So I've been climbing at this gym for 2.5 years, and thought I'd finally leave a review. I'll break it down into pros n cons: Pros: -Top rope area is large and pretty fun. No autobelays though, sadly. -General vibe of the place is warm and friendly -It's a pretty good gym for beginners, V1-3 is pretty fun, and the environment isn't overly competitive. Cons: -It seems like in order to enjoy this gym, you have to be at least 5'8 and male...as a 5'5 (Which Is Actually Above Average) woman, I'm constantly running into: holds I literally cannot reach by exactly 1-3 inches, footholds at neck height, footholds that require the splits to use, and worst of all, unsafe throws to small holds where the intended beta was to be taller and just reach it statically. And also insane shoulder moves which require you to be a young man on PED's to perform. In fact, in my entire 2.5 years climbing here, I've only seen maybe 5 women climb V5+ at this gym, and all of them had either been climbing for 10+ years, or is on an official climbing team. I assume many women who climb here are discouraged by the biased setting, and end up going to another gym instead. -The grading of problems needs work, as does the safety of certain moves. Sometimes, V4/5 problems will just randomly have one move where you have to pull at a V7 level, which is obviously dangerous. As a V6 climber with pretty strong fingers/forearms, I have literally injured tendons/pulleys on V4/5 problems because a random move would just catch me off guard. -Even though the overall vibe of the gym is pretty friendly and warm, there are definitely a few people you have to watch out for. That's all I'm saying. 95% of people are really nice though. Also, the social scene at this gym can be a bit cliquey at times; if you know people, you'll have a great time, but if you don't, you might feel left out, or like it's hard to strike up a conversation with anyone. -The bouldering area can be a bit small and crowded at peak hours, and they don't really set new boulders that often, like sometimes it's two weeks before there's a new set. Overall it's an okay gym, fix the Biased Route Setting and this gym would be 4/5 for sure read more

Cool space. Staff is pretty pretentious but you can get by with minimal engagement. Staff has an impatient demeanor and act like you should already know the answers to your questions. read more

Validated parking for 2 hours, lockers/showers, a gym with machines, running, etc, bouldering, and a ever changing wall! I went with a friend, whose a member, for the second time and love that this place changes it up, have theme events, etc to make things interesting! hint: you can also park at the under freeway parking lot not too far if you plan to stay longer than 2 hours. read more

Great place for lil climbers and climbers to be. Located in the Sofa district in San Jose, it was not easy to find. Once we found it, we were greeted by a friendly staff member. We were excited to see all the different levels of difficulties and various types of courses. The lil ones 5 & 11 were excited to get started. For a fee $20 per child, the trainer/ belayer takes your lil for an hour of climbing. We had to fill out a waiver and they were ready to go once they put on a harness. The place had a friendly staff and a really cool vibe. I wish I had something like this when I was in College because they had all types of clubs, group nights and Student specials. read more

The Studio Climbing - Go lil Climber. Go!! - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

A really neat rock climbing studio that used to be an old movie theatre! I stumbled upon it when walking around this part of San Jose (it's really close to SoFA Market) and decided to check it out. I love that it wasn't super crowded on the weekend. $20 for a day pass. They have a wide variety of climbs for all skill levels and a great bouldering section in the upstairs part of their gym. read more

The staff is so amazing and understanding. Love this place too much! They have a lot of discount days if you're tight on money also. They have a calendar at the front desk of all the events going on that month. If you've never been there before they will gladly give you a tour. People are really open to helping you out if you're stuck on something. Sometimes it's really packed but everyone is friendly! There are pros that do some pretty crazy stuff and there are a lot of beginners too so you won't feel like a total noob. You can climb, take a class, or work out at the gym! Everyone should try this place out at least once! read more

The Studio Climbing - Bouldering. - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

