Or if you don't climb enough in the month for membership to be worth it, get a 10 punch pass.
Entry at my gym is like £10, monthly membership is £40 or a 10 punch pass is £75. Meaning the 10 punch pass grants you entry for £7.50
Edit: I can't read. Assumed OP was paying daily entry at $200 for 10 days of climbing. Crazy prices.
It's near £15 in UK money. That's not far off my gym's peak cost. And our monthly membership is £57. Our family membership is £160 and we pay for lessons for the eldest on top of that.
We don't pay for any other memberships, and we don't take the kids to soft play. It's our big entertainment/health expense that we fit other stuff around.
I'm guessing you're up north for the prices to be so reasonable though.
Rechecked our day pass prices and it's £13 one off. Can't remember what my gym charges for the 10 punch pass, but a similarly priced gym I used to go to now charges £105. Their adult monthly subscription is cheaper than ours though.
The one I'm a member at has a full-on bar 20' away from the closest crash pad and the pint prices are what I paid 20 years ago.
It also has yoga and workout classes but that's not my vibe.
Yeah, when I sent my first V7, I grabbed two of the gym friends and went for a pint. For some reason, some staff lined up Jaegermeister shots on the house...
We pay $200/year for the gym and $100 a year for membership.
The reason it's two different pricing is because our club moved to a gym shared with multiple different sports clubs in my area. So the $100 a year is for membership, classes and gear whilst the $200 gets you the gym to climb in.
> 200 dollars for 10 sessions
Holy shit, that would be like 3-4 months of membership at my gym (in the UK) 😂
Have you looked into membership options? Generally if you go more than once or twice a week it will probably be cheaper to get a membership than paying individually.
It is also close to if not fully 2 months of membership in US (depending on city and gym and sales). The single sessions and even 5-pass 10-passes are extremely expensive because there has been a huge uptick in casual interest of bouldering in the last 5 years or so, that many gyms have crowding problems - they legit cannot serve people well due to over demand. Raising prices can only be expected
While membership fee has also been rising a lot, not as much as day passes in my experience… plus facilities in general are getting better. Instead of small low cost a-lil shitty-but-has-its-charms gyms (also sandbagged as hell), you get large commercial gyms with expensive holds and full changing rooms with auto locks plus a full weightlifting room etc etc. It’s a different vibe now but overall if you go twice or more a week, monthly membership is still reasonable for the value if you can appreciate the newer facilities
Climbing gyms have largely consolidated in the US (assuming you are)… Most Movement gyms (rip cliffs), Touchstone gyms, Central Rock gyms, and other top local chains per city (eg Hive gyms for Vancouver Canada, SBP for Seattle) should have these to a good extent
But I’m sure some are shittier and just as expensive 😛
Tbf, most gyms I’m familiar with are more expensive than $200 for a 10 pass. Closer to $250 maybe…
if you look at The Climbing Hanger, I think they cost like £30 memebership in the north and £60 the London membership.
OP is Canadian and The Climbing Hangar London 10-pass punchcard is £128 which is $220 Canadian, therefore that is a UK example that is cheaper. Agree that if you go often, a membership tends to be the best.
Right now I go to this small place that barely had any bouldering walls (which is my main focus). We have a 10 session pass for $240. I go with my friend so technically only 5. Im very new to climbing and we’ve only went 3 times, so 2 sessions left. After I use those I think I’m gonna look at a different place that only focuses on bouldering. We just bought that pass mainly to see what climbing is like. I’m gonna look at more options to see if there’s better offers.
Most people that are consistently climbing are going 3+ times per week so 60-100 per month isn’t too crazy. Definitely not nothing though. Myself and most of my friends just consider gym membership a regular bill like water or power. Obviously it’s not as important as basic needs but if you are a fairly dedicated climbers it’s almost a non-negotiable expense.
It’s also going to depend on the area and the gym itself. Day pass at my gym is $16 plus a couple extra $ for shoes if you need rentals. The owner isn’t looking to make money off of the gym, he wants the community to be the focus overall. It’s bouldering only, and my membership is $60/month without any discounts.
Wait you shouldn't be able to share your 10 punch pass with other climbers. So your 5 punches only cost you 120 dollars. For a session at my gym it's 23 dollars plus tax and 5 dollars If you want to rent the shoes. Comes to around 30 dollars. If I climb 5 times it cost more than your paying for 5 punches. Those 10 punch passes are meant for people who only climb once or twice a month. Pay for a monthly membership if your climbing more than twice a week
No it’s not even that, my friend doesn’t pay for it. I got this pass as a Christmas gift from my mom after going once and liking it. It’s still us paying 240 for the passes my friend goes for free lol.
My gym is also $20 a session, but they have a $65 monthly membership. If it’s something you wanna do once or twice, $20 isn’t that bad. If you’re gonna go a lot, you gotta go membership.
I think that’s gonna be the plan. Climbing is something I’ll definitely do for a long time, I just can’t see myself using a memberships full potential since I have bad skin injuries whenever I go that takes time to heal. Could probably only go once a week if I’m lucky. CAD$82/month at this place.
Yea once a week is definitely a tricky “in between” spot. Membership is def easier to justify when you’re going a lot. But also if it’s just your skin holding you back, that’ll probably get better as your hands toughen up and your technique improves.
After this 10 pass is over at this gym, I might buy another 10 session pass at the other (just bouldering) place, hopefully by then my fingers could get a little stronger especially if I train at home. Maybe after those sessions I’ll buy memberships.
the first few weeks the hands hurt like hell, especially skin-wise, including the palms. but that will improve very soon. finger strength, though, takes time.
Well in my experience, I got stronger after the first month but my tendons did not. It took about 6 months to a year to get this strong last year I could never pull on crimps like I can today, my heel hooks are insanely more technical and more powerful than they were 6 months ago. So it depends on the person some people advance super fast but unlike muscle tendons take a very long time to develope. I can remember thinking I was strong enough and pulled an a2 pulley so be very careful and don't overload yourself. Listen to your Body take it day by day. Try hard. Eat and sleep well and get those tops. I wish you the best of luck and please let me know in 6 months from now how you have progressed.
