Lots of fun, professional employees who know how to teach new climbers, and a great facility. It would be nice if they had auto belays.

Decent gym with very nice people but not enough staff. So I was bouldering here and was lucky enough to meet some kind folks to belay me. I rarely trust folks that much but they were great. The setting was strange (like break your wrists) strange. Also, I wanted to take the lead test but no one was available to test me even with a new friend. So it was disappointing. One good thing is that o forgot my wallet but they do take Apple Pay. read more

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I didn't think I was climbing when we showed up, in fact, I actually hate heights at this point in my life and was not dressed for the occasion either‍...They got rid of all the auto belay options, so my son and I went through the mandatory training and up we went, what a great time!! The training involves learning how to safely tie the correct figure 8 knot and how to safely climb as a team, then you are on your own, so pay attention or might get hurt, or worse! My son climbs like a monkey, but I have to say I made it to the top as well, just not as quickly as he did. read more

Omg I had a blast!!! I'm 247 lbs and ever thought I could do something like this!!!!! I paid 33 for my class and it was worth it! I don't recommend going after working out lol They do have a workout room that's included in ur admission but if u only want to work out it's $33!!! I signed up for the beginners class and can't wait to start! The staff is really nice and they take their time to explain everything read more

Vertical Adventures - Rock climbing area - Rock Climbing Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

(Summary at bottom) This was by far my favorite indoor climbing experience yet. VA has been a place I've gone a few times all before really getting into rock climbing. I went here today after climbing regularly for the past 5 months and had an absolute blast. They are still under strict covid protocol only allowing a certain number of people in during each 2 hour block. You can go online and reserve a spot and the system to do this is very clear and simple. Once we arrived, the staff was very fun and friendly and helped those in our group who have not done the auto belay course/safety waiver to get those done. They also did a quick top rope belay test for my friend so he would be certified to belay during the visit and in future visits. We spent most of our time in the top rope areas which are awesome! There is a ton of space for regular belaying and there are around 7 auto belays for people who aren't certified. About 3/4 of the top rope section is the higher wall (around 40ft) and 1/4 is a shorter wall with more technical routes. This was plenty of climbing for our 2 hour visit. VA also has a gym and two separate bouldering sections that looked quite legit but we did not utilize them. The whole facility is very clean and professionally run. We really enjoyed our time here and you can tell the atmosphere is positive and fun! The prices however do seem pretty high compared to other gyms I've been to. A regular adult "day pass" (which is really only 2 hours - and yes they do have people leave after their two hours is up) is $23. This is much higher than other gyms who also allow for stays beyond 2 hours. Other than this I would highly recommend. SUMMARY Pros - Fun helpful staff - Tons of options from top rope, bouldering, and regular gym - Clean and professional - FUN and abundant routes Cons - Prices are very steep read more

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It is an ok climbing gym I climb very often but this gym has many flaws many gyms I go to let you borrow a rope if you aren't from the gym, they usually just trade you a valuable item they don't do it at all. The gym is big but not many top rope belay stations. read more

What a great climbing facility with climbing options for all levels. Spend the time to get the rope training as there are not may auto belay options. read more

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Recently brought my fiancé here on a date day, and she loved it! I've been climbing here for a few years now and it really is the best gym in the area. Staff is helpful and kind, gym stays clean and fresh (even during covid chaos) and the routes are changing every week! They offer a lot of classes for the novice and the more experienced climber and they truly care about giving back to our columbus community. VA all the way! read more

Vertical Adventures - Nikki havin some fun before she sent this top rope route - Rock Climbing Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is probably one of my favorite things to do in Columbus. Most people, when looking to get fit, just find a regular gym to attend. Honestly even that can get boring. This place is great! I go a lot. The staff if very friendly and knowledgeable. They're always willing to help out and answer any questions. They do offer classes, which i am signed into one of them currently. Can't say enough good things about these guys. Fun atmosphere. Even guests/climbers are awesome. Everyone is laid back and there for a good time. If you're new to the climbing community and feel intimated by going, don't. Everyone is out to help one another in the best possible ways. If someone is better than you, they've simply been doing it longer and are more than willing to help you. Every time i go people just talk. It's one big community and one big communication line. Go. Enjoy yourself. read more