The to-be-opened Studio has all the makings of a great climbing gym. There's tall walls and a whole second story for bouldering. I went today for their first public display of touchstone in the south bay since 2008's close of the previous downtown san jose bouldering gym. The location had previously been a movie theatre which makes for a perfect climbing spot! They pack a lot of climbing/wall space into a small footprint. I'm really looking forward to climbing here after they open. They have a fitness room area (thinking maybe yoga or aerobic classes area) and nice bouldering area. I've never seen formations like this for bouldering. Though it sort of looks like a picasso painting...if you know what I mean. The climbs were fun and different. I think some of the ratings were a little soft, but that made it really fun to send a lot of things. A lot of the holds were dusty with new construction plaster and there were quite a few spinners. There weren't many n00b friendly routes (easiest thing I saw was a 5.9) but that might have been only for the open house day. The people were incredibly friendly and nice. The gym lay out is pretty cool. The adjustable crack is awesome. The pockets/windows they have around on the walls is also pretty awesome. The nice new grips were great! Touchstone really does make some incredible holds. I loved the different shapes and the different pinches were really nice too. I particularly loved the amount of stemming problems they had. Always a plus with me. Four stars due to parking (which was metered parking or the dtsj parking structure) and the crazziness of the unfinished construction which contributed to disorganization in belay tests and sign ins, lack of changing facilities, and tripping over sheet metal and angle iron. Can't wait to try out the new bouldering area. It looks incredible!!! read more

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The Studio has clean walls and the holds aren't overused so you don't end up having to brush them at all/too often. It's pretty small, but cozy, and there's a lot of breathing space. There are plenty of crash pads to pull around in the bouldering section. There are water bottle cages attached to the railing in the bouldering section to hold your bottles too. I thought that was neat! What I like about The Studio (particularly the bouldering walls) is that the routes aren't packed too densely. It's also very easy to find the pieces for the routes because the tape colors used to mark a route don't usually clash with the nearby ones (like dark blue/dark purple/black at Planet Granite :\). I would come here more often, but it's a bit too far away for me. If I didn't have to worry about distance, I think I would choose The Studio over PG because it's not as busy and because it feels fresher. read more

The Studio Climbing - A part of the boulder wall space. - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

The people really do make a difference here. People at this gym are always friendly and helpful. Whether you are bouldering, top roping, lifting weights or taking yoga classes there will always be a friendly face around... Except when the gym is empty, and that happens quite a bit but it's not a bad thing...unless you like crowded problems and waiting for gym equipment. I used to take Jack's class for strength and conditioning. It was tough at first but he really pushed the tight knit group that we had there. He challenged us, and didn't let us quit. I started out a novice in all the main heavy lifts(squat,deadlift,bench) but now I am more in the intermediate range. I put on a solid 15 lbs from taking Jack's class and learned proper form for a lot of lifts. I really appreciated all the time and effort he put in to making us stronger mentally and physically. But he doesn't teach the class now and Victor is the new trainer teaching the class. He's comes off nicer than Jack so the class is less intimidating. But his work outs look just as tough. I tend to just work out on my own now but, yes the people do make this gym worth while. read more

I've been climbing here for almost two months, and it's gotten me hooked on the sport. The after work weekdays are usually not super crowded unlike PG Sunnyvale, which is great considering that it's not a super large gym either. The bouldering side is a tad small, but with the limited space it's probably bound to happen. The only times it was an issue was on super busy days where I didn't want to accidentally fall on someone. The roped section is the highlight for me, and I'm definitely not at an advanced enough level yet to clear all of the routes. Parking is one tricky aspect, your best bet is either 2nd and San Carlos garage, which is free for the first 90 mins, or street parking on 1st street. Overall a clean and good looking gym though, I look forward to coming here every time. read more

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I came by the other day with a friend and was thinking of opening a membership... that quickly changed due to the rude and uninterested staff. They won't even acknowledge you unless you approach them and try to get their attention. We will be checking out the gym in Santa Clara , I hear they have more friendly staff. read more

Very interesting gym in an old theater. Came here to top rope and found a really cool belay partner. The route setting is pretty good with a nice diversity of routes with different styles. Really nice and high walls with a nice roof section on one side. The route rating seemed pretty accurate and stuck to 11- for the session and had plenty of routes to climb. I really like climbing here and will return any time I'm in the area. Only took off a star for the bouldering area which is pretty small and basic. Also, there aren't any auto belays so if you can't find a belay partner you're stuck with the small bouldering area, otherwise a great gym and nice staff. read more

