This is a great rock climbing gym for beginners. It includes top rope, auto belay, and bouldering. I only did bouldering. There was a little area under construction, but 95% was open. One of the holds was loose. I told one of the staff and he went to fix it right away. My main location is Mission Viejo, but this location is much bigger. As a beginner, I found the V2 climbs easier here than other spots I've been to. This location has a shower in each restroom. read more

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The most affordable climbing gym in LA. They have auto belay, top rope, lead climbing and bouldering. There is plenty of parking. read more

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Hangar 18 is a climbing gym with very affordable prices that give good value to the climber who doesn't need anything fancy. The location gives a warehouse vibe, but it's not a bad thing. Their memberships allow for the member to have a monthly guest pass which is clutch, their rentals and gear are solid. The staff is friendly and laidback, and so is the atmosphere and crowd itself. I've been to a couple of Hangar 18 locations (Hawthorne, Long Beach) and so far they are all decent, and held optimal locations with decent parking. I'll continue returning here to climb, and checking out the other remaining locations I haven't yet, as well. :) read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

A joke, extremely ridged and unfriendly. Be wary of any business that focuses indemnification over customer experience. Many more engaging and supportive gyms in the southbay. read more

Made us watch a 10 minute video to check in, and overall not a good experience, try other gyms.

Not the best time when I went because 1/3 of the gym was in construction. It's extremely noisy and loud. I don't find it pleasurable to climb in this environment. However, this location does look like a good gym if there were no construction. There were not many people when I was there. They have this cool lighting wall in the last photo too! I'm not sure how it works but it looks fun. My home gym didn't have this. Parking lot is spacious but shared with other businesses. The gym itself is spacious compared to some other Hangar 18. Shoes keeper at the entrance was very helpful. Staff was nice. read more

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I've been a Hangar 18 member for about 9 months now. I usually climb at the orange location. I work at LAX and had a chance to visit the Hawthorne location recently. I enjoyed the change of scenery. Plus the Hawthorne location has some autobelay routes that are not available in orange. Nice variety of routes and difficulties. I'll return to the Hawthorne Hangar 18 location. read more

This place is really great, especially for beginners. The staff is super kind and helpful. Alex helped us for the most part and was so so great. We really couldn't have asked for a better instructor since we had no idea what we were doing. We will definitely be back soon, it was so much fun. read more

Great experience at hangar 18. Went for my first time with a couple of friends and was impressed. Staff were very nice and helpful. Community is very welcoming and friendly. Inside is very fun with lots of levels ranging from beginner-advanced. Very beginner friendly. Will return. read more

This climbing gym is more than just a place to train it's an experience. The routes are creative, constantly changing, and legitimately challenging. This isn't your average "beginner-friendly" climbing spot where everything is easy. If you're looking to grow, test your limits, and build real skill, this gym will absolutely deliver. The staff? Incredible. Super knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and always willing to give tips or just hype you up when you're stuck on a tough problem. You can tell they care about the space and the climbers in it. Not gonna lie this gym isn't for everyone. If you want something laid-back with simple climbs this might not be your scene. But if you're serious about climbing, or just want to challenge yourself in a space that feels like home, this place is gold. 10/10. Would hang here even if I wasn't climbing. read more

Rock climbing gym with bouldering and auto-belay available. There are Groupons available for classes, otherwise, it's $20 for a day pass plus $3 rental for climbing shoes. If you do auto-belay, it's an additional $3 for the harness. Cash and credit cards accepted. There are cubbies around the permitter as well as in the restrooms (located in the back) for you to place your belongings. There are larger day use lockers in the restrooms as well. There's a wide array of routes for bouldering that they do change up. They have a pull up bar and free weights available as well. Masks are required while climbing. Free parking is available in their lot. It's family friendly and I did see quite a few younger children. The staff is standoffish as other reviews have noted. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Wall - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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The staff is so kind especially Ethan! He definitely made my first experience enjoyable. He was very patient and ensured me that I was safe. Appreciate him for properly going through all the steps with me and making sure that my climbing experience was safe yet enjoyable! Thank you so much, Ethan! You are appreciated! To make the process faster, I suggest going online & searching up Hangar 18 SouthBay! Get the waiver out of the way and watch the informational video for smooth sailing. The parking is not too bad but it does tend to get busy later throughout the day (they close at 10pm) By the end of my session, I was not so scared of going all the way to the top and able to do the auto ropes with ease! Also, I got used to properly releasing myself from the wall and landing safe. My friends rock climb frequently and this is their favorite spot! The courses tend to change and when they do the grip is amazing. Definitely would recommend for people that want to try rock climbing or bouldering. Love this place and hands down plan to come back!! Tip: they take Apple Pay so it's easy to pay the shoe rental ($3) and the harness (another $3) totaling $6 additional to your climbing pass. There are certain colors that essentially create a path & each path is labeled by difficulty (the higher number is more difficult) read more

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A no frills, laidback climbing gym. We come here using Gympass and it's nothing fancy, just a few good climbs when we're in the mood for it.

