Upper Limits Rock Climbing Gym

I had a great time here with a friend. It was fun! They had great walls to climb and good equipment. It seemed like a friendly environment and the staff was super helpful with information.
I would definitely recommend doing this with friends or it could make a great date night. Check out this place. It is a great time!

I hate to rain on the parade but I had a much better experience at the Upper Limits location off Lindbergh and Page — It is much bigger and has more routes. What really annoyed me here were the colors — they would have black right next to «blue» except the «blue» faded so much that they were the same shades as the black. On one surface there are green and yellow grips but both are supposed to be «yellow». Then if you go to another surface area, they mark two separate routes. Basically the colors were inconsistent and confusing on the lower-​difficulty climbs that made the tasks tougher than they should have been.
The staffs were nice so no complaints there.

I’ve been climbing for over two years now and love the Upper Limits gym downtown. The staff are top notch instructors for beginners like myself and I highly recommend the six-​week courses they offer. I really feel a sense of a community at Upper Limits because the atmosphere is so inviting and friendly. It’s easy to meet new people and find a climbing partner so you’re not stuck on auto-​belays during your visit. I hope to some day build up strength and skill to move beyond top-​rope climbing and learn to lead climb. Upper Limits is my first choice for learning safety, technique, and passion for climbing!

Awesome staff, clean gym, and friendly climbers — what else could you ask for?
My husband and I just started climbing at this gym as we love it! This is our first try at rock climbing and all of the staff and patrons have been incredibly welcoming of us «newbies.»
We also appreciated Dean’s patience, expertise, and help in assisting us with choosing all of our gear. Being so new it could have been really overwhelming but he made great suggestions and let us take our time. It’s also great that they let you put on harnesses and hook up to the wall to «test» them out — can’t do that on Amazon!
Yes it’s a bit crowded at times and you may have to wait your turn to climb a specific route (but no different than waiting for a treadmill at the regular gym.) As new climbers, we enjoy that time to watch other, more experienced climbers solve problems on the wall. This is one of the many ways that we’ve been able to pick up technique. Also, we’ve met several climbers who are more than happy to give us tips, show us their gear, etc.
They have lockers (although I’ve noticed a lot of people just throw their crap next to the route they’re going to climb, not really safe during busy times,) bathrooms, and a changing room/​shower. Tip on the lockers: bring your own lock, they charge $ 1 to use one of theirs.
If you’re interested, I highly recommend the Groupon for the 2 hour intro class. We took it with my brother back in June and really enjoyed it. It’s a great way to get your feet wet and see if rock climbing in a gym is something you’d like without having to invest a lot of time or money.
If you’re looking to climb here long-​term, keep in mind: they also offer a half-​price sale on their yearly membership, usually in January.

I was going on a date and he found a Groupon for this place. Sure, lets me adventurous and save some cash. This deal was for 2 people and we got a two hour class, all of the equipment and two hours of free climbing. We were told to not be late for class, not even 10 minutes. At the Upper Limits safety is their number one goal and I totally get it. It was a class size of 8 people. We were taught how to tie knots, belay and communication between you and your partner. Sara, was our instructor, very much to the point. It was alittle hot in the place, and it did smell of body odor and feet. But what an adventure. Groupon is the way to go when trying this for a night. Memberships are offered, tons of different ways to climb. Give it a try. My suggestion, where workout pants, not shorts. The harness rub you in some interesting ways and I was grateful for the yoga pants.

A gym I have been visiting for years and would visit more if I didn’t live so far from it. (Luckily their West County gym is closer to home.) Home to rock climbing and crack addicts. You know. the crack in the rocks? :P If you love rock climbing or just want a fun new way to get your fitness on this is the place for you. All levels are welcome as there are so many different climbs to do. Wednesday nights are student nights so get your ID cards ready. They have lockers in the back to keep your stuff just bring a lock if you want to keep it secure (i never have and have never had a problem). A perfect place to «hang» out for a couple hours.
Great way to get the mind thinking about the fitness rather than going through the motions while watching TV.
ALSO Great spot for a lot of the local college crowd (Wash U) to hang out at and great for birthday parties as well so obviously it is fantastic for kids.

This is a great facility. The padded foamy floors seem kind of unnecessary but are a nice addition for those who feel scared of falling 50 feet. There are multiple self belays so even it is perfectly fine to go by yourself sometime. The first climbing gym I’ve been to that’s set up like a fitness centre where it would make a lot of sense (cost wise) to be a member. I would go back and do one of their courses to learn how to belay so I could use more of the many climbs they have to offer.