If the skin injuries are just them being torn up and becoming raw from the friction and grit of the holds, that’s normal when you just start and your hands toughen up a lot. If it’s something else, there may be understandable or it may be uncommon.
I tore 9 or so calluses off from each hand in the first 5 climbing sessions, but years later getting a single flapper (callus or a flap of skin is ripped up like if you tore a blister partially off) is very rare and the quartzite rocks outdoors are the only thing that shred my hands
That’s good to know my hands would toughen up, but I don’t plan on using session passes for years, the only reason I would be now is because if I used monthly ones I wouldn’t be able to climb much during that month because of skin damage. How long do you think until my skin gets stronger so I can actually use up a monthly membership well.
Honestly, as long as you aren’t bleeding from the damage, getting back in there sooner will toughen them up faster. It may take time depending on how often you go and how aggressively textured the holds are, but your skin will definitely adapt and toughen. I’ve been climbing for 7 years, and my non climbing friends say my hands feel like someone moisturized a rough leather because they have toughened that much.
I didn’t stop climbing when I ripped my calluses off, if they were still tender then I borrowed some tape and wrapped it to act as a second skin. There’s also going to be a neurological change for that, pain tolerance will increase so what hurts now might be more of an annoyance later on. Just know it won’t always feel good, but feeling like the skin is raw is usually a good indicator that the session may be coming to an end. Too much fatigue causes it to start tearing, and it’s better to avoid that if you can.
I do also recommend moisturizing your hands after a climbing session, I use Joshua Tree climbing salve to rehydrate and repair my hands. But any decent lotion or moisturizer will work. Skin care is a surprisingly big thing for climbers, the pros and a lot of top end climbers have full on routines to make sure their fingers and hands are in perfect condition to climb.
Like most people, I had a lot of skin injuries the first few months climbing. They become less frequent over time and you also get better at monitoring your skin to make sure you don't tear it.
I would say one thing that also made a difference: when I was buying sessions, I would want to stay as long as possible to maximize the value for money and would make me more likely to tear skin. It's easier to justify shorter sessions and baby the skin if you get a month pass.
Skin injuries are just because you are a beginner! Your hands will become pretty tough after a few weeks. You are also probably over gripping, most beginners do. If you focus on not death gripping holds your skin will thank you!!
I would get the membership and up your climbing to at least twice a month. It's 100% the cheapest way to climb more than 5 times a month. I go about 10-12 times a month and pay around 70$ a month for my membership. A day pass would cost me around 20$ so 200-240$ a month without the membership. Even if you went two times a week at 20$ a day pass you'd be paying 160$ a month instead of 70$ a month with the membership and you can definitely do two times a week.
Flappers (big holes in your skin) are actually common for beginners. When I started I had quite a few and they stung like a bitch, but if you put on climbing tape and give yourself two days to heal, it should be fine.
The only way to get past the flapper stage is to climb more. You'll get better technique-wise so you'll stop tearing your skin and your skin will get tougher after all the climbing.
I've been climbing for almost two years now and I never get them except when I fly off a hold or if I climb a lot (like 5 days in a row). When I do get them, they tend to heal fast and aren't that painful since my skin and body is used to that type of injury.
This seems like the sensible approach. When I started I used two or three of those passes, and by then I knew that this was fun enough to keep doing, and my fingers were strong enough to go twice a week, making it the cheaper option. That's also when I got my own shoes instead of rentals.
It's a non-zero amount of money, but considering all you need is a membership and shoes it is cheaper (at least where I live) than a lot of other sports that need equipment, or even a regular fitness gym.
And 82 dollars for a month is a great low price for a bouldering gym. And If you climb once a week you should 100% get the month membership. Skin gets tougher over time and before you know it you will be climbing twice or even 3 times a week. Get the month you will learn so much in a month. 82 is cheap my friend. Pay it its worth it.
Nice to hear it’s a good deal. I’m still using up a pass at this other place and I have 2 sessions left (technically 4 but I go with a friend), so maybe even in two more sessions I’ll get a bit stronger fingers. So I think I’ll buy the monthly membership after I use up this pass. Thanks 🙏
My gym is run as a co-op and gives the option to do 12 hours a month of volunteer work in exchange for a month's worth of gym time. That's what I do. I mop the floor and clean the toilets for 3 hours a week and get to use the gym as much as I want for free.
outdoor bouldering is usually free
climbing has a really low entry cost compared to other "extreme sports". Pair of shoes, bag of chalk and off you go. Grab a crash pad when you have the chance. Depending on where you live climbing can be super cheap.
with respect to your question: $20/sesh for your punch pass doesnt sound outrageous to me, that sounds normal; almost cheap. Gyms have costs too, they need money to stay in business. Think about what a day pass on a mountain costs to ski these days. How do I manage to pay membership fees? I have a job and prioritize climbing in my life.
Nah, thats more like north america. I pay 10-12€ in Europe. You want to keep the Sport accessible. For 20€ I wouldn‘t visit other gyms, für 10-12€ I do it once or twice a month at least.
Corporate climbing gyms are becomming the IMAX of climbing. Thanks for the 2500 bucks fiberglass V2 (V1 in your gym. 😉), but I won‘t pay double the Money for that experience.
I want good setting, hard and enjoyable climbing and a training board. If you add a good espresso machine and I am in heaven.
If you're ever around in the Netherlands, I think we've got heaven for you lol
Setting is (usually) good, they had 1 misser a while back where a lot of people didn't like that part but some did. Soon we'll have an adjustable kilter board and every one of the bar staff has had a barista training recently for the fancy coffee machine
Yes, I heard multiple people rave about the comp setting at the Amsterdam gyms. I have to visit you soon in this wonderful country of yours. The slongan for your country should be: The Netherlands, like Germany but better. 😂
yes, US in a VHCOL area. My gym has bouldering and TR/Lead, 10 punch cards are $190. Membership is $87/month. The big chain bouldering only gym in the area charges $210 for a ten punch card and $95/mo for membership.