My husband got us passes as part of my birthday gift and so we finally went. It had been nearly 5 years since we had last climbed, so we took the refresher course. Our trainer was great and had us practice tying our ropes, belaying and climbing. Although it was pretty crowded on a Sunday afternoon we still managed to climb at least five walls. I will have to say that although the walls are not as high as the other place we had previously climbed at, the climbs are a little tougher. It was still a fun experience and the fact that they already had the 8 knots prepped made it easier. Unlike other places that have you learn how to make the 8 knot yourself. read more

This climbing gym is a local gem characterized by creative routes and plenty of grit (think loud music and a punchy, no frills atmosphere)! I've been hooked on bouldering for the last few years and have been to climbing gyms all over the country including Southern California, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Ga and Austin, Tx to name a few. While this gym isn't the largest or newest I've been to, I've had some of my most challenging and rewarding climbing sessions here. Whether you're looking to boulder, top-rope, or lead climb, Hangar 18 Hawthorne (South Bay) has something for everyone at any skill level. There are also a few (~3-4) auto-belays for solo climbers and harnesses to rent ($3) if needed. I've been a member at this gym for about a year now and what I love the most is 1) the competitive membership pricing (ask about student discounts) and 2) new routes are always being set so there's lots of variety! I used to climb at a newer gym in the Long Beach area, but they only had boulders (no lead or top rope) and the pricing was about twice as much. Overall, this is a great gym! 4/5 stars because service can be hit or miss depending on the day and it's a smaller/older gym that could benefit from general updating especially in the locker room areas. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Clean holds and fun routes! - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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I really like the variety of walls and holds offered for bouldering here. The many caves and different holds and levels of difficulty are excellent to test your climbing skills here. Plenty of parking and doesn't get too crowded on a Sunday morning. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

I'm a total newbie to climbing so don't have much to base my review on, but in general found the climbing routes to be varied and fun and am just docking a star for service. First, the waiver you fill out assumes you've already completed the training videos, but this simply isn't the case. So you sign the liability forms, blindly accepting whatever you haven't watched yet. The first time I came here, the two staff members did not seem particularly kind or inviting. The second time I came, I was jokingly (?) berated for strolling in without checking in although there was nobody at the front desk for a while and I also didn't know better since it was only my second time coming. Lastly, shoes used to be free to rent and are now $3. Overall, great for climbing but I'd pass if you need to rely on staff for any reason. read more

H18 South Bay is one of the oldest climbing gyms in LA. As such it lacks some amenities and modern design elements you'll find at other gyms. My advice to anyone that climbs here is to always be aware of danger/fall zones: people who may be climbing above you or walking below you as you climb. This is important at any climbing gym, but this location especially due to the small space and how packed it can get during peak hours. People have been severely injured here after someone fell on them, or they fell on another climber. That said, there is a lot to recommend this gym. They have a dedicated team of setters that change up problems and routes frequently. The atmosphere is relatively laid back, compared to more corporate gyms. Membership rates are affordable. The regulars here are on the younger side, and generally friendly and welcoming. read more

Staff is chill. Nice gym and affordable. I would recommend trying it out. Make sure to bring chalk. Some people forget it. If you need to rent shoes it's cheap. read more

Really nice climbing gym. There's many nice overhangs here and I really enjoyed climbing here. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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Great place, dope routes. Only downside is opening time is later in the morning. Can't complain for the price though! And staff is always super chill and friendly If you're considering a membership, it's way worth it. For me, I just wanted something that opens before 10am on weekdays. read more

A lot of bouldering courses and top rope options. They also have 4 auto belays! We went on a Monday late afternoon/evening and there were a bunch of people there (not too crowded where you can't get to climb, but occasionally have to wait). read more

