Peak Experiences Rock Climbing Center

We came at 7 on a Saturday night and the place was busy but it was easy enough to get a route.
We had never climbed here before and had made a reservation to take the belay test which took about 30 minutes total including paperwork, practice and then testing. They have two computers at the front desk devoted to liability waivers, which take about 8 minutes to fill out. After witnessing a couple fail their belay test we were a bit nervous, after climbing every day for a few years we had taken three years off but we hadn’t forgotten anything crucial. Our instructor overheard us going over the checklist and told us that if we had the essentials down; tie-​ing in, putting your harness on right and knowing how to use your belay device you’d be good and that the commands which we were rusty on were not a deal breaker. So we passed the test, yay, after climbing and doing three falls, two unannounced and demonstrating that we knew how to use the ATC (belay device/​air traffic controller) safely and effectively. I admitted to the instructor I didn’t know what he meant by anchoring in and he should me the anchors scattered across the gym and hooked me up to one, these are good for when the climber is heavier than the belayer. Then we could climb!
There are plenty of routes for out of practice people here and no lines. And for the more advanced people there are bouldering and lead climbing routes. The floor is made of smooth rocks, which are not very comfortable, I do like the squishy floor that most gyms adopt. They also have a gear shop and rentals, and day camps for kids, there were also staff belaying a group of children who were having a blast! They have locker rooms for changing and an upstairs TRX workout area. A membership is definitely a good value if you plan on coming back.

Worked with Neil to put together a team building afternoon for my corporate team. PE provided not only activities for climbers, but activities and games for non-​climbers as well. We were able to keep to a budget, got a few people certified in their free belaying course, and had a blast! Everyone came back singing the praises of this facility. I’m so glad to have worked with the team and am looking forward to the next event!

A great place to climb for RVA. The bouldering area is too small, though. There needs to be a bigger space for more routes. The belay climbs are great with a lot of room to fit the amount of climbers safely. The staff is incredible and makes this a place you want to come back to for a great indoor climbing experience.

This is a good gym for children, a bad gym for adults, and has a wonderful staff.
There aren’t any other climbing gyms in the Midlothian area. For indoor climbing, Peak Experiences is it. This gym has the basics and is definitely more ropes oriented. The bouldering cave is small, both in terms of surface area and the height of the finishes.
The positives: great, knowledgable and friendly staff. Good selection of hangboards, campus boards, bouldering circuit wall, etc. Has amenities like nail clippers, first aid kits, brushes, gear rental, etc. Offers classes such as yoga and TRX.
Peak Experiences has many fundamental problems, which I hope they address over time. Listed in no particular order:
— The entire floor of the ropes area is loose gravel. I’m not kidding. No mats, no padding, just loose rocks. Even worse is that you can’t get to the bouldering cave without walking over loose rocks. Climbing is a sport where you wear uncomfortable shoes and usually take them off between climbs. Forcing patrons to walk over loose gravel is an obvious blunder. The regulars bring flip flops, which I would recommend for serious climbers who visit.
— The mat in the bouldering cave is low quality. It’s at most 5(?) inches thick and doesn’t offer as nice padding as traditional climbing gym mats. There are also a few routes that end near the edge of the mat, which clearly has wooden beams running under it. So for some routes it’s easy to fall and plant your leg directly on a solid beam!
— The bouldering cave is built for children. If you’re taller than five feet you can jump and grab the top of the wall in most places.
— The route setting is generally uncreative and lacking. Many routes just repeat the same hold or hold type for the duration of the route. This usually indicates less work put into the route setting, sacrificing climb quality and creativity for ease of setting.
— The route ratings aren’t just bad, they’re bonkers. In the bouldering cave they’re almost random. There are V1s that are harder than V4s. The setters clearly over-​compensate for the low heights by trying to make routes a lot harder, but don’t do so consistently. Whatever level you’re climbing at, discard it and pick a random number. Several patrons I’ve talked to agreed, the ratings make no sense, which is an indication of poor setting quality.
— To compensate for the low bouldering cave height, there are some *terrible* moves on routes. There are lots of gastons (easy to tear a rotator cuff!), underclings that only someone 4 feet tall could hold (again, it’s a gym for children), crossovers to crimps on V3s (!) that you could easily strain a muscle on. Some of the very hard moves are on lower rated routes, like V2s and V3s, which could easily injure a newcomer with less technique. Be careful!
— Figuring out which hold belongs to which route is a cruel joke bordering on nightmare. Every route start has a laminated card indicating the color of the route holds and where on the wall it «tops outs» (misuse of terminology, no routes top out). Routes end at specific places dictated by colored tape and a number. First of all, most of the cards are completely faded and you can’t read anything on them. To make matters worse, they set pink, red, yellow, orange, and white routes all in the same place. These holds are low quality and *covered* in rubber and chalk. And most of them are poorly lit and in shadow! Imagine trying to figure out if your chalky, rubbery foot hold is red, orange, yellow or pink in an unlit area of the bouldering cave. You’ll spend more time figuring out what’s part of the route than climbing it, guaranteed! An easy and obvious solution to this, which most climbing gyms do, is 1) use new holds when you set, and 2) put colored tape under each hold to help clearly show the route.
— None of the bouldering routes top out (where you actually climb over the top of the wall to finish). They’re all jump down endings. And yet, the terminology «top out» is misused everywhere.
— The gym section of the gym is a bit lacking. It’s more TRX focused so there are lots of resistance bands, etc if that’s your thing. In terms of weights, there’s only free weights. There’s no benches or squat cages. No pull up bars, weighted machines, leg press, dip station… nothing really gym related. There’s only a TRX (?) support beam running across an open area to attach bands to. The free weights are also bonkers, they go up by 5 pound increments until they hit 40 pounds, then the next highest weight is 60 pounds, and there’s nothing above that! It doesn’t make any sense! If you want to do incremental weight training you’ll have to get creative.
To sum up: For a kids birthday party, or for young climbers training for competitions, this is a great place. For adults it’s probably better to get a membership to a regular, complete gym, focus on outdoor climbing, and nail strips of plywood to a wall at home for strength training.

