Came up to the central coast to zip line and rock climb. Santa Barbara rock gym offers a belay and top rope climbing class several times a week. I took the Saturday afternoon offering. We spent 2 hours talking about climbing, learning and practicing tying knots, rigging safety gear and harnesses. Working on our belay and braking techniques, and ultimately putting it all together and rotating through top rope climbing, belaying, and observation of the other class members. At the 2 hour mark we had a firm grip, pun intended, on top rope belay and safety. Unfortunately we weren't able to take our belay test that day. The gym policy is that students need to come back a different day to test their skills and knowledge. If I was local I would have come back and taken my test. But I am confident that I have the practice and knowledge to test at my local rock climbing gym and get certified. And that was the ultimate purpose of my trip. I didn't tour the whole gym because I was focused on the class and learning the ropes, again pun intended, so I can't speak to everything. The front of the gym, the climbing walls, and men's restroom were all clean and tidy. The staff were helpful and friendly. The overall vibe was really positive. There were auto belay climbing areas as well as top rope and bouldering. The next time I am in the area I hope to spend more time at Santa Barbara rock gym to really explore the facilities and climbing walls. Also I had a little trouble finding the parking lot. It's behind the gym and accessed from a side street. The parking lot is shared with REI and several other businesses. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - Auto belay at the front - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I don't live in this area but decided to stop by on my way home to Orange County. Nice little gym located right off the 101 freeway. Parking is a bit small since it's shared with other businesses. Day passes are decently priced. Nothing crazy. Annabelle helped get me set up. She was super patient and sweet. I've climbed at Hangar 18 which is in the OC so I had an idea of what to expect here. Also a tip for future new climbers going to a new gym, try to fill out the waiver online before arriving. Cuts some time out. Pretty clean gym and not too busy for a Saturday early afternoon. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We love Santa Barbara Rock Gym. The staff is very personable and competent. My kids all love it and everyone we've met there has been friendly. Great atmosphere. Free parking is across the street (first 75 minutes free) and easy to access off the freeway. Great family rates. Highly recommend! read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - My family loves climbing here. Staff is knowledgable and helpful! Highly recommend. - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Shout out to the gentleman there today. He was super nice, our first time there and he explained it super patiently. I know that's his role, but I'm sure he has to say it a lot every day, he wasn't impatient or irritated, great attitude! Once he got us set with our harness and shoes we were able to try the easy course. Lol honestly easy just confirmed that this mom needs to work on her upper body , but oh well it was a great new activity and had a blast falling on my ass a couple of times. Overall had a blast. The only thing I suggest, is man oh man can yall please febreeze the hell out of those shoe rentals..... I tried to avoid it but mine didn't have enough grip to climb up. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - The Hubby showing off on the easy course . - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I love the SBRG! If you're ever in need of classes to learn the basics I recommend Alex or Abe as they're very attentive and helpful. The community at the rock gym is also so friendly and encouraging of one another. read more

Nice staff, challenging routes, cool atmosphere. Bouldering, Lead Climbing, Top Rope and Auto-belay routes are available. I'll be back. Difficult to find at first. It behind REI. read more

Recently checked this indoor rock climbing gym out and fell in love. Bouldering? Plenty of options. Lead wall climbs? More limited but still some fun options. Both changed regularly to keep things interesting. The staff is very friendly. The environment appears to be social between staff and patrons, making for a more fun experience. Did the "on the rocks" special which includes 4 lead wall climbs with an instructor and then free use of the gym. For future use, unless you take the Introduction Class, you cannot use the lead walls without a staff member, a safety issue I assume although the gym only has auto-belay. Offer memberships, day passes, session punch cards, and also it is 1/2 off on Tuesday nights! Don't let the lack of height initially turn you off, give it a try and love it too! Perfect for birthday parties, adding to your fitness routine, or just trying out every so often. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - Climbing up up and away - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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If there was a way to put negative stars that would be my rating. All of the staff but one were beyond rude. They wouldn't help my sons bole even when asked several times and were incredibly short with them, so they only could free climb. There were only two spots that were able to free climb without needing a bole. It $95 wasted and were treated badly from the second we checked in. And didn't give us equipment that we actually paid for. Skip this place and find another rock climbing gym! Don't waste your money or your time! read more

We did a birthday party for my sons 9th birthday. The staff at the gym was super helpful and accommodating. The venue was great and all of the kids had a great time. Love this place. read more