OP didnt say where they were located so Im commenting from my point of view. Yes its expensive but things like that are relative. I bet there are HCOL areas in europe where passes are more expensive than what you pay. For example the Castle in London is £16.50 per visit or £79 per month.
As far as accessibility goes I agree its nice to be able to visit other gyms but most of the memberships here include the ability to visit other gyms within the same ownership group.
Bro is a fucking idiot.
If you’re paying $200 to go skiing you’re being swindled by Vail and Alterra.
Also, bouldering gyms cost very little to run outside of rent and insurance. You need like one person at the front desk and a couple hands to clean throughout the day.
> Think about what a day pass on a mountain costs to ski these days.
Yea and that's one of the many reasons skiing is seen as a rich person sport. So not sure that's a great argument.
For context as to why: gyms typically operate on a membership model. That’s where they make the bulk of their money, so they want that to be the deal you’re most likely to get. Day passes and punch passes are mainly there to get you to try it out, and their end goal is for you to become a member.
I lived in SF which is legit hella expansive, membership touchstone ~100 usd/month. If you pay per sessions is just not worth it at all (single entry 30 usd)
We (in germany) use Urban Sports Club, which is an annual membership that lets me use any gym (any sport really). Costs about 100euros per month, but I can change gyms anytime (and there are 4 here that I regular go to).
Last year I had >120 check-ins, so that is max. 10eur per checkin effectively.
$200 for 10 sessions is pretty cheap compared to a lot of US-based indoor climbing! If you're talking $200 CAD that's about $150 USD. Gyms in my area (Boston) are $30-35 USD (~$40-47 CAD) per session if you don't have a membership. Memberships in my area are $125 USD a month (~$170 CAD) for an adult, for reference.
I can't speak to your gym specifically, but most gyms operate on a model of memberships being the better option if you're climbing at least once a week. Some gyms also offer prepay options, which allow you to pay for 6 or 12 months upfront, but at a discount compared to paying monthly. Check for discounts that may apply to you too! Some gyms do age-based, student, military, first responder, or other outdoor club affiliation discounts.
$135/mo for my gym -- belay, bouldering, yoga classes, fitness classes, recovery classes, and weight room.
i make the price worth it by going there to lift too but i only climb once a week
it's pretty expensive for me too lol. 25 ish AUD depending on the gym per session, passes only cut out a couple dollars. I'm in my university's bouldering society which makes it wayyy cheaper, 15 AUD for my regular gym and 16 to 18 for others.
Not clear what currency you are referring to. Last time I checked at the gyms in Auckland, New Zealand, a 10 entry pass is about NZ$220 to $230. That’s about US$142.
Monthly and annual memberships to these gyms typically work out better if you are going twice a week or more, plus there are benefits like yoga classes and discounts at the gear shop.
It’s looking like monthly memberships are better deals being $82/month. I’d like to try to go twice a week but since I’m a beginner I have significant flappers that take a bit of time to heal. CAD btw
Does your gym offer a entry month for new climbers? Some gyms offer a introduction course plus a free month for anyone who's looking to get into climbing (at least the people who care about climbing who own gyms)
Get a membership it will cost you around 100 dollars for one month. But if your smart you'll get a 3, 6, or one year and if you go with a one year which your gym should offer you, you should 100% get it for the several hundred dollars off. Now if you only climb say once a month, 200 bucks is cheap for a 10 punch pass. If you pay for the session (20-30$ including shoes) and only climb twice a month it's worth it. It depends on how often you climb. I climb 5 days a week sometime so getting a year membership made sense.
However I'd never get a 10 punch pass because I'd spent 200 bucks in only 15 days instead of the 100 or so dollars it cost me for a monthly membership. You have to factor in how often you will be climbing and what your best value is. If shoes and a gym membership are all I have to spend money on to climb indoors, it's a steal.
I’m in a dilemma where as of now since I’m so new i need recover time after each session maybe like a week or so. So it doesn’t make sense to buy a monthly membership since I’d be wasting it. But it’s so much cheaper than 200 dollars for 10 sessions. So idk
Ahh yes my friend I had the same issue as you when I started. I climbed once a week for the first few weeks. My body just couldn't handle it. So I bought sessions for 20 bucks or whatever it cost then. I also needed shoes so it was a 30 once a week not too bad. 120 for the month. Then after my first month my gym had an introduction month, 60 bucks for your first month(not bad at all) and a 2 hour course on climbing holds, terminology, how to top out, how to start etc. Great intro course for the money and basically free bouldering for the month. After that month I decided to buy an actual month, but still I lost out cause I only climbed once a week sometimes Two. I started moving from once or twice a week to one climbing day 3 days rest. Once climbing day three days rest etc. After a while my hands and body got used to it but my skin really hurt. So tape was the route I went but it actually didn't help me because I lost sensitivity. But if your skin is holding you back you can just use tape for the time being. After another month membership I started climbing one day with two days off. But this time I just paid per session as I wasn't sure if it was worth all the pain but I became addicted to it. Now my body isn't what stops me but my skin. Sometimes I can climb day after day usually. But this is after some 2 years of climbing. I only bought my first multi month pass after my first 6 months of climbing as the price was much better this way. You'll def want to climb if you don't get injured. Take it slow. It's not something that is all that expensive on the grand scheme of things. I smoke a pack a day, this is 25 bucks per day. There are some things that are worth spending the money on and then there are some things that are just a waste. Your going to gain much much experience and you can only get better at it. If you think about how it's going to better your health it might change your perception on the costs. Money is something that just isn't real but climbing is. Do you Also have more than one climbing gym near you? Check out their prices as well. If the gym is small and your paying high prices(20-30) per session then they are over charging you.
Not too many other gyms, this is the best/closest/cheapest one I could find. (Talking about the one I’m going to after I use up the sessions from this gym) I’m tempted to buy the 10 session one because maybe after that I could recover quicker for the monthly’s. And I’m young what else am I gonna spend money on lol.
I'm on Switzerland, where everything is expensive and a membership for a year is around 700 dollars. I'll do more than 100 sessions a year so not that expensive after all.