I visited Peak Experiences for some top-​roping with a large group and I had mixed feelings about the gym.
Some thoughts:
–The wall height was not particularly impressive, as far as climbing gyms go. It was okay.
–Lot’s of auto belay routes! If that’s your thing, this is good.
–Most of the gyms I go to now use the Grigri on all their top-​ropes. Peak Experiences uses ATC devices and carabiners.
–The gym was a bit pricey for a day pass and gear. I asked about their membership rates, and they were much more expensive than my home gym in California.
–The top-​roping routes were very difficult. At most gyms I climb a 5.9 or a 5.10a – here I could BARELY make it up the 5.7s and 5.8s.
–The employees here were very nice, and helpful. They promoted a culture of safety overall, which sometimes is lacking at other gyms.
Overall: This is a decent gym. I wouldn’t recommend it for climbing beginners with little skill or experience, because there’d likely be few routes you’d enjoy. But I’d visit again if I were in Midlothian and wanted to climb.

I haven’t climbed for a very long time and I have to say that I haven’t been to many climbing centers, but Peak Experiences has been the best. I would give it five stars except for the fact that the belay that I had was not very strong, and I’m sure that he was new. In all, it was a fun time.

My son works here and he wanted me to try climbing. What a role reversal: he loved being in charge and telling me what to do and to do it. Besides he held the belaying line.
I had never climbed before except stairs and ladders. So he started me on the beginner course. Did I mention I have a slight case of fear of heights?
Let’s just say I was the best senior citizen on the beginner course. The 10-​year-​old girl climbing next to me just couldn’t hold a candle to my climbing skills.
After a break my son had me try a bit harder course. Not wanting my son to think me a wuss, I climbed it even though it meant climbing around a corner.
Bottom line:
1. My son is very cool.
2. My shoulders and neck were very sore for the next four days.

This place is truly a gem and I wish there was a similar place like this in Los Angeles (there are «climbing gyms» here, sure. Not QUITE the same and certainly not as complex).
My first experience with this place was when I was still in the Boy Scouts doing an overnight lock-​in. I had an excellent time, although the thought of actually becoming a member didn’t occur to me until well after college! Multiple trips with my work colleagues changed that. Great place to work out and have an amazing time.
Thankfully, to stave off boredom and offer more challenges, the staff rotate the routes about once a month or two.
Also, they offer TRX training, which I highly recommend if you are just a little bored of simply climbing.

I love coming to Peak! The first time I climbed I was instantly hooked and what a workout I got. My arms are starting to look more toned and I am super excited about it. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable so I know anytime I have a concern or a question they will meet my expectations. Two staff members, Ben and Paul, are always helpful when I have questions on specific routes or gear. Plus all of the members who have been climbing for awhile are easy to talk to and I have had more success bouldering after an expert has shown me the way. The facility itself is clean and the routes change up a good pace so it is hard to get bored. The membership rates are affordable and the discounts in the shop are decent. I really can’t say enough good things about Peak, I just feel amazing after I climb. And the anticipation before the next time I climb? It makes it all the more sweet when I get to come back. If you feel like being awesome and get some beasty arms (and back and butt and legs and foot cramps) then Peak is the place you are looking for.

It’s a nice facility with a good number of routes for all levels. The staff is friendly and helpful.

I wish there was a spot like this in Burbank, CA. This place has a really awesome rock climbing wall, and a small bouldering nook that is great for everyone from beginners to experts.
I don’t like how they charge you extra for chalk, and for the bouldering, there aren’t any extra mats to move around (as I’m used to), but it’s such a cool setup that I want to give it 4 stars anyway.

I have to trick myself into working out, and rock climbing certainly does the trick. Peak always has deals to get a few cheaper climbs in if you come more than once a week or check their bulletin board for members events. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and when there isn’t a school group, the week mornings are pretty empty. Between the continuously added fresh routes and the male eye candy, peak has become part of my weekly routine.

Man, I do love the way a Living Social deal breaks me out of my routine and helps me get to know my new city.
FB and I went early on a Friday afternoon and just about had the place to ourselves. Neither of us had ever climbed before. We were harnessed up, explained the basics and pointed to what I was told was the beginner course but looked tall and scary to my eyes. FB scampered up that sh! t like a spider monkey. I was considerably more methodical but made it to the top. We spent the next hour trying out other courses of varying skill level and really enjoying it.
Regular price (3 climbs for $ 18) is a little pricey for me to do it on a regular basis. They do offer memberships for those who want to be there all the time.
The staff was great, the facility was clean and it was a great introduction to a really fun sport.