Accessible, beginner-friendly gym with helpful staff and a great community of regulars. The emphasis here is definitely on bouldering. There are plenty of top roping routes, but be aware that only 4 of them support auto-belay. There are probably 3-4 times as many top rope routes that require a partner to belay. It can get busy in the evenings, but I've never had trouble working in enough climbs to go home exhausted. I love it! read more

Not a regular climber but I really enjoyed my time here. On Tuesdays they have a couples discount (doesn't have to be a SO, could be a friend or family) where they give you half off of their original price. If you don't have shoes or a harness you will also have to pay for those additionally. The service is very friendly, laid back, and knowledgeable. Other experienced climbers are also friendly and are not intimidating despite their amazing skills! For beginners they have auto belays that you can hook onto and will catch you on the way down. They have easy routes (even though they were still challenging to me) and they have very difficult routes. They also have bouldering and as long as you are respectful and safe, you can try to easy routes! Would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to try rock climbing as this is a good environment to do so! - J read more

Perfect location in the heart of downtown, right in front of REI...So many fun climbs and it changes every week. My kids love it here. Great for all ages. I love the set up with the lounge area, comfy sofas and large table to relax at for moms like me who don't climb. The staff is so friendly, Will the owner and all of them really, are very, very helpful. Memberships are reasonable, but so is trying it out on $5 Fridays until you figure out that this is a fun sport or workout for you. Mountain Sports I think offers discounts for members too if you want to get climbing gear like harnesses, shoes, chalk, etc. REI is also right behind the store and great if you're a member there. You can rent equipment at SB Rock Gym too. Harnesses are $5, shoes $2. They offer discounts for youth memberships so for us it was well worth becoming members and going whenever they want. And if your whole family are climbers they have a great membership for you too. read more

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Great experience for a family outing. Though I would have liked a simple return phone call as it took a while to get a hold of someone and left several voice mails. read more

Fresh Routes! Though the space is small in comparison to other Rock Gyms, they do a great job keeping it fresh. The route-setters re-set 5 days a week, WOW, kudos to these guys that work full time to set new routes keeping it fun, challenging and fresh. Staff are awesome and SBRG is great for everyone from kids to seasoned climbers. Climb ON! read more

If you love this rock gym- you either A) are a long-time climber who knows the people who work there B) never been to another rock gym and like it because it is a rock gym not because it is SB rock gym. For one overpriced- charging for shoes and to climb for the day is robbery- especially for beginners who most likely can only climb for an hour before there tendons get tired. Secondly the staff is extremely unhelpful to outsiders and new climbers they focus on their friends who climb there which is a bit annoying because you could pay for the new iPhone payments with how much you spend on a membership here. Thirdly they put up way too many routes with not enough lighting and honestly its just too much. They also don't keep the holds clean enough to keep them distinguishable. All in all- I have no axe to grind- just wish this place had some competition with reasonable prices and better customer service. read more

This small gym offers as much climbing as can be expected close to a beach, but at a significant cost to safety. I closely know two people who have sprained their ankles while bouldering in this gym, and have heard of a third person who did too, all within the span of a few months. The bouldering pads don't go all the way to the wall so that the gym can recover 8 inches of climbing height, and when people fall they can roll their ankle on the edge of the pad. I would advise gym-goers to be very wary and I would advise the gym to modernize their pad setup. read more

Not good for top rope. Walls are only 20 ft tall and set like you're bouldering. Looks great for if you're practice is mainly bouldering. Call first, there were 2 little kid birthday parties here today taking up a significant amount of the small space. Front desk was very helpful. Warning: there is no AC and it was miserably hot. read more