Hangar 18 was my first gym that I ever climbed at 6 years ago. Since then I've visited countless others in England, Israel, Canada, and all over the states. I could be climbing at any of the touchstones that have triple gym size and more facilities. But the reason why hangar 18 will forever be my favorite climbing gym is the community and staff. The small gym size forces people to be close to one another and breeds this beautiful close knit group of climbers that supports one another, teaches each other, and most importantly wants to be friends to everyone. The staff is so absolutely stellar and kind. They greet me with a smile and genuine conversation every time I come in. David the manager is wonderful and personable. Erika is just the sweetest and kindest person to ever be. Sean will have you rolling on the ground laughing before the day is over. Manny will always force you to be happy even if your day was the worst. Kim has the sweetest smile every time you walk in. Coco is like a breath of fresh air whenever I see her. And Luke is so professional and studious but somehow hilarious with everything he does. Hangar is my happy place and I've made friends here that will last a life time. It's not just a gym to me, it's a big wonderful family. Also the setting is sick and makes you strong as hell. No gym prepares you for climbing outdoors like this one. Sean, you're the GOAT. read more

Been a couple visits between my last review and now. Climbing is getting more fun and rewarding as I'm slowly building technique, and reconditioning my arm injury. Maybe they've been reading the comments, or maybe I caught them at bad two weeks initially. - Bouldering walls and routes are much better. More variety, and higher walls! - Soap and paper is finally stocked again. Although instead of putting the paper in the dispenser, they just threw it on the top for you to unravel and rip. Laziness or broken machine? lol BUT, the staff still do not seem inviting still. There's only two people that have an inviting tone, and eager to help. The rest of the staff seem like they are always in a bad mood, hiding away from people so it would be inconvenient to ask them anything, and have conversations with each other and if you ask them anything, they have the "what?!" response and attitude. Regardless, this doesn't bother me because I just like to keep to myself, but this is a general review for people who may utilize the staff/services. read more

Great place for an after work climb. The people are always helpful and the employees are really chill. There are about 13-15 top rope climbs and a lot of bouldering problems. The climbs are updated pretty regularly maybe about every 2 weeks so you have time to check out a lot of the climbs and it keeps it fresh. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Autobelay at Hangar 18 Climbing Gym - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Great spot to boulder. Definitely an older gym / not as fancy or upgraded like other gyms in LA, but it's homey and my favorite local spot! Definitely recommend. read more

Always enjoy this place. So close to lax, perfect spot for taking time off before picking up someone at lax. Close to some restaurants as will. read more

I could've sworn that I requested to cancel my membership, then I checked my statements on a credit card that I lost and simply locked in case I found since I didn't use it anyways. Not only did they keep charging me for the full membership but I was also charged a late fee for the time my credit card was locked. I tried explaining them this via email but they were very dismissive. Would've been nice to be a little understanding and take into consideration whether I actually used the membership. But whatever, I guess they're charging me for keeping me in the system lol just know they're have poor business ethics and might give you a hard time terminating your membership. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Poor customer service and business ethics - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

I have been a member at this gym for almost a decade and as much nicer and more expensive gyms became available, I kept my membership for the well set routes, friendly staff and good people. Since covid it seems all effort and hope has been lost. I walked in to find the only staff in beach chairs outside, metal music being played so loud you could hear it from a 100 feet outside of the gym and a cooler that used to sell drinks with a hand made sign made by a child that read staff only. This is besides a under construction bathroom and routes that are rarely changed. After covid I said I was going to stay with this gym for it's affordability knowing staffing may be a struggle but saving $50 dollars a month does not seem worth it to Climb in a loud empty warehouse. read more

Never register a membership here. Especially, it's really dangerous to get out of the card automatically. It's very difficult to cancel the contract while making it easy. They take money unconditionally and never give it back. The interior is also very messy and the bathroom is really hard to use. read more

Went for a kids birthday party. The sign in process is grueling. They want your life history. The children were guided by patient staff as they climbed up and down up and down up and down. They utilized maybe 3 different ropes for two hours. There was an upstairs seating area for the waiting adults. The party host was able to bring in food from the outside for the guests. It was fun watching the regulars climb and have fun. This was an awesome experience. The facility is very small. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Rock Climbing - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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I'm not a bouldering expert so I can't say much about the routes. It was my first experience at this Hangar as my home gym is in Arcadia and I wanted to check this place out. I came during busy hours so take that into consideration when reading this review. The place is small that's a given I get that gyms get busy but what worries me is that kids were running around everywhere and it made me nervous that I might land on one. I was watching someone send a route and one of the holds slipped once she put all her weight on it causing her to fall. We laughed it off (but in the back of my mind I was like sh** girl did your life flash before your eyes?!) and she asked staff if she could get a wrench. The staff was super nonchalant and didn't seem to be surprised, which bothered me. Again I'm new to climbing and idk if this is a normal experience at a gym but I didn't enjoy my experience due to safety. Call me a negative Nancy but I'll look to other gyms and rethink my membership. read more