Very friendly staff! Super helpful and willing to help. Plenty of variety on the walls and plenty of boulder tracks. Great added feature having the weights/TRX/treadmills as well. Highly recommend. They also have a lot of kiddie birthdays on the weekends. Which is great for the kids! read more

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This gym is pretty awesome, the front desk staff is very friendly and welcoming! It took less than 15 minutes to check in, get my friend a guest pass, and get belay certified. The studio is part of touchstone climbings many gyms in the Bay Area, and I happened to be a member of the new la boulders so I figured why not check out these gyms! The walls were pretty tall I'd estimate something around 40 feet, there is about 50-60 ropes, plenty of routes for everyone to climb. The ratings for the routes are a bit soft, a 10b seemed more like 9 but hey that's all subjective! There was plenty of variety of routes from overhanging, balancy, lead etc... Plenty to do in a day! Parking is a bit scarce, they validate 2 hours in the city lots but any more you will have to pay- expect to pay about 2-3 dollars per climbing session, I usually climb about 2-3 hours. Compared to planet granite, this gym is quite a bit smaller, and a little less nice. The bathrooms were small, and the changing area was somewhat non existent. The workout area for is about 1/5 the size of planet granite. Pricing for planet granite gyms is similar to touchstone, but their facilities are a lot nicer! That's not a knock on the studio, just stating facts. read more

I drove down to San Jose with my climbing partner to check out The Studio, and I totally fell in love with it... dare I say, more than Mission Cliffs? I didn't get to check out the spacious bouldering area upstairs but instead stayed in the main top roping area, where a few challenging bouldering routes are interspersed. The best part about this gym is that it's SO empty. I was here on a Sunday, and there was hardly anyone around except for large hoards of kids doing a climbing crash course. There are plenty of routes, so I never really had to wait (long) for any one I wanted to tackle. The walls are shorter than those at Mission Cliffs but they're still pretty high! The staff members are super San Jose chill. Less crowded gym also means less crowded locker rooms. I'm glad that other climbing gyms are stealing the masses because I'm totally coming here whenever I venture down to South Bay. read more

My friend and I got a groupon deal for one month unlimited climbing at the Studio. The intro class was very informative. HELLO, people! SAFETY FIRST! It's not just your life at stake, it's your partner too! I'm glad it was just me and my friend taking the intro course because we got individualized attention. I've never been part of a membership for rock climbing so I can't compare this gym to other rock climbing gyms. This gym is very clean and staff friendly. The gym includes classes such as conditioning, yoga and spin and a sauna room! Too bad most of the classes are in the evening. I'd take them if they were in the early mornings! Yoga at 6am to start your day? SURE!!! I'm all for it. Classes usually start around 4:30-5pm. They're all posted on their website, which is also nice to plan your rock climbing and/or classes. Lockers are clean; you can borrow a lock with your ID. My only gripe about this place? Finding parking in downtown San Jose is a pain in the butt. read more

The Studio Climbing - A new hobby? - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

Love this place, perfect spot to enjoy a day or night with friends, price is affordable and day pass is the best when you come in before 3 pm Great different levels great environment even has a gym upstairs and boulders you can climb It's 15 dollars before 3pm for the whole day so worth it and it's like 5 dollars to rent gear, Challenge yourself! read more

The Studio Climbing - Haha the poodle beat - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

A terrific climbing studio in downtown SJ, in an area that does not have many climbing gyms to choose from. It makes good use of the space it has, and even when it was mildly under construction there are still many routes to top rope and boulder. It not being my home gym, I was unclear how the registration process and climbs would be, but I felt very welcome and challenged by the routes when I was there. And, it's not super expensive! Win win. read more

This place is seriously awesome! My friend has a membership here, and he wanted to show me and another friend how the facility was. Only one guest pass is allowed, but the people at the front desk were really nice. My friend took the guest pass to try climbing. I was not allowed to climb, but they let me watch and explore the facilities. The vibe was super friendly with people helping each other. I would love to go back for a day pass, and climb for one day. I know my friend pays $50 a month for membership, and I do think it is a bit pricey for me, but if you are a loyal climber, I think it's worth it. read more