Maybe I was just tired the day I came in... maybe. I was in town for my cousin's wedding. Before going home up North I had my husband take me here to check this place out. Upon arrival I was shocked at how SMALL and short this place was. I can literally just boulder every wall here... literally. There taller walls were as tall as the bouldering walls I've bouldered on at other gyms, and high balls outdoors. I sport climb as well and I was shocked to see that this place does indeed have a lead wall... which is surprising considering that this place is pretty short. I'd be scared as heck to test for lead, let alone take a fall. What is my belayer supposed to do?! Keep tension on the entire time, as if I'm going to get pulled off the wall?! NO WAY! The general price to climb is $15. I decided to pay the $15 because I wanted to pull on plastic that bad. Their rating system is odd, however, I do kind of see their theory behind it: They rate their problems by color and not the usual Vscale because they want to encourage everyone to get on everything and not be fixated on the ratings. TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, but what about those who are new to climbing? They won't understand the Vscale. What about those who want to see how much progress they're making? They can't just be like "Hey I'm a YELLOW COLORED CLIMBER" or "Hey I just crushed that GREEN!". What does that even mean? Also, the routes are rated accordingly, but what about the subdivisions within that specific rating? Like I said, totally understand, but let's be real... c'mon. At the end of the day, I ended up only staying for 45 min. and felt like I wasted my money. I forgot to mention, there was uncovered cake left out on the desk. I was thinking it was free game for the members and guests to take? Well whatever the case, it's kind of gross dude. There's chalk flying everywhere. You can't let cake sit out like that! 3 stars though. Customer service was nice. read more

This is just a great place. The staff are knowledgable and friendly, and the other members also all seem to have good attitudes. Everyone who works there....and goes there...loves rock climbing and that makes this place a really fun environment in which to learn. I started to visit SBRG shortly after it opened last year. My 9 year old son began climbing there and I would just go down to watch him climb. Eventually, I decided to try it and now I'm hooked. I literally had ZERO experience with rock climbing when I started....I mean I never even watched it on television before...or read about it. But after a very short time, I was able to start climbing and take a few classes and seriously increase my skills. Its a very social place and it was easy to find several climbing partners close to my skill level who I now climb with almost every week. SBRG has a wide variety of routes to climb, and these range from "Fun" to seriously advanced. They also set up new routes frequently, so you don't get bored climbing the same things over and over again. They offer classes as well, and these are intensive small-group sessions (around 6 students max) where the instructor can really engage every student individually. There are a couple of nights a week when it can get pretty crowded, but as I mentioned above, everyone who goes there seems to be for lack of a better description....COOL....and will share routes with you etc. If you are an experiecned climber, or someone who wants to try it for the first time, you will enjoy the SBRG. read more

Let me start off by saying this: There's something special about Santa Barbara Rock Gym. I've climbed at several different climbing gyms around the country, all of which were taller and larger than SBRG. What SBRG lacks in height and size, however, they more than make up for in fantastic, flowing top rope and lead routes, challenging bouldering problems -- all of which that are updated frequently -- and a truly awesome staff. I'm not sure what it is about most rock climbing gyms, where the staff tends to be dry, listless, and totally unenthusiastic. I mean -- REALLY? You work at a rock climbing gym... how could you not be pumped?? Not to mention you're surrounded by some of the most chill people in the population... Regardless, SBRG has completely circumvented this issue and is run by a talented, warm, solid group of passionate climbers. As I mentioned, the routes are awesome - there's nothing worse than climbing in a gym, and finding that the routes are clunky and lack any flow. There's a good balance between easier routes and problems and more difficult projects. (And for any lead climbers out there, they've got a great arch that's always got at least a few challenging routes on it). If you live in the Santa Barbara area or are just passing through, I definitely recommend you check out SBRG and get your climb on. read more

So when my nephew was crying about hating baseball practice, I told my sister to check out some other hobbies and let him explore his true interests. She started looking for other hobbies for him. That's when we decided to see if he liked the rock gym! This places is very family oriented, safe, and has a good crowd that comes around. I met the manager Wyatt who's an awesome dude I was very impressed with his knowledge of everything rock climbing and my nephew loves this place! Thanks Wyatt for giving him a safe environment to be himself. read more

My 15 year old son and I were in SB for the day and needed something that we could enjoy together. I found this place through Yelp and used one of their 2 for 1 coupons. Their employees and instructors were all very helpful and answered all our questions and made sure we were safe. I wish there were more easier climbs for the novice, but all in all it was a great bonding experience for the two of us and we will definitely visit again. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - My son on the climbing wall. - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is a great place for a local hang out and a good workout. For the size, the gym has a very good amount and very diverse routes. It gets crowded in the 5-7pm, if you want to make friends. The staff are always very friendly and there is an awesome crew around at all times. Excellent bouldering spot, it will train your grip without a doubt. read more

It has a wide range of routes and lots for new folks and kids too. Only downside is it can get crazy busy so know that going in. A few auto-belays are available too. read more

Love the lead routes! The setters are great, I constantly have a project because they reset every week!