I honestly really liked what the gym had to offer. It had a good amount of bouldering problems and had a good range of top rope, lead climbing, and auto belays. Despite the good that the gym had to offer, it felt as if the place hadn't been cleaned since it opened. I mean the crash pads looked clean, but everything else felt nasty. The floors looked disgusting, some of the holds felt really grimy, dust everywhere, and I just felt dirty overall inside the gym. I've checked out the San Clemente, Aliso Viejo, and Orange locations, and those locations weren't as nasty. read more

So fun! I think this was my second time rock climbing in my life (does ymca rock climbing in middle school count as one? Haha) so I didn't know what to expect. Parking- lots of spaces available, esp if you come on the weekend Location- it's in the back of an industrial plaza. If you're coming from the 405, it's 1-2 plazas after the el Pollo Loco/shopping plaza. I came here with a group of 9 people (we had reservations) and we were all very new to rock climbing. They had two instructors for our group (Kevin and I think her name was kelly... I didn't catch her name bc I went to my car to put my stuff away. I feel bad bc she remembered everyone's name in our group) and they were so nice and supportive! They made rock climbing a lot less scary and helped us on our way up. They also kinda pushed us to try new walls and stuff which was fun. We all got rocked the next day bc we don't do any physical activity haha. We came on a Saturday afternoon and idk if it was considered busy or not. But there were a lot of people that had their own gear and whatnot. I think we were the only group that was new to rock climbing. Everyone else here was clearly experienced haha. Just be careful where you walk bc there can be people jumping from the top and stuff (one of their rules is to always look up). There was also a small group of kids having a birthday party. There's bathrooms in the back which also has a shower in it which is convenient for those who want to take a shower right away after. There is chalk everywhere so expect to get some on your clothes. LADIES, I recommend wearing yoga pants or something bc everyone will end up seeing your undies if you wear reg running shorts as you climb haha. It also smells like sweat once you walk in but you get used to it. read more

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If you're someone with a pretty average to below average fitness level, this will most likely be a very challenging experience for you as it was for me! I enjoyed trying rockclimbing for the first time with my sister and her veteran rockclimbing friends. Although I don't know much about rock climbing I can tell this facility boasts a lot of popularity with their surrounding area and they seem to be well-stocked for all the materials that you would need. There are free climbing walls as well as the ones that use the harness. This place was completely packed on a Thursday night, and I found myself weaving between people for the majority of our visit there. It's definitely harder than it looks and I give a lot of credit to those ninja warriors out there. I believe it's $15 a day if you don't have a pass and somewhere like $50 for a month pass with discounts for various students and jobs. Cool place to check out if you're interested in trying out rock climbing or wanted it to become a more long-term fitness hobby. read more

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About a year ago we had a great experience for a father/daughter group function - but recently we went back to have a group climb w some kids and were left dumbstruck by the lack of organization. If you are a single climber looking to just have some climb time, this review may not be relevant. But if you are looking to do a group function and climb stay away. We showed up and the meeting area (which was clean and well set up in our past experiences) was a disaster covered in chalk and dust and not set up at all. The employees then proceeded to try to vacuum some of it up once they realized we were there and people had arrived. We stood around while they tried to get it together and as a result started late. The climbing went fine but as a kicker they started rounding up our harnesses early b4 we even reached our scheduled end time. So it was clear they were over it too. They did apologize and made reference to new management. Disorganization is clearly an issue (esp in a place where you must trust them w your physical well being). It's too bad because conceptually it seems like a great idea for a group event. But it's clear they seem to have dropped any effort in that aspect of their business. It's rock climbing, not chuck-e-cheez so we weren't expecting much - a minimum amount of hospitality and effort would have passed - but this was downright unacceptable. By the looks on the faces of the workers they knew it too - and were prob just left out to dry by management on this one. Whatever the reason, this place is not worthy of your dollars if you are a group. read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - If you are a group looking for a venue and like that post-volcanic-eruption vibe, then maybe this is your place. - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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Hangar 18 is the low cost climbing option the area. You get what you pay for. If you understand what you're getting and what you're paying, it may be the best option. First, don't expect the staff to be friendly or helpful. I doubt they pay well and the people they hire are probably not known for their customer service talents. In general, staff at climbing gyms are not known for being the most helpful. Hangar 18 is definitely on the low end of that scale, though. Due to the low cost, it attracts A LOT of people. This place gets mega crowded and it's not a large space. At prime time expect to be bumping into people and trying to maneuver around people. Realtors would call the space "intimate". The crowd here tends to be older kids (14+) and adults. The adults are usually considerate and fine to climb around. As for the kids, like all older children, they tend to congregate in groups of 3+ on the mats sometimes impeding other people trying to climb. The groups of kid (and it happens with the younger adults, too) congregating and blocking traffic is one of the major annoyances of climbing here. Again, it's a small space, there is very little room to hang out so when it happens it's always an annoyance. When I come I always wish people who climb here would be more considerate of the space and not just hangout blocking large areas. If you need a rest, find somewhere off the mats or go outside. The walls here are unique from what you'll find down the street at Sender One or any of the Touchstone gyms in the north. The walls have texture and contour and aren't the typical flat sandpaper kind. This allows routes to be a lot more interesting than you'll find elsewhere and the route setters here take advantage of that. This leads to some interesting problems and creative route setting making this one of the more interesting (although still small) bouldering gyms in the area. The presence of 3 auto belays is also a nice difference from neighboring gyms. The walls are short, though, so it's not as great of an experience as what you'll get elsewhere with a belayer but if you're by yourself it can be a nice way to do top rope climbs. If you set your expectations in line with what you're paying for, this place might be a good fit for you. It has pros and it has cons. In the absolute sense, though, this gym falls short. After climbing many places in southern California, I'm still on the lookout for the gym that has it all or is even the best of everything (which I would expect to come at a higher cost). read more