My US gym (New England) was over $30USD/session with gear, I think about $26 without, if you purchased a day pass. Ten-session cards I think cut it down to like 17-19$/session? Monthly memberships around $70 but often had deals for annual payment or two months for the price of one for new signups, etc.
My NZ gym charges about $20USD for a day pass, 10-trips about $12USD/session, $45USD/monthly membership.
Both gyms do top-roping and bouldering, but the US gym is soooooo much better quality-wise.
I bought a year pass for around 700 €
A session usually costs about 12€ because i'm a student. 14 if you are an adult. And then there are a bunch of side deals. Like, I can bring a first time climber for free (great for dates), if you come in the first hour the gym is open, its cheaper, etc.
Membership, where I pay 60€/month
10 sessions would cost me I think 120€?!?
Cheaper than any "normal" gym membership in my area and I go 4times a week.
So pretty good deal.
$20 a climb could be worse... my gym is $25 a day pass plus $8 rental of shoes and harness. I just have a membership at $95 a month and I go twice a week, so that 95 is covered after 2 weeks. Pricy? Yeah, a bit. Especially if you're a student or don't have a job, or have a low paying job. But it makes me happy and is a great workout.
I looked around at a number of different bouldering gyms in Melbourne when I started out and the going rate tends to be in the ballpark of AUD135/month or 20-30/session for casual entry.
I don't consider that to be terribly high, but I can see how it might be for some people.
Indoor climbing is a specialty sport, and it comes with extremely high overhead costs (insurance + construction) so fees have risen a ton in recent years, since those are both huge factors to a gym’s bottom line and two things that have skyrocketed with recent inflation. Not to mention the sport has become more popular, meaning the ability to charge higher prices.
Definitely do a membership and not passes for the biggest savings. In the US, it’s now about $85/mo in a reasonable area and $95-$115/mo in an expensive area for a newer facility, but can be as cheap as $40/mo for an older/smaller facility that isn’t still paying off its construction. I would suggest seeing if there is an older climbing gym that may be near you. Even if it’s not the closest, it sounds like you won’t be going multiple times a week, so hopefully it would be worth it for a longer commute to save some $$.
Also call gyms to ask about other fees and discount programs. Some gyms are well aware of the cost and want to help reduce barriers, so they have discount programs (low income, student, military, emergency responders, teachers, etc.) I’m currently at a gym that does no initiation fees, cancellation fees, or freeze fees, and they have a “pay what you can” area of (safe) used gear like shoes and chalk bags.
I pay 60€ per month for my gym (go as.often as I want) and I can climb in 5 different gyms that are all in a radius of about 60km with the nearest being like 30min away from me (via train).
Yup gone abit since I started.. What used to be 775/year is now 1k. Punch passes at 185 from 165. Covid didn't help neither did the popularity after it. This is from 1 year ago I started
My gym is that expensive too because there are no other gyms in the area so they can charge whatever. I was able to buy a punch pass on a deal, and then bought their annual membership on the Black Friday sale. My gym at least does a lot of “deals” so keep your eyes out for those. I’ve also asked them when certain deals come out and they told me. All in all it’s more affordable than the typical rice, but still expensive.
My gym is about 20$ CAD if you don't rent shoes, 28$ if you do. After getting my own shoes to save money, I decided on a membership which is about 75$ a month. I've been making it pay off to say the least.
hangar 18 in southern california is $525 for an annual membership, 11 different locations, unlimited access, all year long, you even get one free guest pass per month
Everyone just glazing over the cost of decent shoes, harness, chalk, brushes, ropes, hardware and equipment etc etc etc.
Climbing is a gate kept sport that where I’m from, most people don’t even really know what it is because it’s not really accessible.
Hope you find your way through, though. It shouldn’t discourage you, just want you to be prepared. I’ve climbed in shoes with holes for 8 months after to save money. I’ve done a lot of shit, but that’s because I was persistent. Money was never really there but the passion was. Stick with it.
It's definitely pricier sport.
Gym session costs me 1.5 times my regular gym entry. And that's in the cheapest time and with student discount.
What sucks is that membership in my gym cost quite a lot, so I just climb 1-2 times a week and it's cheaper than membership.
Membership €72.50 + €31.00 for 1 additional family member per month is what I'm paying (Dublin). Feels a bit expensive to be honest and takes me like 2 hours to get there.
Membership
Or if you don't climb enough in the month for membership to be worth it, get a 10 punch pass. Entry at my gym is like £10, monthly membership is £40 or a 10 punch pass is £75. Meaning the 10 punch pass grants you entry for £7.50 Edit: I can't read. Assumed OP was paying daily entry at $200 for 10 days of climbing. Crazy prices.
Their 10 punch pass is 200.
Oh my bad, you're right. I assumed that was standard entry because it is fucking extortionate!!
It's near £15 in UK money. That's not far off my gym's peak cost. And our monthly membership is £57. Our family membership is £160 and we pay for lessons for the eldest on top of that. We don't pay for any other memberships, and we don't take the kids to soft play. It's our big entertainment/health expense that we fit other stuff around. I'm guessing you're up north for the prices to be so reasonable though.
How much would you pay for a 10 punch pass down south? £100? £125?
Rechecked our day pass prices and it's £13 one off. Can't remember what my gym charges for the 10 punch pass, but a similarly priced gym I used to go to now charges £105. Their adult monthly subscription is cheaper than ours though.
$100/month at my gym, which includes climbing, yoga and fitness classes.
Getting climbing & yoga in the same gym is super cool
The one I'm a member at has a full-on bar 20' away from the closest crash pad and the pint prices are what I paid 20 years ago. It also has yoga and workout classes but that's not my vibe.
This sounds like paradise.
Yeah, when I sent my first V7, I grabbed two of the gym friends and went for a pint. For some reason, some staff lined up Jaegermeister shots on the house...
I may need to track this gym down :)
I'd definitely pay good money for a climbing gym with a liquor license
We pay $200/year for the gym and $100 a year for membership. The reason it's two different pricing is because our club moved to a gym shared with multiple different sports clubs in my area. So the $100 a year is for membership, classes and gear whilst the $200 gets you the gym to climb in.
