Hive Bouldering Gym & Climbing

Great gym, great staff, highly loveable community :)

There’s an incredible community at Hive Bouldering. I was only there for a night — in town for a long weekend and wanted to check it out. I felt welcomed and immediately like part of the Hive family. I watched other people working on their projects and sended my own to others watching. High fives with people I didn’t know! Love that.
Their rating system is a little different than what I’m used to — and their start holds are designated differently which confused me quite a bit and gave me a little difficulty.
But their problems have color coded holds, too, which is THE best. And their staff was also quite awesome. I’d be happy going there if I was a local!

What’s not to love about this place? Great indoor bouldering gym and accessible by bike.

Been here three times and it’s not bad. I like the slide. But bouldering is hard on the hands and you do need good core. Had a great time here with a bunch of friends. This place can get quite busy and I do recommend it.
Rentals are not bad but the shoes can be nasty so I do recommend you on getting your own shoes.

1 star because it’s like the only bouldering gym in Vancouver
Another star because some of the routes were fun & the staff were nice.
Here’s where hive loses 3 stars:
–the gym is concerned more about cleanliness than safety (reprimand you for spilling a little chalk dust on their pristine floors, but it’s perfectly ok for a little girl to keep running around while other climbers try to dodge her)
–not a gym made for serious or potentially serious climbers: 1) have to wear your shoes all the time while on the floor mats (really? You’re a bouldering gym! Not a freaking spa) News flash: rock climbers like their shoes tight 2) the grading system is THE most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. It’s a hexagon rating to keep with the «bee-​hive» theme… I feel sorry for those who start here and then venture outside and wonder what a v4 is. «What, the rating isn’t ³⁄₆ hexagons?»
–The routes were so hard to read, literally and figuratively, they write on these hexagon cards to show you where to start, but the hand writing is so terrible I couldn’t read 75% of them. Also they decided to put orange, pink, and red all next to each other. They all look like one color when chalked up and scuffed with shoe marks.
-$ 5 «fall fee» on top of the ~$ 20 entrance fee. It should be included in one price, or waived if showing knowledge on how to climb & fall properly.
In all this is a joke of a gym, made for kids. I would only come here if desperate (which I was, because it’s been a week of rain in Squamish).

I was less than impressed with this gym. The place is a lot smaller and dirtier than it seems in the pictures.
Pros:
–friendly community
–longer routes than normally seen
–good variety of routes (lots of traversals)
Cons:
–Utterly frustrating route marking system. For some reason you want to use your own grading system instead of the V system, fine whatever. I can get over the fact that prominent colors on the markings don’t actually indicate route color. But why not just mark the starting holds with tape instead of describing it with words? Having to stand in front of this piece of paper and figure out where to start is just unnecessary.
–The fact that the route grading paper also describes how to climb the route is like giving a test with all the problems solved.
–Confusing route colors. Tons of places where Orange, Red, And Fleshy Pink routes are side by side or intermingled. Trying to distinguish which hold is which is a complete nightmare especially since a lot of the holds were really dirty. At the corner wall there was a clump of pink holds that corresponded to 3 separate routes. Better hold color separation is needed.
–No good down climb holds. Not everyone wants to jump down from the top of a slab wall (or any wall for that matter). It was annoying to have to down climb on crimpy holds.

The gym has a nice vibe that is welcoming to everyone. A big selection of routes to choose from. Great music, and awesome DJ when she’s there.

The staff are very friendly and helpful. The instructors are experienced and able to demonstrate the techniques very well. The only drawback (at the time I was visiting) was too crowded. It was so busy and the music was a bit too loud.

I’ve been coming here for about a year and figured it was about time I got around to reviewing.
The instructors are top shelf. This is a great place to take classes whether you’re a rank beginner or are looking to upgrade your skills.
Definitely worth checking out. It’s one of my top two bouldering gyms in Vancouver.

Staff is super friendly. They are always around to help you with any problem (get it? problem? Heheh). They change up the problems to keep you on your toes. The gym is never too busy that you can’t get some good climbing in. Highly recommended :)

About a year and a half ago, I fell hook line and sinker into a damn groupon trap. I came to the Hive for a beginner lesson and 2 weeks free trial and what the heck do I get? Lassoed into signing up for an entire year. And then! The travesty! I go sign my gullible hiney on another year when my first year completes. Why? Am I total sucker with too much cash, fetish for peeling, roughed up hands and a vast enjoyment of falling from 12 foot heights?
Ha…hahahahahahahhahaha no, no and… no. Ok so its not a trap, what I meant to say is that really I never left this place. My first lesson, I was a total newb. I’d done a few top roping sessions and never really went back until this popped up on the radar. The excellent first beginner lesson showed me the ins and outs of the gym, how to fall, basics of technique and was a precursor to the wonderful world of indoor bouldering. The gym itself is bright, cheerful and inviting with separate communal change rooms fitted with lockers, washroom stalls & a shower area, a back room for lessons/​warming up, small gym (ish) area and of course the main climbing walls.
Apart from the excellent problems set out by some standup route setters, the best part of this place is the people. Theres always a friendly face, or a future friend/​acquaintance willing to give you a hand when you need one. Need encouragement? People will cheer you all the way up. Need help figuring out how to scale a problem? Willing betas are everywhere. Want to complain about life and creep out the front desk people? Maybe when they get past your weirdness and strangely warm up to you.
My one qualm with this place would be that it seems that most people that climb have this whole height thing going for them. Being quite far below 5’3, there are some challenges that you’re going to have to face. I figure if I keep requesting that they hire some shorter setters maybe they’ll listen. Until then, I’ll just keep pestering the front desk people. They won’t mind, right?

