New Jersey Rock Gym

So much fun

The atmosphere is very cool. BUT, I had no problems just until when we encountered top rope climbing. I have experience with grigris and a little with ATCs. I know how they work but one of the workers said I couldn't belay and top rope with my partner. I was treated very rudely by the employee dude with the unibrow. It was not cool. This is why I now go to Gravity Vault now. They got everything: top rope, bouldering, auto belay, lead climbing, plus more exercising equipment. Same price, more locations, more stuff, better value, and no rude staff.

Laid back. Plenty of chill experienced climbers and a lot of variety

as of december 2013.
For boulderers it's better than good. Lead climbing is sparse but have very good routes.

First, they teach you to cross load your carabiner while anchoring. Very odd and debatably dangerous. Last thing i want is someone to try to imitate this set up at home cross load and break their carabiner. But whatever I was taught different so i used my extra carabiner i had so as not to continue this debatably bad habit.

Some fyi, for top ropes they require everyone to anchor. Their top rope anchors are simple ropes through 2 steel rings, carabiners, or cylinder. They are not wrapped around the anchor so friction is loose.

My friends and I think that many of the routes set on the main wall, stretching behind the boulder, are questionably set. The holds are dirty and the crux moves are frustrating and silly. It's like the setter either ran out of useful holds or gave up and forgot about the climbers position. Annoying.

The boulder is nice. A good (~11+ feet?) boulder in the middle with many decent routes for climbers of different experiences. They have a "bouldering cave" that i was disappointed in. Its a decent stretch of wall thats maybe a 45 degree angle up towards a smaller nook of a second floor. My problem is, there are no continuous problems that start at the bottom and end at the top. What's up with that NJ rock gym?! Problems from the bottom awkwardly finish halfway up the slant and then maybe a good 2 feet of blank wall before it awkwardly begins again near the beginning of the second floor. No satisfaction of climbing 1 story.

My friends and I agreed that the ideal routes are on the smaller top rope/lead wall in front of the boulder. Frequently set and reset these problems are the one you want to climb. You are allowed to bring a boulder mat from the boulder area to the wall and boulder the problems. These problems always seem competently set and are a pleasure to try. Be warned that these routes are overhung throughout the problem. The clips are close and frequent. Be sure to bring a good belayer.

They have a good workout zone with 1 hangboard, many campus rungs types and olympic rings.

3 stars because of questionable practices, poor cleanliness and the poor setting of the majority of their routes. Kids won't know the difference. Seems like a good party space.

Pros: Great people, good routes and a pretty laid back but safety oriented atmosphere.

Cons: Crowded, Dust/Dirt everywhere (it's not that bad but the place could really use a good scrubbing and some decent air filters).