LA Boulders

I’ve been climbing at the LAB since they opened, but it’s about time for a review. I’m a hangar 18 guy so I’m definitely not biased when I say that all three Touchstone gyms in the LA area are worth a five star rating. The ONLY reason I give four stars is the parking has always been horrendous! Always struggling to find a spot, especially during the busy hours.
Aside from that, the gym is amazing! Bouldering gym only with plenty of training equipment, gymnastic rings, campus board, etc. Really good angles and really good setting. I just wish it was a little closer to me!

Went today for the first time! Great gym, tons of creative routes but super soft on the grading. I’m a v4/​5 climber and flashed multiple 5’s and 6’s. Other than that it was a great experience, I’ll definitely return next time I’m in LA.

I came here as a guest and been a member ever since (18 months now). Best workout ever. I’ve never climbed outside or with a rope, but I am strongly considering it now.

This place is awesome! Unfortunately the parking sucks! It is shared with the Gunclub next door. Somehow my friend scored a spot right in front though!
When you walk in you are greeted by Ipads to sign waivers. After your done with it you approach the front desk and the staff take care of you from there on. The price to climb was $ 20 for the whole day, and $ 4 for shoes. We opt to not get the shoes first and try it with our Nike frees. Bad idea! Ahah. It was our 2^nd time climbing and we didn’t have much experience so they suggested us to hop in with the class that was being taught! In the class they teach you how to fall which is SUPER important cause you can break limbs!
After learning the basics me and my friends were off, the place was huge! Enough for the amount of people on a Saturday to climb while waiting briefly for others to finish. I like this place because of the holds are color coordinated making it much easier to locate the next hold to move onto.
After climbing for about a hour my hands were shot. But somehow me and my friends continued to go for about 3 more hours. The key is to definitely use your legs to help you move onto the next hold or else you’ll burn all your energy!
Definitely get some chalk or else you’ll be ripping skin, cause thats what happened to me! The staff has bandaids up at the desk, because they know people like me will injury themselves!
Rock climbing shoes are TERRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE! I exchanged them like times, your toes are suppose to be curled! I had to take them off a few times to relieve my toes, but it is HIGHLY recommend you get them!
I would definitely come again, once my hands/​arms recover.

Definitely a solid gym. I have climbed in 6 states and this gym can get busy quick. Like many have mentioned — if you can get out early (before 3) it’s going to be better. The other thing to keep in mind is that the routes have a pretty steep grade. I think they set pretty fairly on their ratings but for new climbers it can be a bit tough. It seems like when you first hit the entrance they have the easier routes and you work your way back to harder stuff.
The pads here are pretty solid as well. Most gyms have the spring floors with crash pads — this place is one giant crash pad which is pretty cool. They also just re-​did the floors in the back gym so that should be pretty nice now.
There is also a little normal gym so you can get your last bits of muscle destroyed after climbing. I have seen this usually pretty empty but I’m told it can get busy too.
If you want a mix of top rope and Boulder you will need to head to stronghold near Chinatown. For downtown bouldering this is pretty much the only option and it’s not a bad one.
If you don’t want to go alone there are meet-​ups as well. My experience is that climbers are always friendly and happy to help you if you ask.

Firstly, staff is Very friendly and will help you with anything from questions to techniques.
The facility is clean and well maintained.
I was there for my first time today and had a blast. I took the intro to bouldering class, 25 $, which included gear and day pass. The instructor was patient and provided constructive input.
I highly recommend checking this place out!

Day pass is $ 20 and $ 4 for shoes. It was my first time there and I was new in bouldering. There wasn’t any instructors there and you had to leant by yourself or see what other climbers did. I was confused about the tag v0 v1under some stones. But I asked the front desk. The lady was nice and told me that the number referred to the easy level and it was a trail with the same color of stones to the top. Had lot of fun there

I love this place. :(
The sad face is because I don’t live in LA. haha. I came here twice in one week, it was THAT great. So many walls to choose from, with a variety of styles of bouldering. Some sections you can even top-​off, which is great practice for outdoors. The ratings are a bit soft, but no worries, that made me feel so great about myself climbing 4’s and 5’s, haha. It was great. The prices were reasonable, and everything was clean, including the mats. There were no crazy kids running around. There were multiple bathrooms available, and they were all super clean.
My only complaint is that the gym/​weights section was a little small. I had to wait 20 minutes for the squat rack to open up, but it’s okay, I climbed while I waited! :)

I will be honest. I have never been to other bouldering gyms, so I cannot compere this to others, but I am definitely a fan of this one!
I started coming here occasionally last year, and I got a membership this year. A day pass is $ 20, and a monthly fee is $ 77, which is not «cheap», but their whole community makes it worth it, and you get an access to all locations by Touch Stone Climbing. Staff and instructors are friendly and motivating, which is why a very beginner like me could decide to get a membership and my own climbing shoes! There are treadmills, cycling machines, and weights to do regular workout other than bouldering. A plenty of Yoga/​Fitness classes are available, and you can take it with a day pass.
Two cons I can think of.
Parking can be very very hard at night.
It is addicting!!!