This is a fantastic bouldering gym. I’ve taken the Fundamentals and Beyond Fundamentals course and it was worth every penny. The class sizes are small and the instructors incredibly good. They give you great feed back to help you work on your technique and build a training plan that will help you become a better climber.
The facilities there are great. There are plenty of problem there for each skill level and most of them are really interesting (well at least the ones I try).
A lot of the clientèle there are friendly and you can always find people willing to give you some beta and help you out. If you’re looking for a great and entertaining workout, this is the place to go.

Great bouldering gym. Lots of challenges for experts, beginners and kids. Bright and airy with great customer service. Will be back.

Good variety of problems, fair amount of space. Smells clean. Bright. Good music. Friendly.
The biggest downer here is that it’s very expensive for what it is. Ten-​pack reduces cost to $ 14/​session which is kind of pricey compared to what I’m used to in SF. Poorly equipped washrooms (crappy dryer, nothing to blow your nose with when it’s full of chalk dust), shower but no free towel service. A little too no-​frills, especially for the cost. They have a back room which could be used to offer yoga or something but instead it’s kind of under-​utilized. One or two exercise machines but… I’d put a little more effort in there and this place could be that much better.
However, it’s the only game in town. So, I pay and will continue to boulder here.
I agree with the other reviewer who mentioned the rating issue. There seems to be a pretty quick jump from V0 to V2 with not a lot in between. I don’t know why they wouldn’t just stick with a standardish rating system?

Relatively new bouldering only gym. I mainly boulder and so this place was a dream come true. Its relatively large compared to the neighboring cliffhanger’s tiny attic. Bouldering has really picked up over the years compared to vertical walls and Im happy to see more boulder-​focused gyms open
Tuesday evening ~ 8pm it was pretty full
–They don’t tape their routes, rather, they use colored rocks to mark their routes
–Each route is marked at the start with a written explanation and colored difficulty level.
–Check the wall at the front for the corresponding colors and V ratings
–It took a little getting used to but I liked this method more because they don’t have tape coming off the routes. And on inclined routes, its much easier to see the rock color than to look for the tape under the rocks when looking for your next foot rest.
— because of the setting method — there are less overall routes
— the slide was closed, that made me sad
— hang board and chinup bar are on the second level to the left
— free weights in the back behind the counter
— inverted cave is small

Good place to go for indoor climbing. That seems to be the consensus among my associates who are into climbing/​bouldering anyway.
The beginner’s class I took gave me enough information and enthusiasm to send me on my way as Weekend Climber, Conqueror of Polka Dotted (most basic) Holds!
The facilities are clean, but the rental shoes are RANK. Think bowling shoes, but worse. They spray them each time they’re used, but I suggest bringing a thin pair of socks to wear with them or buying a pair as soon as you think climbing may be something you want to do more than once in a blue moon.
A few more tips for the beginner: Cut your nails (all 20 of them) short. Chalk your hands well. Moisturize hands liberally afterward.
Prices are what they are. If you want to do indoor climbing in Vancouver, expect to pay rates similar to Hive’s.
Yippee to a fun way to get stronger!

I’m new to bouldering, and came here knowing absolutely nothing about the sport. I found the staff incredibly friendly and helpful, offering me safety lessons and general tips in regards to climbing. I found some of the routes labeled easy to be quite difficult, but this may be more of a reflection on my lack of experience (and possibly upper body strength) than anything else. The place was almost empty on a weekday afternoon but I’m assuming this place fills up in the evening.
Sure, the place isn’t cheap for a drop-​in, but they offer reasonable rates if you buy a month membership or a 10-​class card. It’s not a place I would go to a few times a week as a part of my regular workout routine, but it’s a great way to change things up, or to take a date!
Overall I had a fantastic experience and I’m looking forward to going back.

Meh.
So, I’m not pretending to be a climbing aficionado, but from my limited climbing experience, the Hive – was in short – unfortunately anticlimactic. For the several months leading up the opening of a bouldering-​only gym, the «buzz» was definitely absorbed on the Hive’s ability to offer something new.
PROS: It’s Clean, with lots of space, and in a centralized location (with free parking).
CONS:
1. Cost – We all know that «new» things can demand a premium. But it’s hard for me to justify paying $ 24 just to Boulder! $ 16.50 for drop-​in, $ 5.00 for «fall assessment», and tax = Over $ 24/​day.
2. Assessment – Everyone has to take a «fall assessment». They spend 5−10mins going over the rules of gym, safe climbing techniques, and how to take fall. Great idea; but not worth $ 5.
3. Difficulty – Their grading system is a little different. Kinda confusing at first but, you get used to it. We found that lever 1 is too easy, and level 2 (for the most part) can be way too hard. They need to reassess their difficulties.
Level 1 = V0/​V1
Level 2 = V2/​V3
4. Holds – WARNING Color Bind people will have a serious disability traversing the problems. The Hive does not use numbered tape, instead use colored rocks with a starting sign explaining the route (Haha, most signs are hand written and hilariously illegible). As well, we’ve noticed that certain colors can be surprisingly difficult to differentiate when covered with chalk or shoe smear marks.
5. Crowds – Ok, this one’s not a biggy. But rather you should be aware that for the next couple weeks this place is going to be REALLY busy. Prepare to share. If you don’t like sharing, then get lost; this place will just aggravate you and probably the people waiting for the wall.
6. Kids – Sorry kids. But this is probably not the best place for you right now. Serious climbers only, or until it gets less busy.
So, there you have it! I think the Hive is great to check out, however, I probably will not go there again for quite some time (not to mention its summer… Squamish FTW!!)