Really disappointed! I have been there a few times along my friends and I was going to open a membership also, but one staff whose name is Chris has a very bad attitude and any time we arrived there, he kept us waiting for minutes(trying to finish his food or whatever to keep us waiting in front of the desk!) He is also so rude and does not talk to us appropriately. I AM NOT OPENING A MEMBERSHIP FOR SURE AND MY FRIENDS ARE CANCELING THEIRS. read more

Parking is actually not that bad. There are so many garages around the vicinity that you should be able to park very close to the facility. The gym validates 2 hours of parking for the users so the only problem is to find a city owned parking structure that the studio validates. The bouldering area is smaller compare to dogpatch in SF but it was large enough and wasn't super crowded when I went on a Sunday. read more

Great gym. Great staff. Clean. They have everything you'd want in a climbing gym. Classes. Bouldering. A separate gym area for weights and cardio. Small bathrooms but I've never seen it packed. There is street parking and a block away there is a parking garage. The gym validates the parking. I come here to climb and i love it so far. I brought a 10 pack and after I use it up I'll probably do a monthly membership. read more

This gym only gets busy because there are no other Touchstone gyms in the South Bay. Once PG opens in Santa Clara, I'm switching my membership. Lots of things about this gym make climbing really frustrating. There's very little street parking, so you have to park in the SJ convention center, and walk over. The walk isn't long but at night, there are some homeless folks who catcall me and make me feel unsafe. The actual interior is warm, stuffy, and kind of grimy feeling. I think the toprope and lead area is nicer than the bouldering area. The bouldering area gets super crowded; because of the setup, people are always standing under climbers and it's hard to stay out of other people's space. You have to walk through the weight area to go back downstairs. There aren't any signs reminding people to take off climbing shoes before using the restroom :( and the toprope belay test is way too chill. The guys at the front desk are nice, but it's just not a great experience to climb here. I can't wait for the PG bouldering gym to open later this fall. read more

In the quest to regain a modicum of youthful prowess (just kidding, look at me; I've never even known what svelte or spry means) and - actually, mostly this - overcome some pestering, panicky, post-injury anxieties, Studio and the people of have become a safe-place away from egoist and elitist. Nearby Planet Granite Sunnyvale is easily 3-4 times larger and offers at least that much more in rope and bouldering options, as well as being better-outfitted with weight/fitness equipment, but Studio's small downtown locale and reclusive-chic [read: mostly hipsters, granolas, & co-eds] make for a less hurried scene; not as much queuing up for climbs/problems, fewer (scrutinizing) eyes on your climbing, less imperative on topping out, more on nurturing ability. Some might contend that the smaller facility equates to a lack of options - that one will have climbed/send'd everything they can in relatively short order and that the routes aren't refreshed with enough frequency. Probably not untrue, but if you've climbed everything you *can, why not press yourself on the problems that are rated harder or just above your comfort zone? (...see what I did there? "above"? Because climbing? I know. I'm the worst.) Get after those moves you couldn't do yesterday, pass that crux you couldn't read last week, top that route you wouldn't have even tried last month. In that regard, there is almost always something to climb. True, Studio (as well as most indoor-climbing gyms to some extent) rate their climbs subjectively and those ratings can vary from chain to chain, setter to setter, climber to climber. To that I say don't be so fixated on grade. Read routes, look for cruxes, make attempts, push your limits, climb safe regardless. Just try things; you're your own/only competitor here. Namaste. Proximity to Japantown/downtown make Studio [personally] accessible by bike (agreed, street parking can be a pain) and lends itself to easily seek out food or a post-session drink [priorities, am I right?]. A trek to PG is always looked-forward to, but necessitates some planning. A jaunt to Studio can happen on impulse, and I like that. (Do I maybe have commitment issues? Don't answer that.) Plus, Studio being frequented by downtown dwellers, there's a whimsical camaraderie borne of running into and socializing with business owners, bartenders, & restaurateurs outside of [their] work. PG might be the big glimmering mecca, but there's something nice about neighborhood-y Studio. ________________________________________________________ Workout, then nosh on a burger! Hi, I'm mikey and I do fitness wrong. read more