I can always channel my inner child when I am at Vertical Adventures! I always find myself trying to do handstands and cartwheels while I'm there. There are so many great things about this place and I honestly don't know where to begin. The gym is separated into several sections. There is the test wall, the beginner top rope walls, the intermediate-advanced top rope walls, the more advanced lead climbing walls, the bouldering (free climbing spaces with no rope about 15 feet high) sections, the workout gym and the climbing store! They even have a slack line (like a tight rope) where you can attempt to walk across without falling (and I heard they just installed a new outdoors slackline)! This place is like a climbers playground with so many amazing features. They accommodate every skill level and everyone is so welcoming and kind. They make sure to remind everyone that climbing is fun, but it is also very dangerous so it's important to be smart. I started climbing last May with my boyfriend and we've made so many new friends. The climbing community is amazing. They even have a sign up board for people who don't have a partner to meet up with other people! If you did want to go alone, they also have self climbing ropes where you don't need a partner to climb. read more

Vertical Adventures - One of my favorite walls! - Rock Climbing Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Favorite place to climb in Columbus. If I lived here I would be a member for all the additional perks, but unfortunately I'm not. Staff is always friendly and helpful and great climbing routes. read more

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This place was a lot of fun. It would work well as a date night or to go alone and meet new people. For starters, everyone was really courteous and friendly. I took the intro class, and our instructor went over the basics well. Afterwards, it was easy to find lanes for climbing, even though it was mid afternoon on a Saturday They have a pretty big wall for bouldering on the 2nd floor. This is where you can climb without ropes or lessons. They're also kid friendly with all levels of climbing, and something suitable for everyone (even adaptive climbing for anyone with less mobility). I've been to one other gym in Southern Denver, and this was far larger, brighter, generally enjoyable. Check it out. read more

This place is super cool! My husband and I went here a while back right before I was pregnant and were always had a blast! There's lots of room for a bunch of people so it never feels crowded! There's a small second story area too where you can climb without being tethered. When we first showed up we didn't know what to expect, but we got a brief training class and watched a video before getting started! Tgis is also a great place for kids about 2 years and older. We were in awe of this little girl who would just scramble all the way croon the bottom to the top in just a couple of minutes! They also have staff around in the floors to help people, and if you're going solo sometimes a staff member can help you out to be your partner - but I bet you could join in with another group of people because everyone there is friendly and helpful! read more

We were at the small gym today. Saturday from 6-8 is open climb for anyone. Great place to learn the sport. These guys do such an amazing job with all the kid programs. The instructors rock! The place is clean and safety is #1. read more

Vertical Adventures - Rock Climbing Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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This was my 3rd trip to VA. I've always had a great experience with the customer service and the gym is obviously very well kept but I really, REALLY hate that the gym is transitioning away from the YDS grading scale. I have to travel at least 2 hours to climb so I don't always go to the same gym and I climb on out of state trips as well. Without the YDS system, it's very hard to build up to the most difficult climbs I want to make especially not being in the gym all the time. Please reconsider this new policy and this would be a 5/5 review! read more

I didn't know this place existed and was amazed at all the wall climbing opportunities they offer. This was my first time climbing more than a wall at an amusement park, and I was pleased with the variety of wall set ups and the opportunities for learning more. Their belay classes are very hands on and made me feel comfortable helping my son during his climbs. read more

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I absolutely love this gym. I've been to a couple of other gyms before, but this one outshines the other gyms by far. It's clean, the staff is friendly, there's a ton of merchandise, and their walls are great. Maybe because it's a newer gym, but the gym is in great condition. I especially like their bouldering wall and the fact that they have some lifting equipment around. They also have great community involvement. Even though I'm not a member, I'm able to go at least twice a month for free or a reduced charge due to events like college night and ladies' night. read more