Awesome place. Even my 6 yr old daughter loves it! She can climb for up to 2 hours! The staff is attentive, helpful, great at teaching and fun. We did my sons 7 yr bday party here and all his friends thought it was the coolest party. My daughter wants to have her party here now!

GREAT people who attend, welcoming to people of all levels. Great value.

I am upgrading my review after moving out of STL to North Carolina. I have visited both Triangle Rock Club locations (TRC is supposed to be the best climbing gym in the Carolinas) and wow, do I ever miss Upper Limits. My previous comments apply, but things that I didn’t appreciate as much before:
— the incredibly convenient location, near Metrolink
— the wall height and selection for top rope
— the ½ price membership sale
— the placement of the birthday party area upstairs, where kids can have fun without disturbing regular climbers
— the mix of pumpy and thinker routes
I guess some of these things are luck more than good service, but going to another gym really makes some of UL’s strengths clear.

I love Upper Limits Climbing Gym for many many MANY reasons. First, the downtown gym has a lot of routes that are set by creative climbers so there is always something new and interesting to climb. Second, the employees are so friendly and helpful, they make it a very enjoyable place to visit. Third, the classes are very informative and they have taught me how to become a better climber. Fourth, the gym is frequented by many talented climbers, which means I have the opportunity to see how others climb routes and learn technique by watching them. Since I first started climbing at Upper Limits last September, I’ve become a huge fan and I go a couple of times each week.
The gym is a little small which can be frustrating at busy times, but I would recommend climbing at less busy times– like Tuesday or Friday nights and weekend mornings. They also offer Groupon deals, student prices, and membership discounts– so it is easy to get a great deal!

If say, I’m dating somebody and she says, «Yeah…I’m DEFINITELY active! I LOOVE working out,» Upper Limits is where I drag her to test it.
Even for those muscle heads, who spend countless hours in the gym adding weight to their bench press bars, rock climbing is hardcore. If you’ve never had the chance to try it, Upper Limits is the perfect place to take the chance; besides, even if you pass out, it’ll make for a pretty sweet story to tell.
For anyone who hasn’t done it before, there is absolutely NO experience necessary. You won’t need to know how to belay or study proper technique; none of that is required to get started. The instructors will start you on an auto-​belay, which means your rope is automatically attached to your body and the wall; you’re automatically supplied with a harness upon paying admission, so that isn’t an issue either.
The inside of the building is literally covered in climbing paths, and you have all the space in the world to climb. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an expert climber, you’ll have plenty of room to move around. Each path is also ranked in level of difficulty, and the instructors are very helpful in teaching you how to navigate them.
Compared to the other options in the city, Upper Limits is also the cheapest. So, all you Casanovas on a budget don’t have to worry about breaking the bank. Even the official membership is comparatively cheap, at only $ 34 a month! Once you become a member, you’re entitled to a ton of classes and unlimited access to the walls, gear, and gym downstairs.
Bottom line, go check it out! It’s a workout, its a fun adrenaline rush, and its worth every penny.

Neat place! Came here for the first time the other day with a friend, who showed me the ropes (literally and figuratively — hey now, Unilocal doesn’t pay me by the joke). The environment is fun, with sporty-​looking individuals bounding about and chill downtempo-​yet-​athletic sounding music in the background. A friendly dog roamed behind the counter.
If you’re into climbing, gyms, or general athletic excitement, look no further. Although I wish this place were a little less expensive, this experience does not come cheap. I bet, though, it’s a cost well worth it.
Will report back on the return visit I’m sure to have. Thanks for being welcoming to first-​timers, folks.

Teeny, tiny little gym. The bouldering area is big enough for two people to be on the wall at once at most. That’s just sad. Some routes were set on the bouldering area but none were rated. That’s kinda sloppy.
Honestly — there were maybe 10 people in the entire gym and it felt crowded. Just like their bigger brethren most of their routes are too hard for beginners (I think there was one 5.7 and no 5.6s when I was there).
Staff was nice.
I dunno, just sort of a meh place. Not worth $ 449/​year until they make some improvements. My suggestions: set more routes, rate the bouldering routes, set some easier routes, and make better use of the space (the whole top area was unmarked and mostly unusable due to lack of holds).

My boyfriend and I came here because we got the groupon. I really enjoyed my experience.
The staff was friendly, the lessons were clear, and there was SO MUCH SPACE to CLIMB! I totally want to try this again sometime… once I do have time…
And the girl teaching us was really cool! There was a little kid in the group so to teach us how to tie knots, she turned the rope into a monster that we needed to punch in the face and strangle! It was adorable and memorable!
I was sore the next day in funny places in my back. HORRAY for exercise!