It's a nice cozy place, not the biggest rock climbing gym but it was a fun experience. The major downside was the terrible customer service. The bald bearded guy was sooo rude it's like he was pissed off that customers even walk in. The staff at the front essentially treat you like an alien from a different planet with a pinch of being very condescending, bald beard guy needs to either be more friendly or be put in a spot where he doesn't interact with customers. Probably won't come back here just for that reason. Movement Santa Clara it is for me. read more

Good climbing, good route setting, and friendly staff. However, it's one of those gyms that doesn't have a lead-belay only certification. My wife does not lead, but she is a pro lead belayer. With about 1/3 of the non-kid routes being lead routes, we wished we had stopped at another gym along our road trip. There are numerous gyms that have a lead belay only certification, get on board. We headed out after I ran out of top rope 5.12s. read more

BRO did you skip arm day??? Nothing makes you wonder this like pulling your body weight on tiny rocks. I'm a rock climbing n00b. I've bouldered once before...only once. Anyway I wanted to try it out again and out of all the rock climbing gyms that were relatively close by, this seemed to stick out (their website FAQ is pretty hilarious). The gym itself is awesome. I've actually (and you too probably, if you've walked around DTSJ) walked past it without realizing it/realizing what it was. The staff is super friendly and informative. You go in, sign a waiver, and you get the run down. I just went to boulder, they have rock-climbing classes if you want to use their HUGE ARSE walls (2 stories), which are in the afternoon. The facilities are nice and clean too. There's locker rooms and bathrooms for men and women near the front of the gym. The bouldering space is upstairs, and there's plenty of crash pads and routes. It can get a little crowded because the similar leveled routes (in my case, beginner) are pretty close to each other. It's not a big deal though, since waiting gives your hands a break. They also have a small free weights area with a squat rack (and some cardio machines), which is always a plus, got my gym workout in and climbed in one stop! It's $12 for the day pass before 3pm, and $4 to rent shoes + chalk. I parked around Safeway and walked over (it's a little past the building that smells strongly of piss). I'm not sure if there's street parking nearby, but I feel like it's not too terrible (harder than Fremont but easier than DTLA/SF...everything is relative)! :) Planning on coming back soon! read more

First timer here and rock climbing! It was a really fun experience! -Decent prices. -Big -Great staff Negative: So, all the rocks were section and marked by level of difficulties. 5.4 is the lowest. 5.12 was the hardest. I made it to 5.8 ^_^ but I was hoping there would be more choices of the middle level ones. There were TOO MANY challenging ones (5.10 +) read more

I've been climbing at The Studio for a couple of months now, after having jumped ship from Planet Granite Sunnyvale. I have to say that I'm really liking it! Some of it is still a work in progress, but that's okay. There are 3 levels going on here in this former club/theater: level 1 is the ground floor for the toproping area, level 2 midway up the stairs leads you to fitness rooms where you can take yoga/pilatoes, and level 3 (or I guess 2.5 and 3?) house your classic treadmills, dumbbells and the like, along with the bouldering area. The initial draw for me was that this gym is a lot closer to my house than PG Sunnyvale. Don't get me wrong, PG is really a top-of-the-line facility, but it was getting pretty annoying to have to make the drive after work. Enter The Studio -- it's a smaller gym, with a lot cozier vibe and fewer people. It's really nice being able to toprope and/or boulder at a gym and not have to wait for 3 other people to climb a route first!! I did notice that some of the routes were rated a bit easier than what I'm used to, and some of them MUCH harder (I warmed up on a weirdly, way-too-difficult-to-make-sense 5.4 before). You can park on the street (free after 6 PM) or park in the SJ Convention Center garage, with a 2 hour validation, which is really nice! I was worried at first that I wouldn't be able to find parking downtown, but there's usually plenty of room at the garage. Only other things would be that the holds have had some residual plaster on them from time to time, because of the new construction, and that in the fitness/weights area, there weren't any barbells that I could see. I was really looking forward to seeing barbells so I could do squats and dead lifts, but maybe they're bringing those in later? If you're interested in climbing and live in the area, definitely check this place out! read more

