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

I love the structure. Super fun, climbing competition. Great stuff. Super fun…read more I came for the 2024 climbing competition. I had such a great time so glad I came. This building is gorgeous and so fun so aesthetic. The staff was super friendly. When I made a joke about my chalk, they were receptive and fun. Their store was pretty well stocked. Grab myself an adorable, red crop sweatshirt. They're set up was very organized. Literally zero drama. Highly recommend, and I'll be back.

Best climbing gym around! I pretty much only Boulder but the…read morespace is huge and there's a wide variety of problems for all skill levels. Healthy mixture of top outs and holds to finish! Good rotation of problems! The workout area has a lot of space (though it can get crowded 5-7 midweek). Staff is always friendly and helpful.

I've been here a few times and it's always so mesmerizing looking at the sheer size of the gym/rock…read moreclimbing walls as well as it being 2 floors for bouldering! Their traditional part of the gym with weights had a good selection of accessories and equipment. I love how there are big areas for both top rope and bouldering. I can't imagine how it will be during rush hours as I've only tried to go on the off hours. I usually chance it and park on 20th street instead of parking in the lot as it can get pretty tight. Everyone I've interacted with was pretty nice and efficient! Definitely check it out if you're in the area- it's so pretty'. Theres also a coffee shop on 20th street too if you need a pick me up!

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.

Great place with wonderful, helpful people. A fun, safe, integrated workout, that allows and…read morepromotes the use all my skills ..

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!

Wow, fun place! I never experienced an auto belay before and it's great because sometimes it's…read morehard to round up that friend to come and climb with you! With the auto belay, it's easier to clip on and just climb, so you can climb more reps also. Friendly staff. I learned some new tips from the belay test as their system is just a bit different from what I'm used to, but I love learning so it was great. Easy parking. Please come and create your own experience.

The service was helpful and polite. The environment was really nice and beginner friendly. The gym…read morewas scattered with plenty of different options. The only confusing part is understanding the levels, since the colored tags were a range of what level it may have been.

Been here a few times & had fun. This gym is queer friendly & the staff are nice and friendly. And…read morea little walk over is the Ranch 99 plaza to get some good food or snacks. They also have a room for beginners climbers if the climbing projects are a little tough. If you get tired of rock climbing they have loads of other activities to do from using their extensive gym equipment. If you're tired of rock climbing they have a little area upstairs to take a breather. This place has slack line as one of their gym equipments. Really fun & definitely give it a try when you visit.

Really great and big bouldering gym. I just started climbing and this gym is not short of beginner…read morefriendly problems and they have a unique arch section with problems as well. I was hoping to grab one of the merch here but as usual with any Touchstone gyms, the designs are basic and weird cut, and the gyms are lacking in sizes. As others mentioned, there are free parking on the long block behind the gym.

Huuuge gym, as you would expect from the name, it is bouldering only. The weight/training area is a…read morelittle limited compared to a lot of the other gyms I've been to, so expect a little bit of a crowd. There are plenty of walls to keep you entertained for a long time, you most likely will run out of steam before you run out of projects for the day! Worth noting that people don't have the best bouldering etiquette in here, so do expect others to cut you off and, some times, even start climbing underneath you when you're not done yet! But then again, that has less to do with the gym and more with the people in it. Climb safe!

Had a very odd interaction with a staff member. We were told that California EBT cards were not and…read morewere never supposed to be accepted for the discounted climbing price across the touchstone gyms, however, every other gym has accepted it and the website itself says that they are accepted. If the policy for the company has changed, I understand the website might not reflect that yet, however, the website does clearly state California EBT is valid for the discounted price so it felt like this gym in particular is unilaterally deciding to not accept them despite what the company website states. I'm more than happy to update this review if contacted. I have tried contacting this gym to get clarification and have not been able to do so. Edit: manager has since reached out to rectify the situation. Great customer service.

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!

On hot days, we try to find play indoors. Since Bay Play was nearby and appeared to have play our…read moredaughter enjoys, on a whim we stopped in. Completed waivers, selected her play time, and purchased my daughter's admission ticket ($24.94) along with a pair of grip Bay Play socks ($4.00) online. A chaperone ticket is required ($0), additional chaperones are $5 each. Adults either wear their own socks or shoe covers inside of play area. On a Monday at 4:30p there was only one other car parked. Inside there was one child at play. As the day went on a couple more children joined. The kids all played together as one, which was heart warming to see. The restrooms are located at the rear of the play space, at the end of the Ninja Warrior Jungle structure. There are two major play structures, one for bigger kids to climb, swing and play, the other for smaller kids to do the same with play tailored to their petite size. There are three jump spaces with two attached to what appears to be VR simulated devices. There are lots of arcade games for the kids to play, at an additional charge. Outside food is not permitted. Small snacks are allowed. There are two vending machines at the entrance of the play area - one drinks and the other snacks. There are four massage chairs for chaperones to exist in while the littles play. It accepts mobile pay and cards. One chaperone was enjoying herself during our time, eyes shut. There are 2-3 tables at the front of Bay Play with 4 additional tables at the rear closest to the restrooms. For $25, our daughter was able to play from the time of arrival to close (7p). This is definitely an option to consider for play dates or to pop in for something to do. It is located on the border of Emeryville and Oakland. Bay Play is embedded within a neighborhood. There is street parking directly in front of the location.