This gym is fine for bouldering but their policy for belaying is inexplicably restrictive. I have climbed frequently at about 4 other climbing gyms in major cities (including San Francisco and Philadelphia) and everywhere I've ever been, a climbing gym will allow paying guests to become trained in belaying, pass a test to prove they can operate the equipment safely, and become certified to belay their friends. At SB Rock Gym, they refused to allow my guests to become trained in belaying. I still don't understand why. Their staff members insisted that there is no place in the country that will allow you to become certified in belaying and immediately climb thereafter, but that statement is belied by my own experience at Mission Cliffs (SF), Planet Granite (SF) and Go Vertical (Philly) and a few other places. They also inexplicably refused to allow me to bring in my own Vibram 5-finger shoes (which I have used for climbing for the last 5 years at least, without any problem), and made me rent their shoes for $6. It was a real pain and they gave no good reason why I couldn't climb in my own shoes that I prefer for climbing. Their bouldering wall is fine but if you're looking to come here with friends to climb and belay, and you're not already certified here, then I don't recommend this place. read more

Love this place and everyone in it. Started climbing a year ago and haven't gotten bored yet due to the frequent route changes and interesting challenges. The staff are friendly and helpful. Highly recommend! read more

Love this place! Setting is both challenging and creative. Fun staff and a great place for kids. I first learned how to climb here and have developed many friendships and connections through climbing here. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking to start climbing or even if you have been climbing for years. This place has something for everyone. read more

Santa Barbara Rock Gym - Gyms Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is very accommodating for beginners! Unlike in my hometown where the cost of a few quick lessons costed $80, for just $30 here we were able to do 4 fun and helpful climbs with an instructor and felt like regular 'ole pros by the end of it. It is a smaller facility but you will regardless get your climbing fix! Additionally...the playlist was bumpin' that day. read more

I was very excited to find out that there was a new Rock Gym in Santa Barbara. I was extremely impressed with the friendly staff, pricing, and climbing options. It was a large group of us girls including 2 leaders and 8 High Schoolers. It's so nice to have a fun place in town to take kids to. The girls had a blast and enjoyed the freedom to climb with the option of auto belays. There is inexpensive parking across the street and the place is open late. The girls are excited to come back again. I definitely recommend this place! read more

I've been climbing for over 5 years now and have been to various gyms in Northern California, SoCal, and New York, so I'd like to think I have a decent sense of how gyms are normally set up. SB Rock Gym is technically located on State Street, and is a bit hard to find even with the assistance of navigation. it's tucked in a corner near the walkway for the tunnel, and is impossible to see from the road. The best way to get there is to park in REI's parking lot, and walk down the street and turn left onto State until you see it. The gym is priced fairly, and the half off Fridays make it a really good deal. Even on fridays, its never too crowded, and you can always get your workout in. The gym utilizes it's limited space well, and the bouldering rooms are one of the best I've ever seen. The bouldering walls have unique terrain and route setters make great unique routes that work with it really well. And its updated pretty often! The top rope on the other hand... The top rope is pretty much glorified bouldering with a rope. The entire corner closest to the window is just a mess, with incredibly short routes. The parallel walls in that corner are too close to each other, making it a tight space for belayers. Routes are not updated frequently, which is especially important in a smaller gym like this. Don't get me wrong, the top rope is great for parties and kids who wont mind the shorter height, but for more experienced climbers it really doesn't cut it. Overall, an amazing gym for bouldering, but the top rope isn't up to par. Also, pictures are incredibly misleading for getting a feel for the size of the gym. read more