My favorite bouldering gym that I’ve been to so far. Lots of different walls, made for all levels — and everyone in here is super friendly, not just the staff but the clientele. This is the only bouldering place I would consider going to on my own, and of course hope to meet new people…
But yes I love this place! There’s no rock climbing, it’s 100% bouldering, but there are treadmills and a locker room, and also classes. It’s a nice place to start a bouldering family!

Came here on a Sunday morning and had a great time with my friends. Couldn’t find a sitter so I brought my daughter along too. It’s kid friendly.
This was our first time so they gave us a tour and answered all of our questions. The guys at the front desk were super helpful and friendly. We got free shoes! And I didn’t have to pay for my daughter (she’s 9).
Other than the customer service the place is awesome too. The courses range from easy to hard and their categorized by color and number. If my 9 yr old can do it so can you.
Great environment. Good music, and a mixed crowd of people. Some dudes came alone. Others like myself came in a group. Everyone cheered each other on and helped guide you if you were stuck.
Fun times. I’ll be back.

For a $ 20 day pass and $ 4 rental shoes, anyone can go bouldering. This was an amazing find via recommendation if you are in the downtown area. I’ve only gone bouldering one other time and there are a few goods and bads in comparison to my other experience.
Since I am a beginner, I noticed that this place is a bit more challenging than the other place that I’ve been to. And the reason for this is because of its majority in angled climbs (which require a lot more upper body strength than bouldering places that have more vertical climbs.) By the time I was done for the day, I had a bruised knee and a few scraped knuckles. Its definitely more challenging, but still very fun.
I really enjoyed how, for some their climb paths, the climbs lead to the top and allow you to take an easier route down. The other bouldering place didn’t have that. I thought that climbing to the top was a fun little extra especially after doing a full climb up. Its just nice to take a small break at the top and view the whole gym.
The gym also includes a weight and cardio machine area if you get tired of climbing. Their treadmills seem pretty new. Great employees, great facility. I definitely recommend LAB to anyone with at least a good 3 hours to kill.

Had a blast at LA Boulders. I’ve bouldered before, but have never taken a class to properly learn the techniques. My girlfriends and I took the intro course for $ 25 with… Jay? (sorry, I’m awful with names), and he was an awesome teacher. He was very patient, supportive, and encouraging! We did the course with a total of 9 people, and the lesson ended up being pretty long just because we had to wait for everyone to take his or her turn, which isn’t a bad thing, since you need a few minutes between each climb to recover anyway. We started out with a v0 and then did a v2.
You rent shoes and they tell you it’s supposed to fit «annoyingly» but not «uncomfortably,» and I ended up exchanging my shoes 4 times because they were all uncomfortable.
I can’t wait to keep coming back to work up to at least a v5 and do those crazy spider monkey, side-​ways climbs!

I’m updating my review of this place, because in general it’s my personal policy to re-​review a place if the owner has taken the time to message me and address my concerns, as Remi from LA Boulders has.
Like I said in my previous review, I just had a few bad experiences here, but overall love this place and definitely think it’s one of the best if not THE best bouldering gym in the Los Angeles area. Hopefully they’ll finish up their construction soon and I’ll be able to enjoy all their new amenities!

This place is great. I brought 4 boys here to climb and had no idea there was also a gym. I spent the whole time lifting weights and working out.
They have different climbing areas. Free with no ropes. Each wall is different and has different levels of difficulty.
There is an upstairs and downstairs gym area. Also a locker room upstairs as well as restrooms up and downstairs. There is diversity here for all of your needs be it rock climbing or working out, or both!
I recommend this place. Oh and I forgot to mention the staff is greaaatttttt! So much personality.

Initiating… BEAST MODE!
If you love bouldering then this is THE indoor climbing gym for you! I’ve been here twice now and I must say it is not only LA’s only bouldering gym but it is also one of the nicest in the area. The facility is super clean and well maintained.
There are around 200 different bouldering routes and they vary from all levels so even if you are a beginner there’s pretty challenging routes for you as well (this is something I find lacking in other gyms).
Amenities include locker rooms with showers, lockers, towels, and a whole fitness area upstairs as well. The day passes are $ 20 after 3PM and $ 15 before 3PM on weekdays only. Membership prices and punch passes prices are available on their website. There’s a waiver that you have to fill out but it takes not more than 5 minutes and you can also sign this waiver online prior to your visit.
Tip* Parking is really difficult so come during off hours and the main entrance is on Factory Pl.