This is a really cool place to go with a group of friends, your ride or die partner, or just going there by yourself. Not only is it a cool place to go workout and have fun but it use to be an old movie theater, which makes it feel like a hidden gem in Downtown SJ. When I was a wee' little boy, I remember passing this location various times but often disregarded it because I had always assumed it to be a theater. This plays out really well because it just shows that only a selected few know the place meaning less people to cause traffic for your climb. Another thing that makes this place really good is the fact that they color code the climbs. Not only do they use bright and colorful tape but the tapes they use match the rocks as well, making it easier to view and spot. This is great because unlike other places that I have been to, they tend to just use the color tapes rather than using the same color rocks which often causes a lot of confusion. I remember very vaguely that I was climbing a V3 and wandered onto a V6 that was nearby, due to the color of rocks. Overall, I really like this place a lot just because I know I can get a good deal if I do the early bird special. But I am not a professional rock climber so I can't say "This is the best place to go to!" because I don't quite have the criteria but nonetheless check this place out! read more

Thank you, Touchstone for giving me my first-ever rock-climbing experience. If you are first-timer, book a 1-hour Intro Class to learn the basics of climbing...in no time, you'll be dangling 40 feet above the floor. For a rock climbing studio, Touchstone is relatively clean and non-crowded (so you're not waiting around all day, yay!). They have lots of different options for both bouldering and belaying, and they always have new routes. They do have more difficult options than easy ones (I recall only one 5.6 and two 5.7s). The staff here definitely know their stuff and are super friendly & helpful. They sell rock climbing gear here (shoes, chalk, etc) and their own branded swag. This definitely is not a cheap hobby by any means - a day pass is $20 and gear rental (shoe, harness, belay device) is $5. HOWEVER, if you come before 3 pm, you will only pay $15 for a day pass on weekdays. But you pay the fee to enter Touchstone, you will also have access to their gym ad classes if you're looking for a little variety in your workout. To get the most bang out of your buck, I would recommend coming here early in the day and planning to spend a few hours climbing; go out for some lunch and come back to the Studio to log some more hours. Happy Climbing! PRO TIP #1: every Friday is Student Night which means $15 all-day passes for anyone with a student ID PRO TIP #2: this place is within walking distance to a LaVic's and sometimes has food trucks outside (so you can eat back all the calories you burned) PRO TIP #3: if this is your first time rock-climbing, know that your upper body (back, shoulders, arms) will definitely hurt due to improper form; try to use your lower body more when climbing! read more

Absolutely love this gym! Great customer service and atmosphere. Will definitely be back! Wish they had a larger bouldering section though.

Highlights: - Very clean and new. Great first rock climbing experience. - Plenty of space to climb and not crowded (maybe because I went before Christmas eve) - Variety of walls, levels, and bouldering on a separate level. - Yoga room and mini gym. - Separate men's and women's locker rooms. - Mini co-ed sauna room. - Employees are very friendly and helpful. Improvements: - One wall had a loose rock and friend scrapped his finger. P.S. Go with friends that have been before, so that they can teach you the ropes and belay for you. read more

I must have been spoiled by Planet Granite in Sunnyvale because this studio is ALOT smaller and the velcro shoes are not as secured (I have narrow feet). Other reviews said friendly staff, but I must have been on the wrong day, because the staff seemed tired and annoyed around 10am on a Saturday. The bouldering area is quite small and not friendly towards beginners...there's no wall chart to teach beginners/newcomers about different holds (unlike PG). People get to leave their bags/personals anywhere, making it time consuming/dangerous to walk around and move them out of the way. read more

Great team, very approachable and helpful. Family friendly environment excellent for the four of us. Access to gym with free weights is also a huge plus. read more

