Hangar 18 South Bay

Review for April 2024: I've been here three times so far, and unfortunately, it's the only Hangar that I have been to that will receive 4 stars. Mostly because the holds for the routes here feel really janky and old. The overall experience of rock climbing is still here. The routes offer a lot of variety, and they have top rope, auto belay, and a lead climb section. The staff here is friendly and very knowledgeable of climbing techniques and protocol. The bathroom and overall environment are clean. They have a small top out section for bouldering and use the v-system over the tag system, which is always a plus. However, the only issue are half the holds smooth when they probably shouldn't be, most likely through overuse. I've also seen a few slightly painted over holds as well, haha. I'll still visit because, like I said, the overall environment is good, and it's still fun to climb here once in a while, but it would not be my first choice out of all the nearby Hangar 18s.

Been a regular for many months and I love this place, love the routes and love the people. <3 Very affordable as a college student and a decent variety of bouldering and top rope for the amount of space and the price. Only thing is to avoid busy hours because it can be hard to find a spot due to the already limited space.

Not the best time when I went because 1/3 of the gym was in construction. It’s extremely noisy and loud. I don’t find it pleasurable to climb in this environment. However, this location does look like a good gym if there were no construction. There were not many people when I was there. They have this cool lighting wall in the last photo too! I’m not sure how it works but it looks fun. My home gym didn’t have this. Parking lot is spacious but shared with other businesses. The gym itself is spacious compared to some other Hangar 18. Shoes keeper at the entrance was very helpful. Staff was nice.

Excellent climbing gym. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. They gave us a 15-minute tutorial on climbing belay and on using the boulders. Great place for beginners and more advanced climbers. I would highly recommend it

Good mix of bouldering, auto belay, and more. Definitely recommend checking out this gym. Good spot to climb. Bathrooms and locker room are okay.

Really good experience but one thing is the skinny guy in the front with the buzz cut and glasses really stank I mean I could stand it enough to scan my card but when I left the smell was still there it was very noticeable but other than that really nice gym, I go every few days regardless of his horrible smell.

My son used to be a very shy scrawny little boy who hated exercise. He wouldn’t play sports, I forced him into taking karate since he wouldn’t go near any kind of team sports because he wasn’t confident and hated the feeling of responsibility if he made a bad play. After years of karate and I appreciated every second of that class, he was still weaker than the other boys and although he was even teaching the kid’s classes, he didn’t feel like it was a good fit for him, he felt the stress to keep up with the class and be truly good enough to be a black belt, he needed to train harder but his heart was not there. He started climbing at Hangar 18 when he went through a hard period of his young life when something traumatic happened to him. He found himself being challenged by bouldering and could feel he was getting stronger as he held himself up on the walls. He has been climbing for 2 years now and he is SO strong he can almost do a one armed pull up, he’s ripped, confident, and most of all, he is very happy. He started driving at 17 and has been going regularly since he could drive, and he is so focused and has clear goals to be a great climber. This is purely against himself, there is no sparring, no combat, nothing at all like karate and this is such a great fit for him and his personality. I’m so happy that he is so mentally, physically and emotionally healthy, I don’t ever have to worry about him not getting his exercise, except he does need to get his heart rate up and do some cardio… but this is great!!! His friends join sometimes and he takes his little sister they climb together and challenge each other. The workers here are all very serious about their jobs and if you ever go for a class or take minors they make sure you have proper waivers, training and are strict which is great, safety first! I don’t want there to be any accidents so I feel good that they are pretty strict. But you can tell that they also are having fun, they like their jobs. The atmosphere is very friendly but like I said they are strict and they need to be. They don’t do birthday parties they don’t have any frills- just straight forward rock climbing. I love that they don’t take up space for little kids parties. More serious about climbing. Good job!

This gym has definitely improved over the last three years. It continues to provide challenging and creative routes at a competitive monthly price. Also nice that there's no initiation fee or charge for freezing your membership. They also have tons of locations so you'll never run out of problems. I recommend checking out the long beach location as well.

I've been a Hangar 18 member for about 9 months now. I usually climb at the orange location. I work at LAX and had a chance to visit the Hawthorne location recently. I enjoyed the change of scenery. Plus the Hawthorne location has some autobelay routes that are not available in orange. Nice variety of routes and difficulties. I'll return to the Hawthorne Hangar 18 location.

