Inner Peaks Climbing Center

I bought a groupon here for a full day of climbing for 2 for $ 22.00. It was well worth it and a great way to try new exercises. They have guides that give you an orientation tutorial, and teach you how to be the climber and partner with the rope, although for the most part they were pretty hands off — I guess you could ask them for help if you needed it or if there was an emergency they would be there. The staff were all very nice — the equipment worked well, and we used our own tennis shoes which were fine for climbing. I like how they have the «difficulty» level marked on each course with numbers so you can gauge what to try next. I would definitely consider a membership and coming back here. Rock climbing is so much fun!

It was our first time here and we will be back for sure! The staff is excellent. Very friendly and knowledgeable. The facility is very clean and well maintained. While we are very. much beginners, it appeared there were varying levels for all expertise. A very fun afternoon!

This was my first time rock climbing and I had a really positive experience. We had a groupon deal and it was definitely worth it.
When you walk in you get greeted and they ask if you have done rock climbing before. You then sign a few papers and watch a video. Someone watches you to make sure you put on the equipment correctly. Once you are done with all that, you are free to roam! They had a lot of different styles/​levels. It was fun to try all of them. We didn’t have to wait for anything to climb since the place is so large. There is also drinks and snacks if you want to purchase anything.
We were there for about 2.5 hours and it was so fun and worth it! We would definitely go back again!

This was great! I got two for $ 30 Groupon, took my girlfriend and it was an AMAZING experience! It was an all day event that left us exhausted, but wanting more. We’re definitely looking forward to going back and even checking out the south end location as well. Shannon was a great help, wonderful staff.

Fun for all ages! Went here today (using their Groupon) for the first time and had a blast. Took about 20 minutes to watch a safety video, learn the harnesses, etc. and then you were free to climb as you please. I highly recommend going in pairs or else you will have limited options of ropes or need to have a stranger that you can pair up with. However, I saw two auto hookups where you could just climb on your own. Climbs are labeled by difficulty so you have a heads up what you’re getting yourself into.
Got there around 3 on a Saturday and it was pretty crowded. Most ropes were in use. However by 4pm there weren’t many people there. I would recommend going early or later on in the day. Will definitely be back.

Both locations are fantastic facilities with friendly and helpful staff that facilitate a truly welcoming environment for climbers of all skill levels. Routes and problems are great, well-​maintained, and change regularly.
The South End location is impressive, to say the least, with much higher walls, expansive bouldering, and great sport opportunities, including several auto belays (especially useful if you are not yet qualified to belay on routes that are not pre-​rigged). South End is geared more towards climbers with some previous experience (regardless of age), which is a much needed and welcome addition for those who take climbing a bit more seriously. There are still plenty of opportunities with bouldering and auto belays if you are a beginner.
Climbing is an awesome way to get kids active and excited about the outdoors but if your children are inexperienced and not into climbing as a sport, you will probably be better served by visiting the Monroe Road location. This location is better geared towards those brand new to the sport, as they have several beginner-​level top rope routes pre-​rigged with gri-​gris that you are qualified to use after a 15-​minute lesson your very first day. Regardless of the facility, you will want to keep an eye on kids, as the facilities are not heavily staffed and the actions of some rambunctious youngsters can end in injury for them and others. I have seen many times where parents allow their kids to run through the gym without caution, climb without ropes on areas that are not for bouldering, walk/​run underneath climbers, and climb up on down climb only areas. These are all huge things parents need to ensure do not happen to contribute to a safe environment for everyone. But not to worry, readers, for as many wild kids I have seen, I have seen triple the amount of kids who have been taught their gym etiquette and safety, are spending awesome quality time with their family, and other kids who completely and utterly crush better than myself and a ton of adults.
The community of climbers at Inner Peaks is extremely friendly, welcoming, and ready at will to help you — whether it be belaying for a solo climber or sharing knowledge about gear and climbing spots.
At the end of the day, I cannot recommend Inner Peaks enough.

I went to Inner Peaks with three others for some afternoon fun. It was a Friday and we were 4 of about 9 people in the place. After signing some waivers, we watched a short introductory video and got to climbing under the supervision of one of the employees. Once we’d all practiced a few times, we were on our own. The last time I climbed was about 15 years ago and took a while for me to get the courage up to climb higher than 4 feet off the ground. I wish we’d had more time, because just as I found my groove we had to leave. There was a good variety of climbing options for novice and expert climbers. Definitely give yourself time to get acclimated if it’s been a while. A fun way to spend time indoors for kids or adults!

