The Spot Bouldering Gym

I came to visit The Spot all the way from Brooklyn, and it was really cool to see one of the (THE) original bouldering gyms. All of the climbs were really fun and everyone was super nice. I like the slackline setup that they have here.
My only issue was the slightly confusing grading system that seems to have a huge range — but I guess who cares about the grades, really. If I lived in Boulder, I’d definitely be back.

Feels a little cramped but good for focusing on bouldering. Sometimes does not have a lot of beginner routes.

Once you come here, you are spoiled stupid and ruined for life.
I used to climb here a few times a week for about a year before moving to the Midwest. After the move, I spent 7 years in bouldering gym purgatory. I tried gyms all over and outside of the country when traveling (even one in Seoul, Korea) — though there were some decent top rope gyms, nothing… NOTHING comes close to the Spot.
Sure, the layout is appealing — lots of space, lots of different kinds of walls, great lighting, good flooring… But what really, really sets this place apart are the ways the problems are set. Being a short stubby thing of a human, and having most of my power in my legs, I really appreciate that not every problem is set for a 6 foot tall dude who just stretches and campuses through everything with no strategy or skill or grace.
So many problems have a great combination of holds (so you don’t wreck your hand tendons on a problem with a dozen tiny little shards that really should be foot holds). Many require really lovely triangulation and foot switches and swinging and fun things. Most problems are just as difficult for someone who is 4’11″ as someone who is 6’3″. I f*cking love this.
9 times out of 10 the staff is super friendly. They even have a bar now?! With microbrews on tap. Crazy. They have some healthful energy snacks and beverages for sale as well — and sometimes small businesses will set up sample tables of juices and granolas and what not.
The music can be god awful or it can be pretty great — all depends on who is working. Consider bringing in headphones if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing.
Student discounts. Full locker rooms. They offer classes. They have a single top rope wall. Slack line for balancing.
Fellow climbers range from near-​pros to first-​timers, from bros to rockers, from 10 year-​olds to 50-​somethings.
Sure it’s a little pricey (and the prices keep going up and up every year), but there’s really no equal.

Not the most helpful staff, but certainly a top pick for where I go to climb. I wish the upstairs work-​out area was a little bigger/​more sophisticated for doing warm-​up and cool-​down activities. Also, why are day passes so expensive? What equipment do you need replaced or what supplies do you need replenished often enough that you ask for $ 13 each visit?

Dirty Raw and Amazing, if you want to get strong this is the place to be.

The Spot is the best climbing gym and community in Boulder. Unlike some other climbing places I have been to which give off an elitist or unwelcoming vibe, The Spot is very friendly, open minded, and welcoming to all. The Spot also collaborates with tons of other great businesses to put on amazing events and provide a great experience at their gym.

I used to rock climb indoors in California, but this place beats any rock climbing gym I’ve been to so far! Came here for the first time tonight and didn’t want to leave — the staff was super friendly and they try to get to know you, which is always a plus. The gym itself has some great walls, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a slack line inside as well. Also everyone is great about taking turns here (there are some huge wall hogs in CA). I’m a beginner and I found a ton of climbing options in my range. Will be back here for sure!

I really want to give them 4 stars, but the flooring is terrible. I know they plan on changing it this summer, but it would be nice if they had more crash pads in the meantime… or all the time, as there are a few but they are really worn down. my star rating would go up with additional crash pads!
I do give the setting 5 stars but am not inclined to push myself in certain areas for fear of shitty flooring.
Otherwise, great gym!

I’ve been climbing at The Spot for several years and absolutely love it. Whether you’re just beginning or are a seasoned climber, you’ll be able to find a number of routes that will challenge your ability. While there are a few top ropes, this is definitely a bouldering gym. If you’re trying to get stronger or don’t have a climbing partner yet, then this is the place to be.
The route setters and staff here are great, and I find the climbing at the Spot to be more creative and technically challenging than the other gyms in the area. Too often it seems like hard routes in gyms are determined by powerful moves. At The Spot, you’ll find powerful routes as well as climbs that are technically challenging and do not rely on strength alone.

This is the best bouldering gym I have ever been to. Friendly informative staff, massive selection of routes and features it will be hard to get bored here. I also personally like their problem rating system, I found many different styles of routes to be in my range which was more fun than the typical V system.
Seriously considering a membership.

I went here to check out the guy as I have been thinking of doing some cross fit training and I wanted to see how they were while my friends car was being serviced at the BMW place. The staff seemed nice and explained everything very well. I may recommend joining as he has but I am not sure as they did not seem as nice as another [place that I visited. Great climbing wall!