Not the best time when I went because 1/3 of the gym was in construction. It's extremely noisy and loud. I don't find it pleasurable to climb in this environment. However, this location does look like a good gym if there were no construction. There were not many people when I was there. They have this cool lighting wall in the last photo too! I'm not sure how it works but it looks fun. My home gym didn't have this. Parking lot is spacious but shared with other businesses. The gym itself is spacious compared to some other Hangar 18. Shoes keeper at the entrance was very helpful. Staff was nice.

Great experience at hangar 18. Went for my first time with a couple of friends and was impressed. Staff were very nice and helpful. Community is very welcoming and friendly. Inside is very fun with lots of levels ranging from beginner-advanced. Very beginner friendly. Will return.

This climbing gym is more than just a place to train it's an experience. The routes are creative, constantly changing, and legitimately challenging. This isn't your average "beginner-friendly" climbing spot where everything is easy. If you're looking to grow, test your limits, and build real skill, this gym will absolutely deliver. The staff? Incredible. Super knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and always willing to give tips or just hype you up when you're stuck on a tough problem. You can tell they care about the space and the climbers in it. Not gonna lie this gym isn't for everyone. If you want something laid-back with simple climbs this might not be your scene. But if you're serious about climbing, or just want to challenge yourself in a space that feels like home, this place is gold. 10/10. Would hang here even if I wasn't climbing.

A no frills, laidback climbing gym. We come here using Gympass and it's nothing fancy, just a few good climbs when we're in the mood for it.

The staff is so kind especially Ethan! He definitely made my first experience enjoyable. He was very patient and ensured me that I was safe. Appreciate him for properly going through all the steps with me and making sure that my climbing experience was safe yet enjoyable! Thank you so much, Ethan! You are appreciated! To make the process faster, I suggest going online & searching up Hangar 18 SouthBay! Get the waiver out of the way and watch the informational video for smooth sailing. The parking is not too bad but it does tend to get busy later throughout the day (they close at 10pm) By the end of my session, I was not so scared of going all the way to the top and able to do the auto ropes with ease! Also, I got used to properly releasing myself from the wall and landing safe. My friends rock climb frequently and this is their favorite spot! The courses tend to change and when they do the grip is amazing. Definitely would recommend for people that want to try rock climbing or bouldering. Love this place and hands down plan to come back!! Tip: they take Apple Pay so it's easy to pay the shoe rental ($3) and the harness (another $3) totaling $6 additional to your climbing pass. There are certain colors that essentially create a path & each path is labeled by difficulty (the higher number is more difficult)

Rock climbing gym with bouldering and auto-belay available. There are Groupons available for classes, otherwise, it's $20 for a day pass plus $3 rental for climbing shoes. If you do auto-belay, it's an additional $3 for the harness. Cash and credit cards accepted. There are cubbies around the permitter as well as in the restrooms (located in the back) for you to place your belongings. There are larger day use lockers in the restrooms as well. There's a wide array of routes for bouldering that they do change up. They have a pull up bar and free weights available as well. Masks are required while climbing. Free parking is available in their lot. It's family friendly and I did see quite a few younger children. The staff is standoffish as other reviews have noted.

My husband got us passes as part of my birthday gift and so we finally went. It had been nearly 5 years since we had last climbed, so we took the refresher course. Our trainer was great and had us practice tying our ropes, belaying and climbing. Although it was pretty crowded on a Sunday afternoon we still managed to climb at least five walls. I will have to say that although the walls are not as high as the other place we had previously climbed at, the climbs are a little tougher. It was still a fun experience and the fact that they already had the 8 knots prepped made it easier. Unlike other places that have you learn how to make the 8 knot yourself.

This climbing gym is a local gem characterized by creative routes and plenty of grit (think loud music and a punchy, no frills atmosphere)! I've been hooked on bouldering for the last few years and have been to climbing gyms all over the country including Southern California, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Ga and Austin, Tx to name a few. While this gym isn't the largest or newest I've been to, I've had some of my most challenging and rewarding climbing sessions here. Whether you're looking to boulder, top-rope, or lead climb, Hangar 18 Hawthorne (South Bay) has something for everyone at any skill level. There are also a few (~3-4) auto-belays for solo climbers and harnesses to rent ($3) if needed. I've been a member at this gym for about a year now and what I love the most is 1) the competitive membership pricing (ask about student discounts) and 2) new routes are always being set so there's lots of variety! I used to climb at a newer gym in the Long Beach area, but they only had boulders (no lead or top rope) and the pricing was about twice as much. Overall, this is a great gym! 4/5 stars because service can be hit or miss depending on the day and it's a smaller/older gym that could benefit from general updating especially in the locker room areas.

