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Central Rock Gym
Central Rock Gym: beginner-friendly climbs with a friendly, community vibe in Boston.
2.8
Business
$$
Central Rock Gym: beginner-friendly climbs with a friendly, community vibe in Boston.
Central Rock Gym in Boston offers a compact, beginner-friendly climbing space with solid routes, clean facilities, and communal chalk stations. Reviewers praise friendly staff like Amy and Zack and note early opening on some mornings. It's a convenient stop for travelers or newcomers, with occasional shoe-rental waivers; some reviews mention limited space and a $30 entry fee.
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Access to a variety of bouldering routes with regular updates for all skill levels.
Guided and self-service top-rope climbing on well-maintained walls with safety equipment.
Rent shoes, harnesses, and other gear, often with waived fees for beginners.
Exclusive access with 6 AM openings on select days for early risers.
Weekly activities and social gatherings to connect climbers and build a supportive network.
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Overall rating
Ella Kimura
Oftentimes what small gyms lack in space, they make up for in thoughtful setting and a warm community. This gym does not. When we arrived, the staff member was busy calling an ambulance for someone that had a nasty fall. After having climbed there, I'm only surprised that the EMTs weren't more familiar with the location. A few common themes emerged in the setting: lachés, contortions, and what I can only describe as "foothold spray and pray". Especially at the upper grade range, although there were a few decent -- if soft -- problems (though what commercial gym isn't soft these days?) more left me genuinely wondering if I was living in an AI hallucination. I wouldn't recommend this gym to anyone looking to train, not least because there is no board climbing and because the lone hangboard is trapped in a cage of pull-up/laché practice bars. And on the flip side, I also wouldn't recommend this gym to anyone not looking to train. Save your 34 dollars and visit one of the numerous other gyms in the area.
Beau Cote
Great gym. New climber here and it feels super supportive. Opens at 6am some days which is awesome because nobody else does. Amy is a blast on Wednesday mornings and makes the gym feel alive!
John Cogswell
On the front of the building here, is some kind of a storm drain. This review is going to be somewhat unfair, because the storm drain and it's issue is not entirely the fault of Central Rock Gym, however because their business is affected by it, and since the issue is unresolved, they do bear some responsibility to their customers and passersby. On Tuesday, July 9th, I was walking along, stepped in the algae-covered sidewalk and fell hard in my shoulder. Anyone approaching this business had better be aware, because if you are over 50, you're definitely going to be hurting more than your pride. For elderly tourists and visitors, this is a serious risk and should not have been allowed to develop. I have received unsatisfactory follow up thus far, and this review will remain up until it has been resolved to my satisfaction. Edit: I remain waiting for contact from Central Rock Gym directly. I have downgraded my review to 1 star for poor management and unresolved safety issues. I have also reported this safety violation to the City of Boston. If these people seriously cared, they would have resolved it by now.
Collin H
A nice beginner friendly gym. I thought the grading was quite soft. They have chalk stations throughout the gym and often seem to waive the rental fee for shoes. Nice place to go to if you’re traveling or just getting into climbing. I considered knocking another star due to the simplicity of problems but the staff were super friendly, especially Zack!
yehudah bogatch
Not a bad little gym. Positives - Good sets, nice holds, consistent grades, good music, pretty clean, communal chalk pot (nice touch), and nice staff. Negatives - Small gym with only one main wall, no system board, very small workout area, no sustained overhang area, and $30 to get in. If you’re stuck in the middle of the city with no car it’s worth the visit. If mobile, make the trip to a bigger gym.