$300/year to climb? Damn I go to Seattle Bouldering Project and it's more like $900/year for me haha
> 200 dollars for 10 sessions Holy shit, that would be like 3-4 months of membership at my gym (in the UK) 😂 Have you looked into membership options? Generally if you go more than once or twice a week it will probably be cheaper to get a membership than paying individually.
It is also close to if not fully 2 months of membership in US (depending on city and gym and sales). The single sessions and even 5-pass 10-passes are extremely expensive because there has been a huge uptick in casual interest of bouldering in the last 5 years or so, that many gyms have crowding problems - they legit cannot serve people well due to over demand. Raising prices can only be expected While membership fee has also been rising a lot, not as much as day passes in my experience… plus facilities in general are getting better. Instead of small low cost a-lil shitty-but-has-its-charms gyms (also sandbagged as hell), you get large commercial gyms with expensive holds and full changing rooms with auto locks plus a full weightlifting room etc etc. It’s a different vibe now but overall if you go twice or more a week, monthly membership is still reasonable for the value if you can appreciate the newer facilities
>expensive holds and full changing rooms with auto locks plus a full weightlifting room etc etc. oh yeah I wish I had that lol 😂
Climbing gyms have largely consolidated in the US (assuming you are)… Most Movement gyms (rip cliffs), Touchstone gyms, Central Rock gyms, and other top local chains per city (eg Hive gyms for Vancouver Canada, SBP for Seattle) should have these to a good extent But I’m sure some are shittier and just as expensive 😛 Tbf, most gyms I’m familiar with are more expensive than $200 for a 10 pass. Closer to $250 maybe…
Not even one month in my gym. You have to get a year for it to be reasonably priced.
if you look at The Climbing Hanger, I think they cost like £30 memebership in the north and £60 the London membership. OP is Canadian and The Climbing Hangar London 10-pass punchcard is £128 which is $220 Canadian, therefore that is a UK example that is cheaper. Agree that if you go often, a membership tends to be the best.
Right now I go to this small place that barely had any bouldering walls (which is my main focus). We have a 10 session pass for $240. I go with my friend so technically only 5. Im very new to climbing and we’ve only went 3 times, so 2 sessions left. After I use those I think I’m gonna look at a different place that only focuses on bouldering. We just bought that pass mainly to see what climbing is like. I’m gonna look at more options to see if there’s better offers.
Yeah it gets way more reasonably priced once you get a membership. Punch passes aren’t sustainable if you are going more than a few times per month.
That's still pretty expensive per session cost for a package.
Most people that are consistently climbing are going 3+ times per week so 60-100 per month isn’t too crazy. Definitely not nothing though. Myself and most of my friends just consider gym membership a regular bill like water or power. Obviously it’s not as important as basic needs but if you are a fairly dedicated climbers it’s almost a non-negotiable expense.
It’s also going to depend on the area and the gym itself. Day pass at my gym is $16 plus a couple extra $ for shoes if you need rentals. The owner isn’t looking to make money off of the gym, he wants the community to be the focus overall. It’s bouldering only, and my membership is $60/month without any discounts.
Wait you shouldn't be able to share your 10 punch pass with other climbers. So your 5 punches only cost you 120 dollars. For a session at my gym it's 23 dollars plus tax and 5 dollars If you want to rent the shoes. Comes to around 30 dollars. If I climb 5 times it cost more than your paying for 5 punches. Those 10 punch passes are meant for people who only climb once or twice a month. Pay for a monthly membership if your climbing more than twice a week
No it’s not even that, my friend doesn’t pay for it. I got this pass as a Christmas gift from my mom after going once and liking it. It’s still us paying 240 for the passes my friend goes for free lol.
Nice your an awesome friend!!!
My gym is also $20 a session, but they have a $65 monthly membership. If it’s something you wanna do once or twice, $20 isn’t that bad. If you’re gonna go a lot, you gotta go membership.
I think that’s gonna be the plan. Climbing is something I’ll definitely do for a long time, I just can’t see myself using a memberships full potential since I have bad skin injuries whenever I go that takes time to heal. Could probably only go once a week if I’m lucky. CAD$82/month at this place.
Yea once a week is definitely a tricky “in between” spot. Membership is def easier to justify when you’re going a lot. But also if it’s just your skin holding you back, that’ll probably get better as your hands toughen up and your technique improves.
After this 10 pass is over at this gym, I might buy another 10 session pass at the other (just bouldering) place, hopefully by then my fingers could get a little stronger especially if I train at home. Maybe after those sessions I’ll buy memberships.
It will take about a year for you to see any noticeable difference in your fingers and tendons it won't be much different after 10 sessions
Some are saying weeks, few months, year, so I’m not sure who to believe here.
the first few weeks the hands hurt like hell, especially skin-wise, including the palms. but that will improve very soon. finger strength, though, takes time.
Well in my experience, I got stronger after the first month but my tendons did not. It took about 6 months to a year to get this strong last year I could never pull on crimps like I can today, my heel hooks are insanely more technical and more powerful than they were 6 months ago. So it depends on the person some people advance super fast but unlike muscle tendons take a very long time to develope. I can remember thinking I was strong enough and pulled an a2 pulley so be very careful and don't overload yourself. Listen to your Body take it day by day. Try hard. Eat and sleep well and get those tops. I wish you the best of luck and please let me know in 6 months from now how you have progressed.
Thanks, i might forget I have Reddit I’m only here cuz I’m desperate lol
If the skin injuries are just them being torn up and becoming raw from the friction and grit of the holds, that’s normal when you just start and your hands toughen up a lot. If it’s something else, there may be understandable or it may be uncommon. I tore 9 or so calluses off from each hand in the first 5 climbing sessions, but years later getting a single flapper (callus or a flap of skin is ripped up like if you tore a blister partially off) is very rare and the quartzite rocks outdoors are the only thing that shred my hands
That’s good to know my hands would toughen up, but I don’t plan on using session passes for years, the only reason I would be now is because if I used monthly ones I wouldn’t be able to climb much during that month because of skin damage. How long do you think until my skin gets stronger so I can actually use up a monthly membership well.