This is the best bouldering gym I’ve ever been to. The routes are fantastically planed out, really challenge your mind, and offer a huge variety of techniques to complete. This place is incredibly good for newbies and pros alike. Everyone I’ve met there is friendly and the music they play really pumps you for climbing.
The actual gym aside, I’ve had quite a bit of trouble dealing with putting my account on hold. The first time I wanted to put my account on hold I was told that I needed to let them know 5 days before the end of the month or else I would get billed anyways. I think this kind of sucks because this isn’t written anywhere on their site or any receipts they give you. So you’re kind of screwed the first time you try and put your account on hold.
Recently, I decided I wanted to either put my account on hold or cancel my account because I wanted to switch to a top-​rope gym. I called and they told me about a duel membership they had with BRC, so I said I actually would think about that. The person on the phone told me that as long as I called in before 9am on the 1^st of the month, they could cancel my account, put it on hold, or sign me up for a duel membership. But after 9am and billing would have already gone through. So I thought about it for a day or two and then called to cancel my account. They gave me the «5 days before the end of the month» talk again.
Would give them 5 stars as a gym if not for this financial stupidness.

The Spot Bouldering Gym is exactly that, a bouldering gym. They offer a wide variety of problems to send. There is a slab wall, plenty of overhanging areas, two freestanding boulders that you can top out on and a tall wall with awesome padding under it. The setters do an awesome job of making problems for all ability levels. If you are new to bouldering, don’t get frustrated. Try many different problems because not all problems (that are graded the same) are created equal. You may find 3 dot problems you just can’t do and others that are 3 dot that seem easy.
They set on a 5 dot system. According to their setting blog the difficulty ratings are as follows…
1-​/​1/​1+ = VB/​V0
2-​/​2 = V0, V0+
2+/3– = V1
3 = V2
3+ = V3
4– = V4
4 = V5
4+ = V6
5– + V7
5 = V8
5+ = V9-​V12
5++ = V13-​V16.
They do have a small (and short) top rope wall in the back with a few routes on it. Customer service at the front desk can be hit or miss.

I love this place! It’s definitely not a «pretty» kind of gym (you know with huge changing rooms and immaculate floors). It’s got an amazing group of route setters who understand how to create not just beginner and impossible routes. There is a huge spectrum of late beginner, early intermediate, intermediate, etc. types of problems, which is really hard to find at most climbing gyms. The routes are changed frequently and the place is a blast to go to. I have had a membership for the past year and a half and don’t plan on quitting anytime soon.

Amazing bouldering facility with friendly and knowledgable staff!

Love.

As others have mentioned the ratings here are non-​standard, with a 5 dot system. I’m pretty much a trad climber and maybe boulder V2 in the Bishop Tablelands but I was able to finish a couple 4 dot problems and a bunch of 3+/4– ones. To me that seems a bit soft given that I suck at bouldering. I didn’t try and 5 dot ones so I can’t judge the upper range.
Otherwise the walls are well designed, with painstakingly sculpted features to supplement the usual bolt-​on holds. The holds are the most diverse I’ve seen at any gym. The staff is friendly and it didn’t seem overly crowded at 8pm on a wintery Friday (not a student discount night mind you).

This is a great place to climb. I’ve seen excellent climbers struggling with some of the problems and beginning climbers noticeably progressing. There is so much variety that any climber of any ability will find good problems to work on.
Sometimes climbing certain routes requires additional safety mat placement. When it gets crowded, you have the work around other peoples mats. Also, there seem to be a lot of kids under 13 running around on certain days.
All in all, this is a great place to Boulder, especially for beginners because of the variety of easier routes.
Lastly, they use a dot system and not the V system. Problems go from 1– to 5+

I use to live in Fort Collins but had a membership here, that’s how awesome this place is!
The setters are great and there’s a lot of variety. There’s not a lot of Top Roping, but it’s a Bouldering Gym. This places is especially great for beginners because there are plenty of easier routes that won’t even bore the pros. Plus everyone is really nice and helpful and is more than willing to give you pointers and tips. And don’t even worry about not coming with a partner to stop you, (while you shouldn’t climb past your comfort level) if someone notices you getting a little shaky they are right there to guide you.
There’s a lot more difficult problems are well that require a lot of strength and even more technique. There’s a lot of champ climbers that hang out around this place.
There’s also a slackline rigged up, if you are interested in that. All the equipment is up to date, and the staff rocks. They also offer a lot of instructional classes which includes a month long membership.

I love this place. I have been a regular since they opened a few years ago and there have always been great problems and a friendly staff. The Spot’s saved me from losing my mind on a regular basis as I go there on my lunch break.
It’s also a kick to climb in close proximity to some of the country’s best climbers on a regular basis.