Bay Area Rock Climbing Gyms
How has this not occurred to me until now?? In addition to the myriad of outdoor climbs, the Bay Area is home to some of the best climbing gyms in the country.
1. Mission Cliffs (Touchstone), San Francisco, CA - My go-to gym, with huge toprope routes 40+ feet up, a killer slab and a great bouldering section. Soft ratings. Reasonable membership shared with four other Northern California gyms.
2. Planet Granite, San Francisco, CA - Good topropes, great bouldering with a top-out volcano, and killer views of the Bay. This is the only gym I know of that has better views than most outdoor crags. Shared membership with two other Bay Area gyms.
3. Great Western Power Company (Touchstone), Oakland, CA - Smaller than the other gyms in the Touchstone family, this gym is best for bouldering and is less crowded than the other gyms. The neighborhood is better than one may expect.
4. Berkeley Ironworks (Touchstone), Berkeley, CA - Another great Touchstone gym with shared memberships and slightly stiffer ratings, this place has a massive bouldering wall as well as some challenging, overhung toprope routes. It can get quite crowded, although I think Mission Cliffs has it beat on that front.
5. Planet Granite, Belmont, CA - Similar to the other Planet Granites, with a slightly cushier feel than the Touchstone gyms and slightly stiffer ratings.
6. Planet Granite, Sunnyvale, CA - The final member of the Planet Granite family, this gym boasts similar characteristics and is the central meeting spot for South Bay gym climbers. It is equally awesome to the other PG's.
7. Bridges Rock Gym, El Cerrito, CA - The newest of the Bay Area climbing gyms, this is a place devoted primarily to bouldering (climbing with a crash pad, sans rope). The gym also has a dedicated slacklining area (a new wave version of tightrope walking) as well as an array of yoga classes.
8. Diablo Rock Gym, Concord, CA - The final Bay Area member of the Touchstone family (they also have a gym in Sacramento), Diablo Rock Gym boasts shorter walls, fewer crowds, and an indoor pool.
The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.
1. Mission Cliffs (Touchstone), San Francisco, CA - My go-to gym, with huge toprope routes 40+ feet up, a killer slab and a great bouldering section. Soft ratings. Reasonable membership shared with four other Northern California gyms.
2. Planet Granite, San Francisco, CA - Good topropes, great bouldering with a top-out volcano, and killer views of the Bay. This is the only gym I know of that has better views than most outdoor crags. Shared membership with two other Bay Area gyms.
3. Great Western Power Company (Touchstone), Oakland, CA - Smaller than the other gyms in the Touchstone family, this gym is best for bouldering and is less crowded than the other gyms. The neighborhood is better than one may expect.
4. Berkeley Ironworks (Touchstone), Berkeley, CA - Another great Touchstone gym with shared memberships and slightly stiffer ratings, this place has a massive bouldering wall as well as some challenging, overhung toprope routes. It can get quite crowded, although I think Mission Cliffs has it beat on that front.
5. Planet Granite, Belmont, CA - Similar to the other Planet Granites, with a slightly cushier feel than the Touchstone gyms and slightly stiffer ratings.
6. Planet Granite, Sunnyvale, CA - The final member of the Planet Granite family, this gym boasts similar characteristics and is the central meeting spot for South Bay gym climbers. It is equally awesome to the other PG's.
7. Bridges Rock Gym, El Cerrito, CA - The newest of the Bay Area climbing gyms, this is a place devoted primarily to bouldering (climbing with a crash pad, sans rope). The gym also has a dedicated slacklining area (a new wave version of tightrope walking) as well as an array of yoga classes.
8. Diablo Rock Gym, Concord, CA - The final Bay Area member of the Touchstone family (they also have a gym in Sacramento), Diablo Rock Gym boasts shorter walls, fewer crowds, and an indoor pool.
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