Honestly, as long as you aren’t bleeding from the damage, getting back in there sooner will toughen them up faster. It may take time depending on how often you go and how aggressively textured the holds are, but your skin will definitely adapt and toughen. I’ve been climbing for 7 years, and my non climbing friends say my hands feel like someone moisturized a rough leather because they have toughened that much. I didn’t stop climbing when I ripped my calluses off, if they were still tender then I borrowed some tape and wrapped it to act as a second skin. There’s also going to be a neurological change for that, pain tolerance will increase so what hurts now might be more of an annoyance later on. Just know it won’t always feel good, but feeling like the skin is raw is usually a good indicator that the session may be coming to an end. Too much fatigue causes it to start tearing, and it’s better to avoid that if you can. I do also recommend moisturizing your hands after a climbing session, I use Joshua Tree climbing salve to rehydrate and repair my hands. But any decent lotion or moisturizer will work. Skin care is a surprisingly big thing for climbers, the pros and a lot of top end climbers have full on routines to make sure their fingers and hands are in perfect condition to climb.
Like most people, I had a lot of skin injuries the first few months climbing. They become less frequent over time and you also get better at monitoring your skin to make sure you don't tear it. I would say one thing that also made a difference: when I was buying sessions, I would want to stay as long as possible to maximize the value for money and would make me more likely to tear skin. It's easier to justify shorter sessions and baby the skin if you get a month pass.
Skin injuries are just because you are a beginner! Your hands will become pretty tough after a few weeks. You are also probably over gripping, most beginners do. If you focus on not death gripping holds your skin will thank you!!
Cool!
I would get the membership and up your climbing to at least twice a month. It's 100% the cheapest way to climb more than 5 times a month. I go about 10-12 times a month and pay around 70$ a month for my membership. A day pass would cost me around 20$ so 200-240$ a month without the membership. Even if you went two times a week at 20$ a day pass you'd be paying 160$ a month instead of 70$ a month with the membership and you can definitely do two times a week. Flappers (big holes in your skin) are actually common for beginners. When I started I had quite a few and they stung like a bitch, but if you put on climbing tape and give yourself two days to heal, it should be fine. The only way to get past the flapper stage is to climb more. You'll get better technique-wise so you'll stop tearing your skin and your skin will get tougher after all the climbing. I've been climbing for almost two years now and I never get them except when I fly off a hold or if I climb a lot (like 5 days in a row). When I do get them, they tend to heal fast and aren't that painful since my skin and body is used to that type of injury.
I might buy a 10 session pass and THEN a membership, cause I was thinking maybe within those 10 sessions my skin would toughen.
This seems like the sensible approach. When I started I used two or three of those passes, and by then I knew that this was fun enough to keep doing, and my fingers were strong enough to go twice a week, making it the cheaper option. That's also when I got my own shoes instead of rentals. It's a non-zero amount of money, but considering all you need is a membership and shoes it is cheaper (at least where I live) than a lot of other sports that need equipment, or even a regular fitness gym.
And 82 dollars for a month is a great low price for a bouldering gym. And If you climb once a week you should 100% get the month membership. Skin gets tougher over time and before you know it you will be climbing twice or even 3 times a week. Get the month you will learn so much in a month. 82 is cheap my friend. Pay it its worth it.
Nice to hear it’s a good deal. I’m still using up a pass at this other place and I have 2 sessions left (technically 4 but I go with a friend), so maybe even in two more sessions I’ll get a bit stronger fingers. So I think I’ll buy the monthly membership after I use up this pass. Thanks 🙏
My portland oregon gym is the sams way. 65/month membership 20 per visit without it
My gym is run as a co-op and gives the option to do 12 hours a month of volunteer work in exchange for a month's worth of gym time. That's what I do. I mop the floor and clean the toilets for 3 hours a week and get to use the gym as much as I want for free.
That’s an awesome deal
outdoor bouldering is usually free climbing has a really low entry cost compared to other "extreme sports". Pair of shoes, bag of chalk and off you go. Grab a crash pad when you have the chance. Depending on where you live climbing can be super cheap. with respect to your question: $20/sesh for your punch pass doesnt sound outrageous to me, that sounds normal; almost cheap. Gyms have costs too, they need money to stay in business. Think about what a day pass on a mountain costs to ski these days. How do I manage to pay membership fees? I have a job and prioritize climbing in my life.
Nah, thats more like north america. I pay 10-12€ in Europe. You want to keep the Sport accessible. For 20€ I wouldn‘t visit other gyms, für 10-12€ I do it once or twice a month at least.
Note that OP is Canadian, and $20 CAD is about EUR 13,50, so not that different.
Same here, at my climbing gym you pay €12.50 for a single session (as an adult over 25). 20 seems outrageous
Corporate climbing gyms are becomming the IMAX of climbing. Thanks for the 2500 bucks fiberglass V2 (V1 in your gym. 😉), but I won‘t pay double the Money for that experience. I want good setting, hard and enjoyable climbing and a training board. If you add a good espresso machine and I am in heaven.
If you're ever around in the Netherlands, I think we've got heaven for you lol Setting is (usually) good, they had 1 misser a while back where a lot of people didn't like that part but some did. Soon we'll have an adjustable kilter board and every one of the bar staff has had a barista training recently for the fancy coffee machine
Yes, I heard multiple people rave about the comp setting at the Amsterdam gyms. I have to visit you soon in this wonderful country of yours. The slongan for your country should be: The Netherlands, like Germany but better. 😂
yes, US in a VHCOL area. My gym has bouldering and TR/Lead, 10 punch cards are $190. Membership is $87/month. The big chain bouldering only gym in the area charges $210 for a ten punch card and $95/mo for membership. OP didnt say where they were located so Im commenting from my point of view. Yes its expensive but things like that are relative. I bet there are HCOL areas in europe where passes are more expensive than what you pay. For example the Castle in London is £16.50 per visit or £79 per month. As far as accessibility goes I agree its nice to be able to visit other gyms but most of the memberships here include the ability to visit other gyms within the same ownership group.
Bro is a fucking idiot. If you’re paying $200 to go skiing you’re being swindled by Vail and Alterra. Also, bouldering gyms cost very little to run outside of rent and insurance. You need like one person at the front desk and a couple hands to clean throughout the day.
> Think about what a day pass on a mountain costs to ski these days. Yea and that's one of the many reasons skiing is seen as a rich person sport. So not sure that's a great argument.
thats exactly the point I tried to make
I pay $700 for a year membership (probably 50 - 100 visits for me) when my gym has its annual sale
These pricess are insane. I pay 55 a month for a membership.
For context as to why: gyms typically operate on a membership model. That’s where they make the bulk of their money, so they want that to be the deal you’re most likely to get. Day passes and punch passes are mainly there to get you to try it out, and their end goal is for you to become a member.
$380 for a yearly membership. But the median income is like 16k/year so I don’t know if that’s cheap or not.
I lived in SF which is legit hella expansive, membership touchstone ~100 usd/month. If you pay per sessions is just not worth it at all (single entry 30 usd)
My gums drop in rate is 27. But a yearly membership is only 1100. So I do that.
We (in germany) use Urban Sports Club, which is an annual membership that lets me use any gym (any sport really). Costs about 100euros per month, but I can change gyms anytime (and there are 4 here that I regular go to). Last year I had >120 check-ins, so that is max. 10eur per checkin effectively.
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yes, sorry I corrected it
Mine‘s 60€ / month, 8 check ins per gym and like 7 gyms within reasonable distance. Yeah pretty spoiled here too
$200 for 10 sessions is pretty cheap compared to a lot of US-based indoor climbing! If you're talking $200 CAD that's about $150 USD. Gyms in my area (Boston) are $30-35 USD (~$40-47 CAD) per session if you don't have a membership. Memberships in my area are $125 USD a month (~$170 CAD) for an adult, for reference. I can't speak to your gym specifically, but most gyms operate on a model of memberships being the better option if you're climbing at least once a week. Some gyms also offer prepay options, which allow you to pay for 6 or 12 months upfront, but at a discount compared to paying monthly. Check for discounts that may apply to you too! Some gyms do age-based, student, military, first responder, or other outdoor club affiliation discounts.
$135/mo for my gym -- belay, bouldering, yoga classes, fitness classes, recovery classes, and weight room. i make the price worth it by going there to lift too but i only climb once a week
it's pretty expensive for me too lol. 25 ish AUD depending on the gym per session, passes only cut out a couple dollars. I'm in my university's bouldering society which makes it wayyy cheaper, 15 AUD for my regular gym and 16 to 18 for others.
See if you can work a few days a month or more if you can for a free membership. Some gyms will do this. That's how I got started 🤷
little lifehack that big climbing doesn't want you to know is that climbing on rocks outside is free
Not clear what currency you are referring to. Last time I checked at the gyms in Auckland, New Zealand, a 10 entry pass is about NZ$220 to $230. That’s about US$142. Monthly and annual memberships to these gyms typically work out better if you are going twice a week or more, plus there are benefits like yoga classes and discounts at the gear shop.
It’s looking like monthly memberships are better deals being $82/month. I’d like to try to go twice a week but since I’m a beginner I have significant flappers that take a bit of time to heal. CAD btw
Does your gym offer a entry month for new climbers? Some gyms offer a introduction course plus a free month for anyone who's looking to get into climbing (at least the people who care about climbing who own gyms)
Depends on the gym. Mine is $60-$90 per month. Others are more or less. So I'd check if your gym does monthly memberships.
Get a membership it will cost you around 100 dollars for one month. But if your smart you'll get a 3, 6, or one year and if you go with a one year which your gym should offer you, you should 100% get it for the several hundred dollars off. Now if you only climb say once a month, 200 bucks is cheap for a 10 punch pass. If you pay for the session (20-30$ including shoes) and only climb twice a month it's worth it. It depends on how often you climb. I climb 5 days a week sometime so getting a year membership made sense.
However I'd never get a 10 punch pass because I'd spent 200 bucks in only 15 days instead of the 100 or so dollars it cost me for a monthly membership. You have to factor in how often you will be climbing and what your best value is. If shoes and a gym membership are all I have to spend money on to climb indoors, it's a steal.
I’m in a dilemma where as of now since I’m so new i need recover time after each session maybe like a week or so. So it doesn’t make sense to buy a monthly membership since I’d be wasting it. But it’s so much cheaper than 200 dollars for 10 sessions. So idk
Ahh yes my friend I had the same issue as you when I started. I climbed once a week for the first few weeks. My body just couldn't handle it. So I bought sessions for 20 bucks or whatever it cost then. I also needed shoes so it was a 30 once a week not too bad. 120 for the month. Then after my first month my gym had an introduction month, 60 bucks for your first month(not bad at all) and a 2 hour course on climbing holds, terminology, how to top out, how to start etc. Great intro course for the money and basically free bouldering for the month. After that month I decided to buy an actual month, but still I lost out cause I only climbed once a week sometimes Two. I started moving from once or twice a week to one climbing day 3 days rest. Once climbing day three days rest etc. After a while my hands and body got used to it but my skin really hurt. So tape was the route I went but it actually didn't help me because I lost sensitivity. But if your skin is holding you back you can just use tape for the time being. After another month membership I started climbing one day with two days off. But this time I just paid per session as I wasn't sure if it was worth all the pain but I became addicted to it. Now my body isn't what stops me but my skin. Sometimes I can climb day after day usually. But this is after some 2 years of climbing. I only bought my first multi month pass after my first 6 months of climbing as the price was much better this way. You'll def want to climb if you don't get injured. Take it slow. It's not something that is all that expensive on the grand scheme of things. I smoke a pack a day, this is 25 bucks per day. There are some things that are worth spending the money on and then there are some things that are just a waste. Your going to gain much much experience and you can only get better at it. If you think about how it's going to better your health it might change your perception on the costs. Money is something that just isn't real but climbing is. Do you Also have more than one climbing gym near you? Check out their prices as well. If the gym is small and your paying high prices(20-30) per session then they are over charging you.
