and mental challenge like climbing, and So Ill is the best place to start. read more

Must bring your own ATC\Gre gre, if you plan to climb the belay ropes. Staff is good, lots of routes available (if you know how to top rope)

This place is unbelievable. For all you rock-climbers out there..this review is probably useless. For all you amateur athletes who wanted to do something fun and chalk it up to your weekly workout, this one's for you! My girlfriend and I got the Groupon for this place because we're monetary slaves bound to college, but hell I'd be willing to pay full-price again. So the first thing I did was check fellow Yelper reviews on our way over (because I trust all you other yelpers!) and noticed a motif of being surprised at how kind the employees are. Well let me address this recurrent comments and tell you these are literally the nicest people I have ever met. I wanted to be everybody's best friend, they all are very helpful and relatable and just awesome people (or maybe they just laughed at my occasional dad-joke, but whatever they're still awesome in my book!). As far as the actual climbing goes, I've only been to 1 other rock gym in phoenix years ago so my background is anything but extensive. But I will say it was a TON of fun- we learned the auto-belay (sp?) walls and did them all and they were just what you'd expect- a wall with "rocks" that you'd climb! You could also ask one of the certified belay-ers (if that's a word) to belay you if you wanted to try one of the many other routes requiring that. Plus they had free lockers if you check in a car key for them to hold while you use the locker, so that was shweet! All-in-all, when you go to a rock gym you sort of can guess what it's like, and this place had all that and more. Very friendly environment (if you couldn't tell from this oh-so-giddy review) and quite the experience! WIll definitely be back. read more

Climb So iLL is so welcoming to the novice climber! I've only climbed a few times, but they helped me find the right harness and shoes, and the instructor was excellent. I felt very safe, but still had a great time. read more

I love this place. Fantastic facilities, fantastic people, fantastic fitness classes. Great climbing experience no matter what skill level. Future plans are exciting, and the only problem is that I'm going to be gone for the next few months. read more

What a fun place! Had a great time here with our first experience of indoor rock climbing. Staff was very patient & helpful. Lots of different climbing options for beginners & advanced climbers. Neat stuff in the pro shop too. We'll definitely be back. read more

When I was stationed at Scott AFB, i was happy to hear about a high end climbing gym was coming to town and it is a nice gym. However, when i was relocated to Colorado by the Air Force, i asked them to cancel my membership. i was continually charged regardless of the multiple times i asked them to cancel it via email. I lost over $300 between the time i moved and the time i was finally able to get them to stop charging me, even thought i haven't checked into the gym in 7 months, and i live 1000 miles away. Cant believe it is the way they do business for people who defend there rights.. read more