I hear a rumor of a new gym opening up in St. Louis soon, and thank the gods! Mind you I am from out of town and only climbed here to get my fix, and if I wasn’t such a junkie I wouldn’t have gone at all!
The ropes are in a horrid condition. Ropes at gyms see a lot of use, and should be replaced on a yearly basis. If at any point a rope has flat/​soft spots, the core becomes visible or the sheath has obvious wear and/​or «shine» they need to be chucked. It is acceptable to cut the ropes, if the wear is localized to just one end.
It looked like a lot of ropes have been cut, but not a lot had been fully examined in a while. I noticed quite a few flat spots on the rope and a rope that had been cut but just the core, and the sheath was scrunched up around what was left… you can’t pull a rope like that through a belay device, how is that safe?
I can not and will not give a rating beyond 1 star to a gym that over looks safety like that. I brought my own shoes and harness with me on the trip so I didn’t get a good look at the shape of their rental harnesses, I’ll just hope they are okay.
As far as everything else? They do have some fun routes, it’s kept clean (as clean as any climbing gym can ever be), there are lockers to stow your things, and quite a bit of bouldering and lead climbing. Which are all solid aspects to a gym. The place has a lot of potential, but until they start vamping up their safety I’d steer clear.
Two side notes:
–Half of the bouldering problems are rated with the V-​system, and the stuff upstairs is something else (Rec, Intermediate, Expert, Advanced maybe? It’s all single letters and I don’t recall what they all were).
–Some people have a tendency to walk between the belayer and the wall, this is never a good idea! Staff members didn’t seem to say anything about it, but think about it: The rope isn’t top notch, and especially is you are using an ATC over a grigri, and guaranteed any lead climbers, if a climber takes a fall, they may knock you ought and it’s not their fault.
I may be the only tough critic, but I really don’t screw around when it comes to playing it safe.

As if I didn’t already have too many hobbies…
I’ll now add rock climbing at Upper Limits as one of them. The staff is very professional and willing to be as informative and patient as possible to new climbers, ensuring safety.
Note: Pay attention in the introductory class. No one wants to be dropped.
After my class, I rented equipment to start climbing and belaying. I found it to be a great anaerobic workout and found myself pretty sore after a few trips to the top.
There’s an amazing subculture there, willing to accept newcomers. The scene is pretty informative on questions you may ask.
However, on a busy night, be prepared to wait in line.

This is always something I’ve always been interested in, but never would have got around to trying… until Groupon. I am so glad I did! I was a little nervous at first, but the beginners class is very helpful, and they don’t mind showing you how to tie the ropes over and over and over…
By the time I left there, my hands and shoulders and arms were like jelly. Which is exactly the kind of workout I was looking for. The only reason I did not give this 5 five stars is because I felt there were not enough beginner sections. I would get near the top and not be able to find a hand hold that I felt comfortable using. But I’m excited to go back again, as soon as my arms feel up for it =)

Upper limits is pretty bad ass. Although it is pretty tough for beginners, climbing is worth a shot for those seeking something new and challenging to try.
Bernie D. and I took the Rock Climbing 101 class to learn the ropes, and although our instructor was a bit distracted, she taught us everything we needed to know in order to climb and belay safely. It can be pretty crowded on the weekends and early in the evenings on weekdays. They have auto-​belay machines for those who may be coming solo. They have bouldering courses in addition to the climbing courses. Every course is marked with a level and the route which is very helpful for a newbie like myself. Feel free to free climb anywhere though!
Overall a great workout and a friendly, helpful staff. I will be back to give that big bad wall another shot!

Unfortunately, this is a review from a couple of years ago when I climbed at upper limits for a year. Since then Climb So iLL and Upper Limits West County have surfaced.
What I can say from my time at Upper Limits was that safety and fun were always a priority. I remember young children at birthday partys, recreational climbers, and relatively high level climbers all enjoying the facility.
The best aspects of the gym were the various routes and community feel of the gym. Members treated everyone as equals and respect was fundamental.
One negative aspect of the gym is how tight of a space it is. The routes (although excellent on their own) overlapped with another and this created some bumping on falls during busier times of the day. People never got hostile over this inconvenience, but it was visibly irritating.
Some areas I think the gym could improve would include:
–better deals on gear for members (rock climbing gear is expensive!)
–an annual (semi-​annual, etc) charity fundraiser; given Upper Limits has a great community vibe already and has expanded to three locations (three!) it would be nice to give back to the growing downtown St. Louis.
-‘rock climbing inspired’ work out stations upstairs. The finger grip pull up bar is nice. But there are so many other options I have seen at gyms in California that take up little space and improve the climbers experience.