Never had so much fun working out.
My arms literately gave out on me after 90 minutes. Then I was told that the secret was to use my legs more. It’s super easy to get started. The level 1 and 2s are simple. Get’s you warmed up for the harder stuff. It’s super addicting and such a great work out for my core and arms. My friend Sam and I were messing around with the tight ropes they have near the lockers (got kinda ridiculous, I couldn’t stop laughing, who knew it was so hard to balance). They offer pretty much have all your typical gym amenities as well as shoe rental for bouldering.
Without looking at membership prices, the day pass is only 20 bucks. I was like pffft –that’s nothing. «Shut up and take my money!» Until you realize how much you can save by getting a membership. If I lived closer I’d definitely have an annual membership or something. The rates aren’t bad at all.

Seriously one of the best bouldering gyms I’ve been to!
It’s $ 20 for a day pass and totally worth it. The gym is HUGE! They have tons of V0s and V1s for beginners and even mark out the ones that are best for people who are just new to climbing.
They have really fun and reasonable climbs and a huge variety of them too. You can top out here at the gym and walk all the way around the gym and climb back down on the other side.
The sick thing is they have a yoga studio at one of the corners where you can top out.
They also have cardio machines like treadmills upstairs as well as free weights for you to use downstairs.
Definitely one of the most comprehensive climbing gyms I’ve been to and would def come back.
Good date place!

I’ve been a runner for years and also do different types of exercise here and there… but I’ve NEVER (in my 30 years) found an activity that I’m so addicted to as much as Bouldering! I think about it when I’m awake, and it seriously helps me get through my work day. I’ve been to LA Boulders multiple times now and I love every single moment of it!
Since I work out often, I’ve always considered myself to be pretty fit-​with-​flab. Wow, did I realize how weak I was once I started Bouldering!!! While everyone else is scaling up the walls and upsidedown like spiders on steroids, I’m struggling up V1’s and V2’s like a fish out of water! But that’s the whole point… I LOVE the challenge! The best thing about this is that you make your own challenge and everyday is different! They even mix up the courses often enough so people won’t get bored! You fall, get back up, try again, fall, get back up, try again… and again and again! And I always feel a sense of accomplishment (and fear) once I reach the top.
I can honestly say that not only is this activity so awesome, but the actual location, including the staff are so great! One in particular, Evan, is so helpful, friendly, and downright honest! He won’t try to sell you everything in the store, he’s so informative, and he’ll even go as far as give you tips on where to find cheaper items!
This indoor bouldering spot also has cubbies, lockers (free rental), a small gym, showers, yoga classes, boot camp style classes, etc. And Band-Aids…lots of band-​aids for people like me. =) They have classes for beginners too! Normally, they open until about 11pm so those who have to work late can still make it after work! There is also a free guest day once a month, and on those days, they’re open until 2am!
If you can’t tell this far in, how much of a fan I am… well…let me just tell you. I’M a HUGE fan, and this is as good as it gets! Can’t wait to come back here again and again and again and again!!!

I’ve been to LA Boulders twice now and while it’s definitely one of the more fun activities you can do with your clothes on that doesn’t require booze, it’s positively one of the most frustrating! Bouldering is not for the easily discouraged. It will break you down faster than a drill sergeant. I consider myself pretty athletic and up for most anything fitness wise, but this is one activity that I just can’t figure out.
The facility is great, a ton of different courses and a ton of a different routes (varying in difficulty) for each level. As a beginner, there’s actually quite a variety of routes to take a stab at, though that doesn’t make them any easier to climb! The staff is nice, just make sure to tell them it’s your first time and they’ll set you up with all the particulars. Definitely opt for renting the shoes. This last time I used my sneakers and I wasn’t able to get as good of a grip on the wall as with the rentals.
It is brutal on your hands at first and your arms will be sore the next couple of days, but if you stick with it, your most important limbs will adapt.
On my most recent visit, I was treated to a bootcamp, courtesy of Darian (offered sporadically throughout the week and is complimentary). She took us through a CrossFit like routine, mixed with stretching, a warmup, and some climbing. I was ecstatic to tack on a workout that my body was good at to the day’s festivities, as well as the bouldering. She also took the time to show us how to properly boulder, which made the act even that more tough, but it was awesome to understand the wall a little better and the most efficient way to get up it!
A great alternative to hiking when the weather is temperamental or a group activity when you’ve exhausted all the watering holes in your neighborhood!