3.5 rating I came here with a group of about 5-7 of us. I had so much fun. This was my first time rock climbing and I was a little scared when I started. The staff was really nice on teaching you how to rock climb. We met some people there that go all the time and they were giving us tips on climbing. I had a lot of fun and would definitely come back! read more

Hangar 18 - South Bay - Rock climbing! :) - Climbing Near Me - Hawthorne, California

The sets are great. The staff is awesome, and the community is so kind and and supportive when it comes to climbing. A great place to make this your home gym. Also I once spotted the world famous climbing influencer @sebi_climbs at this gym. This place has everything! read more

Context: I don't exercise, I'm not very strong, and people can easily make more progress in one month than I can in a year. I was at Hangar 18 for about a year before I moved out of town. I've climbed at Sender One and Cliffs of Id, but this will always be my 'home' gym. I mostly boulder, but top rope or autobelay (there are about 4 of them) when I get tired. Space: This is an old school climbing gym -- the walls look like rocks, and the routes are set really densely together. That means that there are plenty of routes to climb, despite the relatively smaller size of the gym. I just moved to Austin and the newer climbing gym here jus doesn't have enough routes of each ability level. The routes: I've always had plenty to enjoy and to work on -- it never gets boring -- and then by the time I've gotten most of the ones that I am capable of, they change the routes up. Grading seems to be harder than at Cliffs of Id. The routes don't go up nearly as high as Cliffs or Sender One, but to make up for that, the routes are slightly trickier/more technique-y, and IMO, more fun. The only thing that I don't get here that I get at the other climbing gyms are the high top ropes -- there is a certain endurance that doesn't get tried here at Hangar as much. As for the variety of boulder types, they just started putting in volumes and introducing some more balance-y ones (in addition to the slab ones, the overhang-y ones, the dynos and the cave-y ones that they had already). So, as of recently, the boulder problems have become much more varied. The people: This is probably the best thing about the gym. This is BY FAR the friendliest gym I've ever encountered (I've now tried out 5 different gyms -- 3 in LA and 2 in Austin). Some people complain about it being crowded (especially after work on Mondays thru Thursdays). But this is precisely when I come and why I come. I never find that I really have to wait long to climb the route I want to climb (cos hey, we all need breaks), and the dense nature of the routes means that there are always people better and worse than you working on something in that same patch of wall. Everyone is SUPER supportive, cheering each other on regardless of ability level. There's always someone working on the same problem as me, and always someone better willing to give me tips to make me a better climber. Cost: $36/month, but see if you can catch their 3 months for $79 deal -- it happens several times a year, usually around holidays. SO worth it, especially compared to the price of other gyms ($60-$80+/mo). Parking: Easy. Large space. The other locations: One thing that is nice is that there are several Hangar 18 locations and membership in one gets you into all the others. Tip: There's a Monday/Wednesday crowd and a Tuesday/Thursday crowd. There's barely any overlap between the two sets of people. Pick a pair of days, start coming regularly, make lots of friends, and get fit. Ps - I love sender one and cliffs of id; they are objectively awesome, with much nicer facilities. That is without a doubt. Just, much more expensive too. read more