Staff is chill. Nice gym and affordable. I would recommend trying it out. Make sure to bring chalk. Some people forget it. If you need to rent shoes it's cheap.

I'm a total newbie to climbing so don't have much to base my review on, but in general found the climbing routes to be varied and fun and am just docking a star for service. First, the waiver you fill out assumes you've already completed the training videos, but this simply isn't the case. So you sign the liability forms, blindly accepting whatever you haven't watched yet. The first time I came here, the two staff members did not seem particularly kind or inviting. The second time I came, I was jokingly (?) berated for strolling in without checking in although there was nobody at the front desk for a while and I also didn't know better since it was only my second time coming. Lastly, shoes used to be free to rent and are now $3. Overall, great for climbing but I'd pass if you need to rely on staff for any reason.

I really like the variety of walls and holds offered for bouldering here. The many caves and different holds and levels of difficulty are excellent to test your climbing skills here. Plenty of parking and doesn't get too crowded on a Sunday morning.

H18 South Bay is one of the oldest climbing gyms in LA. As such it lacks some amenities and modern design elements you'll find at other gyms. My advice to anyone that climbs here is to always be aware of danger/fall zones: people who may be climbing above you or walking below you as you climb. This is important at any climbing gym, but this location especially due to the small space and how packed it can get during peak hours. People have been severely injured here after someone fell on them, or they fell on another climber. That said, there is a lot to recommend this gym. They have a dedicated team of setters that change up problems and routes frequently. The atmosphere is relatively laid back, compared to more corporate gyms. Membership rates are affordable. The regulars here are on the younger side, and generally friendly and welcoming.

Really nice climbing gym. There's many nice overhangs here and I really enjoyed climbing here.

Great place, dope routes. Only downside is opening time is later in the morning. Can't complain for the price though! And staff is always super chill and friendly If you're considering a membership, it's way worth it. For me, I just wanted something that opens before 10am on weekdays.

Always enjoy this place. So close to lax, perfect spot for taking time off before picking up someone at lax. Close to some restaurants as will.

A lot of bouldering courses and top rope options. They also have 4 auto belays! We went on a Monday late afternoon/evening and there were a bunch of people there (not too crowded where you can't get to climb, but occasionally have to wait).

Hangar 18 was my first gym that I ever climbed at 6 years ago. Since then I've visited countless others in England, Israel, Canada, and all over the states. I could be climbing at any of the touchstones that have triple gym size and more facilities. But the reason why hangar 18 will forever be my favorite climbing gym is the community and staff. The small gym size forces people to be close to one another and breeds this beautiful close knit group of climbers that supports one another, teaches each other, and most importantly wants to be friends to everyone. The staff is so absolutely stellar and kind. They greet me with a smile and genuine conversation every time I come in. David the manager is wonderful and personable. Erika is just the sweetest and kindest person to ever be. Sean will have you rolling on the ground laughing before the day is over. Manny will always force you to be happy even if your day was the worst. Kim has the sweetest smile every time you walk in. Coco is like a breath of fresh air whenever I see her. And Luke is so professional and studious but somehow hilarious with everything he does. Hangar is my happy place and I've made friends here that will last a life time. It's not just a gym to me, it's a big wonderful family. Also the setting is sick and makes you strong as hell. No gym prepares you for climbing outdoors like this one. Sean, you're the GOAT.

Great place for an after work climb. The people are always helpful and the employees are really chill. There are about 13-15 top rope climbs and a lot of bouldering problems. The climbs are updated pretty regularly maybe about every 2 weeks so you have time to check out a lot of the climbs and it keeps it fresh.

Great spot to boulder. Definitely an older gym / not as fancy or upgraded like other gyms in LA, but it's homey and my favorite local spot! Definitely recommend.

Been a couple visits between my last review and now. Climbing is getting more fun and rewarding as I'm slowly building technique, and reconditioning my arm injury. Maybe they've been reading the comments, or maybe I caught them at bad two weeks initially. - Bouldering walls and routes are much better. More variety, and higher walls! - Soap and paper is finally stocked again. Although instead of putting the paper in the dispenser, they just threw it on the top for you to unravel and rip. