Welcome! We’re really glad you’re here!
Climbing 101:
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Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. Bouldering problems (the sequence of moves that a climber performs to complete the climb) are usually less than six metres (20 ft) tall, and bouldering gyms typically have permanent mats at the base of the wall to help prevent injuries from falls.
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Top rope climbing (or top roping) is a form of rock climbing where the climber is securely attached to a climbing rope that runs through a fixed anchor at the top of the route, and back down to the belayer at the base of the climb. A climber who falls will be held by the rope at the point of the fall, and can then either resume their climb or have the belayer lower them down in a controlled manner to the base of the climb.
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Yes! On top of the 70+ bouldering routes in our facility which can be climbed solo, we also have four auto-belay stations in the rope room. Using these stations, climbers can attach their climbing harness to a mechanical auto belay device that will steadily lower them to the ground so that individual climbers may climb designated roped routes alone.
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What to wear:
If you are planning to rope climb or auto belay, make sure to wear pants that you can comfortably fit a harness over. Our gym does require that all patrons wear some sort of shirt or top while inside our facility. However, whatever clothing you feel comfortable exercising in should be fine!
What to bring:
If you have your own climbing shoes or gear, you can certainly bring them! We also have a variety of harnesses, chalk bags and shoes for rent at our gym. We recommend bringing your own water bottle (we have drinking fountains and a refill station) and some sort of backpack which can be easily stowed in one of our many cubbies.
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First Visit Checklist:
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All climbers and non-climbing observers must have a facility waiver on file in order to visit The Commons Climbing Gym. Waivers for visitors under 18 years of age must be filled out by a legal guardian or caretaking adult.
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For brand new climbers we recommend the Adult Starter Package which includes a day pass, belay lesson, and gear rental (harness, shoes, and chalk) for $32. Youth day passes (ages 5-12) start at $16.50 and children under 4 get into the gym for free!
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When you first arrive at The Commons, plan to spend 10-15 minutes checking in and renting gear, getting situated, etc. Before you’re free to start climbing a member of our team is going to give you a quick facility tour and show you around. Then it’s time to start getting on the wall!
Belay Lessons:
If this is your first time climbing and you’d like to have access to 100+ routes in our rope room, we are happy to teach you how to top-rope belay! We do our best to facilitate all belay lesson requests. However, we are sometimes unable to accommodate walk-in belay lessons particularly at higher traffic times of day (4-7 PM weekdays, 11AM-3PM weekends). We encourage booking a belay lesson in advance to ensure the availability of our staff. Belay lessons are $9 and usually take about 30-40 minutes. As a belayer, you will learn how to safely take and give slack to the climber on the wall, as well as the proper climbing commands for both climbers and belayers. Participants must be at least 13 years old to belay. If you already know how to belay, we can do a belay check free of charge to ensure you belay according to The Commons regulations. For more information on belaying, visit our FAQ page.
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Now that your visit is planned, your waiver is signed, and you are ready climb, the only thing left to do is to confirm our gym hours, location, and parking information!
Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions and we look forward to climbing with you soon! ✌