Loved it here! We will definitely be coming back. There's a lot of places for kids to climb, slide,…read morejump. There's also a mini arcade inside but everything else is so impressive, kids just play for 20 min and leave to go see what else is there. They have tables so you can eat, and massage chairs for the tired moms and dads. My baby was exhausted by the end and bedtime was a breeze. The price isn't super unreasonable, you do have to buy their socks though. I think I loved it more than my kid, so I'll see you guys soon! Weirdly I took pictures but I can't find them but it is so worth going.

Probably not my favorite Movement in the Bay Area, but it's still a solid facility. You have to pay…read morefor parking before 6pm. Half of the gym is top roping, and the other half is bouldering. This gym feels quite old, especially compared to the shinier, newer facilities of Movement MV and Santa Clara. There's a really nice view from the gym, especially from the second floor. The climbs here are interesting and creative - the route setters are doing a great job. The gym section is quite big, with lots of machines and weights.

Day 57 of my side-by-side comparison of Movement (fka Planet Granite) vs Mission Cliffs (Touchstone…read moreGym)... look. You're both getting five stars but got different reasons, but both have really made the best of their footprint to maximize their space. +Mission Cliffs (MC) change up their routes on a rotating basis and with much more frequency. They now also have partner climbs (5.11- on the left, 5.10+ on the right for two climbers and two belayers!) - while i love/hate the MC double overhang in the corner and the slightly higher number of true stemming routes, +Movement (Mvt) has some very unique and fun features like that monster stalactite, more aggressive "pretend you're Stallone in Cliffhanger) overhangs and way more in the way of slab practice routes (which are NOT my forte indoors) are various ratings from chicken sh-- to "i totally trust my toes" + not for most but crack climbing. I think Movement has easier practice routes for first timers and those who are angry at their palms being TOO supple, but def more variety at Mvmt, but the cracks in the cylinder at MC are truly a level up. - - both have very limited free weights space/benches compared to your normal "gym" gym and you might find yourselves adding a second membership or using your building or friends building gym between climbs. Both also have small footprints and get very busy even outside of peak times ++ amazing classes though at both + see the bulletin at Mvmt for when shoe resoling comes onsite. A+ perk to arrange that onsite. ++ both have tons of community get-togethers ranging from theme nights to run clubs to game nights (last two at Mvmt) though MC started a group puzzle activity and love the MC memorial pins for their 30th anniversary. + Both have study areas. Mvmt is more of a lounge, MC is a short scramble up from the bouldering. Slight edge to Mvmt but kinda cool that MC requires approach shoes ;-) the high up stretching area at Mvmt though with the views of Alcatraz and the GG Bridge though.... wow + love love love the music at MC (Dan is the man), Mvmt is much more "eclectic" but some of the 6am EDM covers by Ava Max could be skipped (sorry). Did love that the next morning it was Bach concertos and Mozart sonatas and i think the same staff. Again "eclectic" +/- Check-minus MC for transit accessibility (not the worst walk from BART) but parking is rough; + Mvmt for parking (though paid by meter after 8am), otherwise great if you're running or cycling from Cow Hollow Both have deals for new sign ups so keep an eye on those. Summer discounts, January discounts/no initiation fee. + way more generous bring-a-friend options at Mvmt (unrestricted plus one each month on top of free days), come on MC! Don't give us bad wedding flashbacks! Everyone loves the option of a plus one (just make sure you take some photos without that person in the shot... just in case... aka HIMYM "who's that bi---???") ++ MC resets like crazy but in a very organized cycle giving you a few months tops to complete your projects; Mvmt ratings are slightly more accurate but MC is starting to migrate away (especially in the new bouldering rating approach. Still MC is the Northstar of local climbing difficulty (suuuuure this is a black diamond/suuure this is a 12a) but come on, at this age, I need that ego boost!!!!! In the end, the best gym is probably the one you can get to the easiest and where your most reliable climbing buddy(ies) go(es). Both are gems and we're lucky to have them. And yes... now I've accepted that I'll just have a third gym membership and stopped doing one dinner out a month.

My friend celebrated her birthday with a class with many friends. We all had a great time creating…read moreall different fused glass projects. Several of us want to go back to do more fused glass and or mosaic and stained glass projects. Ja Ing is a very kind and encouraging instructor!

I took the 4-hour stepping stone mosaic class with my 10-year old niece and we both had a lot of…read morefun. First time, taking any class at the Alameda Art Lab but not a newbie to mosaics or the arts. I used to be quite artsy and crafty back in the day and now, it seems like a luxury to find time to do something creative and take a break from adulting! All supplies of cutters, nippers, stepping stone and glass provided with a quick introduction to using the tools with some guidance and instruction to start your art piece. JaYing, the friendly and patient owner/instructor will walk around to assist if needed, check your progress and guide you to ensure you get your item complete. Item is left for grouting and student called when ready. A great class to bond with a friend(s) or family and make a day to get in creative mode and have fun. Personally, it allowed me to take time to enjoy something I really love as I find art very therapeutic along with spending time with my niece. The time flies by... :) The Alameda Art Lab offers a variety of classes from stained glass, mosaics, glass fusing and jewelry making and other fun things. Items are available for purchase for yourself or as a gift. Highly recommend trying out a class!