Very Disappointed! Have been going to inner peaks for many years and have brought many customers to the place. I bought a giftcard for a birthday and recently when she went to go use it, they said there was no purchase history on it. I bought it in march and thankfully had purchased it with a card otherwise they would not have been able to find it and credit the visit to the giftcard. This is most definitely an employee error and I wanted some sort of voucher for my friend since this was unacceptable. The manager was very apathetic and did not care that my friend had gone there just to use the giftcard and had to pay with her own money to buy the pass. From the view of the person who bought the giftcard for a birthday, I was very disappointed and embarrassed that she could not use it. What also flabbergasted me was that the employees there said this happened often… Am I overreacting or should this definitely should not happen again. So for now Do Not buy giftcards until they train their employees to do their jobs correctly.

I came here with a friend to use a giftcard that she gave me few months ago back in March. We could not use the giftcard, because they could not find a recent transaction on that giftcard. My friend immediately checked her bank account and saw that they charged her for that giftcard back in March. My friend did everything she possibly can to grab a hold of someone who can help her settle this matter. However, their employees and even the manager couldn’t be efficient about this. Even the manager couldn’t be any sincere about what had happened. One of the employee mentioned how this happens oftenly. This is something you should not be proud of or even mention to your customers. I wonder how many disappointed customers who purchased a giftcard walked out of their doors. You’ve got to be extra extra careful when purchasing a giftcard here. Much attention needed since they will charge you for the giftcard but not even put money in there. We are both upset and VERY disappointed that we both had to go through this. My positive view on this place has changed, especially the way they handled this matter was not professional at all.

I’ve never been climbing before, but I went to the Unilocal Quirks Out event earlier this week and LOVED it — the instructors were super helpful and made learning how to use the ropes and belay your partner easy. I also really liked the social atmosphere — every climber I encountered was friendly and willing to give out tips.
There were lots of climbers, so occasionally we had to wait for one of the easier routes to open up, but in general the facility was spacious and had a ton of options. Now I just need to convince all my friends to come climbing with me!

First time rock climbing, looks easy but its definitely not, it’s a great upper body work out. Bouldering was so difficult definitely got to be in great upper body shape. I had a blast and the place was pretty cool nice staff.

I’ve only been to climbing gyms in the DC metro area, and man, is this place different! In kind of a nice way.
+ Compared to any night in any DC metro area gym, this place almost feels DESERTED there are that many routes open. Not crowded at all, spacious.
+ They use a few gri-​gris and have 2 auto-​belays. Unheard of at gyms I’ve gone to! I think this is great for folks that are new to climbing. And it also means there seems to be more routes for folks with ATC’s!
+ At least 2 routes with cracks.
+ The walls themselves are thoughtfully constructed, i.e. the edges have grooves that can act as holds, which makes it fun and more of a simulation of an outdoor experience. Love it.
~ Long orientation for first-​timers, but I like that it shows that they’re really concerned about safety. However, annoying for experienced climbers that don’t want to spend 30 minutes getting situated.
— One of the 5.6 and 5.9 routes were definitely switched. It was the first route I tried (the «5.6») so I was like, geez, NC routes are HARD! and then I tried the route next door (the «5.9») and it was clear the signage had been flipped.
— Priceypricey. $ 16 for a day pass. Well, you’re paying for those awesome routes and walls, I guess. I wish there was a student discount or pass package or something, since Charlotte’s a student town.

Inner Peaks is THE place to climb in Charlotte. The staff is excellent and is the climbing community! They are always trying to make the facility better for new and seasoned climbers alike!
Never been climbing before? Don’t fret! The staff at Inner Peaks will take good care of you. There is a short orientation video, tour, and training to make you feel comfortable. The have rental gear to make sure you have everything you need. Just wear comfy/​athletic clothes.
Seasoned climber? There are 2 top-​out boulders, bouldering walls, lead cave, and plenty of top ropes to suit your needs. There is also a workout area and climbing training area.
Pro tips: Mondays are ½ price day passes for guests climbing with a member. Wednesdays are college days. Discounted day pass and gear rental with a college ID. There is also a great Power Flow yoga class offered on Wednesdays (included with the price of admission).
Second location coming to the SouthEnd in 2015!

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review yet!
I’ve been a member of Inner Peaks since sometime this summer and have been trying to get there two times a week or so. The location makes it tough because its definitely outside my Dilworth-​South Park bubble.
GOOD NEWS: They’re opening a South End location in 2015! 2200 Tryon.
Until then though, the route setting is standard, they change on a regular basis, they don’t have ridiculous rules like some other gyms I’ve been to. You’re able to come in, watch some safety videos, get tested on using a gri-​gri and belaying and get started climbing the same day.
They’ve been sprucing up the walls, painting them and fixing up some of the holds. I’m super stoked to see what the new South End location has in store for them!