I've taken my kiddo here a few times, he loves that he can free climb or use the auto belays - he always has a blast so it was a no brainer for us to come again. We had a groupon for a lesson and we were taking the kids while the grouponee had their lesson. However I ended up joining the lesson. I was not properly dressed to be a participant but it worked out. Ryan was super patient and made sure that we were safe. Falling 20 ft to my death would be utterly traumatic to my little guy. (This is obviously dramatized and exaggerated as there are a zillion backups in case one thing failed). He taught us to make sure the harness was on right, that the ropes were tied securely and kept reassuring me that I was safe. I'm petrified of heights. Insanely petrified. I hit a mental wall midway through the 2nd climb up and Ryan talked me out of my almost cardiac arrest. He coached me through and wouldn't let me give up. Trust me, I was mid meltdown and ready to call it quits. He was super calm and professional, gave some tips, and I hit the top!!! Then I was stoked to be down on the ground and I made out with the floor until it was borderline humiliating and tragic. Thanks Ryan for making sure I finished so I looked super badass for my kiddo! I can't even climb a 6 ft ladder without having a panic attack! I'm stoked to have done this - been wanting to forever - grateful to have crossed this off my todo list with my pride and ego intact. My kiddo loves coming here. You'd think that for amateurs a place like this would be intimidating but it's actually really rad. Everyone is super nice and encouraging and he always has a good time (he's 5) and scaled up 2/3 way on his own with a belay today, a personal best (usually he'll free climb up about 5 ft and jump down). This is a great place to get kids interested in sports and at their own pace. And it's super safe for them to do. The staff is always helpful to answer questions. It's nice that decent climbing shoes aren't exp and well worth the investment instead of renting them. Will 1 lesson make me comfortable to do it solo - no. But it's encouraged me that I can do almost anything if I put my mind to it and have my peanut gallery to egg me on. read more

Took my girlfriend to SB Rock Gym last night as part of her birthday celebrations. As climbing novices, we were apprehensive since we didn't know what to expect. We called the day of one of their 2 hour "Intro to Climbing" classes and they signed us up even though we were technically putting them over class capacity. We discovered a fun and friendly staff. The class taught us all the basics that we would need to come back and climb on our own (after we take a safety test) - knots, harnesses, belaying, lingo, etc. Our instructor, bearded Chris, was friendly, funny, knowledgeable, encouraging and all around super enjoyable. He deserves a ton of credit for making our first visit awesome. SB Rock Gym is a good time - don't let inexperience stop you from checking it out! read more

Shout out to Chris for showing my wife and I the ropes. Awesome instructor! Facility was amazing, staff was friendly. Highly recommended!

Got to meet Will, the owner of the place. Super cool, knowledgable, friendly, and honest guy. This place has a very friendly, supportive, and cozy ambiance. Come out for a climb, bring a friend or two, or meet new ones here! read more

I started at Santa Barbara Rock gym about two months ago and I am officially hooked. I love to exercise, love working out, and climbing is exercise in a way that I've never experienced before. It's like putting a puzzle together in my mind, then attempting to do it with my body. Watching the more experienced climbers is awesome, and one thing that struck me was how social the environment is and how kind everyone is in the gym. The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, which goes a long way, they are great people. read more

I love this place! Has a lot more to climb than your average gym and I always meet the coolest people here. Five dollar Fridays!

Very nice and clean gym right behind REI. This gym has Auto Belayer so you don't need a partner for top rope. My husband and I were in town for our vacation and decided to check it out for a quick hour of climbing. I love all the climbs. We usually climb 5.10s-11s and found all the 5.9-5.10 climbs here to be quite challenging and requires more core. Each climb has its own name. Very creative. The staff is friendly and attentive. Definitely come back here next time we're in Santa Barbara. read more

I think lots of the reviews are inflated since there aren't really great options for indoor climbing in the area. UCSB has a climbing wall, but it's not that big (it's taller than SBRG, but less routes in total) - but is a decent option if you also want a membership to a gym as well. There used to a be gym in Ventura (vertical heaven) that featured both top rope and bouldering, but they've since moved to a new location and only offer bouldering now. My major qualms...I mostly TR, so I'll stick to that for my critique. The walls aren't very tall. Granted they seemed to do the best they could with the space they have, but the TR routes basically amount to bouldering + maybe 10 feet. Also, I've seen much more creative route setting elsewhere. There are a couple interesting routes that make you think, work the problem out, and use some different moves, but the vast majority are straight up, use some flagging and maybe a layback here and there. The positives though - decent pricing (especially if catch a membership deal or go on evenings when they're running specials), good place to get into climbing (learning the basics), it's a new facility so while it smells (hey, it's a rock climbing gym), the holds, walls, ropes, autobelays are all in great shape, and because they are growing they are starting to add more benefits to members (yoga classes). read more

Love this gym! Sure it's small but if you're a member you get in @ 10 am before all the noobs and tourists. I often have the gym to myself because of this. Staff is friendly and helpful. The only downside is the summer kids camp during the morning hours... Not a fan of kids climbing around and being loud. read more