Probably the best climbing gym I have ever been too and I've been to quite a few in many states! VA is brightly colored and has so much lighting-- something that seems to be lacking in many climbing gyms. Additionally they have always been a comfortable temperature and have giant fans always going -- another thing I feel a lot of gyms are missing. They have so many routes for any level of experience on their top rope walls and great challenges for those looking to lead. Additionally they have 2 areas for bouldering which has tons of routes. If it's yours first time coming, expect to have a very short orientation lead by experienced and friendly staff members. If you're an experienced climber looking to belay, the test is quick and the workers are always willing to help out. It can be a bit pricey but they occasionally have really good deals going on which helps for the college students nearby. Compared to all the other gyms I've been to, VA gives your the most amount of routes for the money you pay. I wish VA had a little more organization in their organization for routes. Many other gyms I've been to have this figured it in a very clear way but I'm sure VA isn't far away from excelling at that too! read more

Very helpful staff and wonderful facilities. I only wish that they had earlier hours. None of their locations open before 11, which makes it harder for me to make it work with my schedule. Please have at least one of the locations open by 9! read more

Best climbing in Columbus! My husband and I have been climbing here for over a year. It's our weekly date night. The facility is always clean and welcoming. Since moving into the new building, they are consistently adding more events and member benefits to improve the overall experience at VA. The staff at VA are always friendly and helpful. One staff member even offered to belay for me while I was waiting for my hubby to finish his climb on the auto belay. I can't say enough awesome things about the people and the business that are Vertical Adventures. read more

We came for a bouldering comp over the weekend. Surprised to see so few reviews for this place. Vertical Adventures does a great job. It's maybe 4 stars compared to the best gyms, but I'll round up. A 4 star climbing gym gets 5 stars compared to all other experiences you can legally purchase in Ohio. The staff was super polite and helpful, in spite of what must have been a really long day given two competitions and an open climbing session. The whole place is in nice shape, with nice clean holds and that super grippy wall texture that makes smearing in feel like cheating. Definitely a friendly place to start out if you're new to climbing. Most gyms focus on route difficulty in the 5.8-5.12 range. VA has plenty of even easier 5.4-5.7 climbs for kids and adults of all fitness levels, and the easy stuff is placed front and center so you see them right as you come in. Nice to have precious wall space dedicated to less experienced folks, which makes the place feel less intimidating. The bouldering area (short walls, padded landing instead of ropes, great for people climbing alone) isn't as topographically crazy as you'll find in a lot of gyms, but it's solid. Great that they've lumped grades together under color coding, as bouldering grades are notoriously bad in gyms anyway. Hopefully this encourages people to experiment a bit more, as opposed to getting turned off because they think they're not V4 climbers. For more advanced climbers, the lead walls are solid. Tall, safely set up with good overhangs, and with lots more 5.9-5.10 lead climbs than usual. Great for us mortals who aren't strong enough to run laps on 5.11's but want to put in more time to get better on lead. Kudos to the setters. Routes have clean movement that made me feel better than I am. Holds appeared where I wanted almost by magic. If anything, the routes were too flow-y and made grades feel a bit soft. Loads of fun and better than erring on the side of constant "blerghhhh, this is so awkward. I am so worthless and bad at everything", but keep this in mind when you head outside to climb. read more

Love it! The staff is so helpful and made sure we knew what we were doing in our first time coming in. We didn't even have to ask for help, the staff came around and offered help and tutorials anyways. Plenty of walls ranging from kid to beginner to expert. Fun way to exercise. Very clean and great atmosphere. read more

Really miss this place since moving out of Columbus. Always clean, well lit, and routes rotate very quickly. Great place to learn for the first time, or to keep up with longtime training. Staff was always extremely friendly and helpful (except the condescending older guy who always wears the funny hat) and its hard to beat their multiple locations that are all a part of one membership. read more

Great community of climbers, new and old. The new gym raises the bar. Get there and crush it!