I’ve been going to Inner Peaks off and on for seven years or so. What impresses me is that every few years they renovate, expand, freshen up or add something new.
No, that’s not a list of all the same thing– they have done each individually over the years.
The indoor climbing area includes:
1. Beginner Walls
2. Bouldering and lead cave
3. Free-​standing boulder
4. More advanced routes (lead included)
5. Moon board
6. Slackline and training area
7. Upstairs cardio/​weights (full dumbbell set, treadmill, bikes, kettles, etc)
8. Yoga studio with classes at 6:30pm 2x a week
9. Stuff for the kiddos– birthday parties and climbing team
I guess now I need a number ten… monthly memberships includes yoga + climbing but this is a great place to learn about climbing on a rainy day or take a second or third date.
If you have a buddy that’s a member– Monday is where it is at– you’ll get in for half price with them.
This is a solid gym for NC — the walls aren’t the tallest but they are constantly improving and striving to make climbing accessible for those looking for a fun thing to try and for those training for their next outdoor send.

This place was alright. I have been to climbing gyms throughout the San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Chicago, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Paris and while they all have their quirks, a couple things about Inner Peaks bugged me. As a disclaimer, this is only in reference to bouldering as I did not do any top roping at Inner Peaks.
I was surprised that they never asked my friend and I if we had climbed before. A lot of gyms, once they find out that you’ve been climbing for a while, don’t bother with a safety rundown, just a waiver and you’re off. Inner Peaks didn’t ask any questions, and instead had us watch a video and go through a tour/​orientation after signing their waiver. This isn’t that bad, but instead of being informative about the gym, both the video and orientation just repeated that climbing is dangerous a bunch of times.
Most gyms have different ways of marking problems, but what they do not tend to vary is the grading system. In North America, the Hueco «V» scale is generally used, and it is indeed in use at Inner Peaks. The difficulty is that they have most of their routes labeled with a points system. There is a legend on the wall that converts their points to the «V» scale, which isn’t very intuitive. This was not mentioned at all during our orientation.
The other thing was the general vibe of the place. This is kind of hard to describe and could absolutely be the conditions of the particular day that I went. One thing that I really like about climbing is that, for the most part, the community is very laid back, friendly and enthusiastically helpful. The staff here was nice, but seemed totally uninterested in what they were doing. Maybe they found the orientation process to be annoying too. Beyond that, the other people in the gym were not the typical friendly climbing bunch that I’m used to. I got the feeling that they were bothered that I was in their space. It all felt very unwelcoming.
In general, the facility has a decent amount of bouldering and looks to have some good lead climbing and top roping. It’s not a very social bunch, but like I said, that could have just been the conditions of that particular day. It seems to be the best climbing gym in Charlotte though, so if you’re in the area, give it a go and maybe you’ll have a better experience than I did.

Great gym. Love the space and the walls. They have slack line also. Many different routes for beginners to advanced climbers. On weekends it’s usually not so busy. Atleast that has been my experience in the 5 to 6 visits in the few months.
They have few auto belay routes with one or 2, 5.10 routes. So it’s good to climb as a solo on some harder routes without a belayer as there is auto belay.
The bouldering section is huge with plenty of overhang routes.
Everything is good except one thing. The bulletin board to find climbing buddies or belayers, is not very effective. There are rarely any advertisements by other climbers for buddies. Looks like people come here after they get hooked. It’s difficult get a call or request through the bulletin board for climbing buddies. So you better have someone to go with or ask around the gym to catch you.
I usually go solo, and ask around. Haven’t had much luck finding regular climbing partners through the advertisement on the bulletin board.
That’s why I am giving this gym 4 stars rating. Else everything is cool.
One more thing: Staff is very friendly and have happy faces.
Climb On!

It has been years since I’ve been to Inner Peaks, so I thought now that I have a two year old I would experiment and see if he liked to climb too. We walked in and the manager was super helpful and thought it was a great idea to see if our little man liked to climb. He even said to not worry about the day pass because who knows if our little guy would even like it. I was shocked because that never happens at businesses! Now thats customer service!
So he got our 2yr old all suited up in a full harness and off we went to try a wall. Well sadly my boy wasn’t feeling it and the manager told us to keep trying and he would check on us in a bit. After trying a couple different routes, we tried just letting him hang on some low jugs and that’s when he started to have fun. For some reason he didn’t like being attached to the rope. But after a few minutes he was done.
So we came to the front and I thanked the manager again for his help and allowing us to try it out first. We will definitely be back and the climbing wall in our son’s room will be the next project!

I made it to the top– that’s all that matters!
Love this place.

This place is amazing. The staff are so nice and very helpful. Ive been 2 times now, and I can’t wait to go back.
One of the coolest, unadvertised things about inner peaks is college night. College night is every Wednesday and is only $ 12 for entry including shoe and harness rental. All you do is show college id.
I really just wish it was a lot cheaper, but if you are serious about a good workout this is an amazing place.