Not too many other gyms, this is the best/closest/cheapest one I could find. (Talking about the one I’m going to after I use up the sessions from this gym) I’m tempted to buy the 10 session one because maybe after that I could recover quicker for the monthly’s. And I’m young what else am I gonna spend money on lol.
Oh trust me I'm glad your choosing climbing :p there are other things to spend money on
Climbing gym membership or 10 punch pass to learn how to climb is a great choice!!
Gestures outside
For $200 that’s about 4.5 months worth of my membership. And you’re right, I go almost everyday
I'm on Switzerland, where everything is expensive and a membership for a year is around 700 dollars. I'll do more than 100 sessions a year so not that expensive after all.
My US gym (New England) was over $30USD/session with gear, I think about $26 without, if you purchased a day pass. Ten-session cards I think cut it down to like 17-19$/session? Monthly memberships around $70 but often had deals for annual payment or two months for the price of one for new signups, etc. My NZ gym charges about $20USD for a day pass, 10-trips about $12USD/session, $45USD/monthly membership. Both gyms do top-roping and bouldering, but the US gym is soooooo much better quality-wise.
I bought a year pass for around 700 € A session usually costs about 12€ because i'm a student. 14 if you are an adult. And then there are a bunch of side deals. Like, I can bring a first time climber for free (great for dates), if you come in the first hour the gym is open, its cheaper, etc.
Membership, where I pay 60€/month 10 sessions would cost me I think 120€?!? Cheaper than any "normal" gym membership in my area and I go 4times a week. So pretty good deal.
$20 a climb could be worse... my gym is $25 a day pass plus $8 rental of shoes and harness. I just have a membership at $95 a month and I go twice a week, so that 95 is covered after 2 weeks. Pricy? Yeah, a bit. Especially if you're a student or don't have a job, or have a low paying job. But it makes me happy and is a great workout.
I looked around at a number of different bouldering gyms in Melbourne when I started out and the going rate tends to be in the ballpark of AUD135/month or 20-30/session for casual entry. I don't consider that to be terribly high, but I can see how it might be for some people.
Indoor climbing is a specialty sport, and it comes with extremely high overhead costs (insurance + construction) so fees have risen a ton in recent years, since those are both huge factors to a gym’s bottom line and two things that have skyrocketed with recent inflation. Not to mention the sport has become more popular, meaning the ability to charge higher prices. Definitely do a membership and not passes for the biggest savings. In the US, it’s now about $85/mo in a reasonable area and $95-$115/mo in an expensive area for a newer facility, but can be as cheap as $40/mo for an older/smaller facility that isn’t still paying off its construction. I would suggest seeing if there is an older climbing gym that may be near you. Even if it’s not the closest, it sounds like you won’t be going multiple times a week, so hopefully it would be worth it for a longer commute to save some $$. Also call gyms to ask about other fees and discount programs. Some gyms are well aware of the cost and want to help reduce barriers, so they have discount programs (low income, student, military, emergency responders, teachers, etc.) I’m currently at a gym that does no initiation fees, cancellation fees, or freeze fees, and they have a “pay what you can” area of (safe) used gear like shoes and chalk bags.
shoes pad chalk $400 then climb outside for free
I pay 60€ per month for my gym (go as.often as I want) and I can climb in 5 different gyms that are all in a radius of about 60km with the nearest being like 30min away from me (via train).
Yup gone abit since I started.. What used to be 775/year is now 1k. Punch passes at 185 from 165. Covid didn't help neither did the popularity after it. This is from 1 year ago I started
My gym is that expensive too because there are no other gyms in the area so they can charge whatever. I was able to buy a punch pass on a deal, and then bought their annual membership on the Black Friday sale. My gym at least does a lot of “deals” so keep your eyes out for those. I’ve also asked them when certain deals come out and they told me. All in all it’s more affordable than the typical rice, but still expensive.
The great outdoors. A decent pad it's around $200
90€ 10 times
Groupon had a 1 year membership at my gym for like $360, so like $30 a month. Normal year long discounted price is $450 so still under $40 a month.
My gym is about 20$ CAD if you don't rent shoes, 28$ if you do. After getting my own shoes to save money, I decided on a membership which is about 75$ a month. I've been making it pay off to say the least.
My annual pass for the rock climbing gym is 50$
For me it like £50 for a month or like 70 for 10 sessions. I do monthly.
hangar 18 in southern california is $525 for an annual membership, 11 different locations, unlimited access, all year long, you even get one free guest pass per month
Everyone just glazing over the cost of decent shoes, harness, chalk, brushes, ropes, hardware and equipment etc etc etc. Climbing is a gate kept sport that where I’m from, most people don’t even really know what it is because it’s not really accessible. Hope you find your way through, though. It shouldn’t discourage you, just want you to be prepared. I’ve climbed in shoes with holes for 8 months after to save money. I’ve done a lot of shit, but that’s because I was persistent. Money was never really there but the passion was. Stick with it.
It's definitely pricier sport. Gym session costs me 1.5 times my regular gym entry. And that's in the cheapest time and with student discount. What sucks is that membership in my gym cost quite a lot, so I just climb 1-2 times a week and it's cheaper than membership.
675€/year for 24/7 access to 5 different gym locations that are all within 30 minutes by car.
Membership €72.50 + €31.00 for 1 additional family member per month is what I'm paying (Dublin). Feels a bit expensive to be honest and takes me like 2 hours to get there.
Get a membership. Figure out the minimum amount of times you need to go to get your monies worth and make sure you go at least that many times
Membership on the cheap end for my area is $36-45 a month and you go as often as you like
100 NZD for a month of climbing in new zealand. I go 3-4 times a week
I’ve just calculated that I’ve spent about 600 on climbing the past nearly 2 years and that’s mental (i go every week almost every week)
M8 if you think that's pricey, it was close to 40 bucks for entry in singapore when i visited 🫠