Had a great 101 instruction with Bruce! He was very personable & made everyone feel comfortable. The class was great, and afterwards Bruce was available for questions as we climbed on our own. Your class reg includes a two-week pass. read more

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I got a chance to check out the new location. They have walltopia for their rope and bouldering walls. Solid pro shop for climb gear and easy parking. The bouldering area has 14 inch pads and a monochromatic color system to indicate climb problems/routes. They also use a color system for grading problems. Black is v0, Yellow is v1-v2, Orange v3-v4, blue v5-v6, red v7-v8. The grading problems are a bit stiff as well. I felt most of the Blue v5-v6 fell around the v6-v7 problems. Regardless of the grade, the problems had great body movement and I would go again to climb. I did not have enough time to do any lead climbing during my trip but the walls looked solid but no intense over hang walls. If that is what you are looking for. Super solid climbing at this place and suggest others to go. read more

Very awesome place very knowledgeable and safety concerned staff. They have a wall for everyone and classes as well. If you are looking to get into climbing or are already a hardcore climber this is the place to go. read more

My 8 year old grandson visiting from L.I., NY LOVED this activity! He climbed non-stop for 3 hours and rated it his favorite activity of the week and wants to return his last day before going home. As a grandparent, I was thrilled with the level of instruction, words of confidence and guidance to navigate the steadily more challenging climbs; the staff were ALL great! Thank you Vertical Adventures - my new go-to adventure spot for my grandchildren! read more

A solid, climbing gym -- we were in town visiting relatives and looking for something to do, so we brought our climbing gear with us. It's not too big (at least by CO standards, and was crazy busy post-Christmas), but has nice, high walls. The walls are beautiful -- really nicely sculpted with lots of interesting angles. Route-setting was good, and the grading was consistent and just as stiff as in CO or other gyms we've been to. It was kind of weird that they don't have a locker room, but they have everything from lead climbing to top ropes to auto-belays and a good bouldering area. Maybe too much room dedicated to leading, or the holiday crowd is different from the usual crowd, but we were really packed in once we got too tired for leading. They have a weird custom that I've not seen at other climbing gyms (and we've been to a lot) where you are expected to tie up the ends of top-ropes after finishing a route -- we didn't realize it so got a few stares until we figured it out... All in all, a nice gym that we'll be happy to return to when we come back to Columbus. read more

Vertical Adventures is fantastic! All of the staff is so welcoming and will help you with anything during your visit. I recently took Ropes 101 with Bruce. He was a wonderful teacher, and we had a lot of fun! He really helped us understand the fundamentals of climbing and belaying and is so willing to help whenever we see him (even when he isn't there for work). Overall, it's been a great experience, with a kind community! :) read more

I went to Vertical Adventures last week with my friend who is a member of the gym. When you are a member you are able to bring friend who is a non member once per month for free so I didn't have to buy a day pass! yay! I never visited the old location but the new one is sooo nice! I was very impressed with how much they had in there! Everything was really clean, and even the muzak was awesome. And the staff was seriously so friendly and attractive lol (idk if that is appropriate to write on Yelp but I'm saying it)! I have only climbed two or three times before and I felt really comfortable asking the staff for help. There are two large bouldering areas (climbing without ropes on shorter walls) and like 15 places to climb with ropes. Some have automatic belays so you don't even need a belayer to climb. The have a slack line set up too and it's pretty low to the ground so you can work on your balance and you are only like 1 foot from the ground. I hope I get to go back soon! I would really like to become a member if I could get more experienced at climbing. read more

Been climbing at VA for over 8 years - I started in their original facility down the road. This new gym is incredible, staff is awesome, informative, and most importantly safety oriented. Both my wife, friends, and family climb here regularly. If anything, VA is too good! - As it is often quite busy, but still well worth the visit. read more