I recently joined an introduction to climbing class here with my fiancee and I had a great time! Both of us did. The class costed $30 per person but it included the intro basics, rentals, plus a day pass so you can keep climbing afterwards. As far as the website says, it appears this place is not only a climbing studio but also a gym with classes. I had originally considered coming here as a member with that variety in mind, but unfortunately I don't think I will anymore. The climbing is great, don't get me wrong on that. But in my opinion I don't think the gym is really as fully functional as I would like, nor are there many classes available to partake in. Back to the climbing though, the climbing is great. The climbing walls are aplenty with all different levels of difficulty available and clearly marked. Upstairs they also have an area for bouldering. In terms of the introductory class we took, I really enjoyed that. The instructor was very thorough and gave clear instructions and he was very patient. The class only had 6 students but each of us learned at a different pace and he was kind to go back and make sure everyone was on the same page. One negative I can think of though is the parking situation. You just have to find parking along the street and hope you get lucky. A private lot would have been nice, but I suppose in this area that would be hard to come by as well. I may not be back for a membership, but for sure I will return for more rock climbing! read more

The Studio is home to a more tight knit group of climbers in the South Bay. While most are enjoying the mammoth of a climbing gym that is Planet Granite Sunnyvale, a handful of dedicated individuals are crushin' it at The Studio. My quick summary -- Pros: - Tall walls, but not the tallest! Mission Cliffs and PG Sunnyvale do it better. - Not crowded! I go here to get my rope fix in. While most gyms are crowded during the weekday evening hours, The Studio boasts many vacant routes for your climbing desires. No waiting to "switch off" with another group. Just climb! - They have a cute nook you can rest in during your top rope climb! - TRX classes are pretty slick - Fun events (like headlamp climbing)! Cons: - Routes are updated infrequently. If you go consistently, a route refresher is to be desired. - The water fountain is all the way at the bottom! So if you're bouldering upstairs, be sure to bring your own water bottle. read more

Awesome gym if you are looking for a place to better yourself with cool people and make some friends while you get sweaty! They have a good set of the usual weight training type stuff (+treadmills and bikes). They have a variety of classes for you to take. So if you want to climb or lift weights I'd say it's great for climbing and pretty good for weights (they lack just some of the more neglected usuals). If you have a buddy to come with it makes everything better, if not it's easy to make friends! Bathrooms are great and their shampoo/body was smells amazing. If you're a student at SJSU I highly suggest getting the 40$ membership. read more

The Studio Climbing - Up stairs bouldering. (Shot while sitting on a comfy bean bag chair.) - Rock Climbing Near Me - San Jose, California

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We chose to come here instead of Planet Granite, because it's a bit cheaper. We're just in town for a couple of weeks, so we're not going to get memberships. I immediately brushed off the fact that the gym is smaller (especially the bouldering) and doesn't have free parking, because I wanted to be positive. The gym validates your parking for up to two hours, and you pay the difference. No big deal! I feel extremely insulted by my experience at the gym. We passed the top rope test easily and were told we could take the lead test in an hour when more staff arrived. We thought that was fine and went to the top rope area. After an hour, a different staff person handled our request, and he seemed skeptical of us right off the bat. "Do you even have a rope?" "Do you know how to lead climb?" "Have you lead climbed before?" "Do you need to practice more?" We politely answered his questions without bothering to mention that we've been leading for years, have passed several lead tests elsewhere, and just ended a 6 month outdoor climbing trip. He explained that the test is very rigorous, and he's seeking perfection. We do the test, and while neither of us z-clipped, back-clipped, put our leg behind the rope, struggled, lost control while catching the person, short-roped, announced our fall, or skipped a clip, he still failed us. WTF. He criticized my partner for high clipping at the end, and he criticized me for not standing far enough to the side when my partner was going to the first clip. But my partner was high clipping on easy terrain and was in complete control, and I did stand to the side, but it wasn't super exaggerated. I later looked up their criteria online, and it states: Belayer must belay immediately underneath the first clip until climber has clipped at least the 4th quickdraw. Lead climbers must clip between their waist and head level, or higher if safe and in control. So you DON'T want us to stand to the side? And high clipping IS acceptable if in control? Basically, the staff person ignored the fact that we were clearly competent and climbing safely. He decided to make us compete for Olympic Lead Test Gold and fail us for subjective style points. This was extremely insulting and a waste of money. We later watched other people lead climbing, and one girl was clearly uncomfortable and skipped a clip. Was she passed on the same standards? He explained we could take the test again in a few days. Forget that, we're going to Planet Granite next time. read more

What a fun experience at a well maintained climbing gym. My 6 and 14year old had a blast. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall awesome experience. read more