My interaction with the staff has always been a pleasant one; they definitely know what they're…read moredoing and are definitely passionate about rock climbing. The facilities are also well-maintained since they are clean and properly managed.
My biggest concern for this place, however, is the affordability of the memberships. I'm sure the up-keeping of the facility can be expensive, but the prices only attract a particular group of people. Perhaps this is intentional; I am always looking for places that seek to incorporate diversity, both economically and racially. Keeping up with the monthly membership price is surely not sustainable for someone who lives off minimum wage or, even for someone who makes a bit more. Thus, though this can be a fun and safe place for the community, it lacks the actual representation of the latter. Moreover, no incentive programs currently exist to make this place a bit more affordable for the average working-class family in the city.
Now, while they do have a family plan, it is exclusively for immediate family. I tried to create a membership with my older brothers but, was told that the family membership was only for my spouse and children. of which I have neither. This is truly a disappointment since with the single membership, you can only bring a guest with you once a month; after that there is a fee. So, if you're someone like me, who likes to bring a friend along to help with climbing or to encourage you with working out, this isn't the place for you. Unless of course, you friend wants to purchase a membership, too. But again, it´s just not cost-efficient or worth it for the average low/medium income person.
But, for those of you who make a good amount of money, this place can definitely be worth it. They offer a wide range of workout classes and opportunities to get better at rock climbing. You'll just want to make sure you're taking advantage of everything- to make the dollar count.
Overall, I really enjoy rock climbing, and this facility is truly well-managed and maintained. It has a lot of potential to actively engage with the community it's in; however, whether intentional or not, it greatly lacks in being a racially and economically diverse space. This is truly unfortunate for a place as fun and engaging as this one can be. Frankly, it's intimidating when you can count, with one hand, the number of people of color during a typical night, or even to witness the non-existence of the lower/ lower-middle class. And if you're from Worcester, you know it's a large community they're keeping out, a community that is greatly diverse. This facility has the opportunity to bring people together, but unfortunately, the prices hinder this from doing so and have instead, settled for just one particular group. And oh! the prices just recently went up $5.00 for all memberships.
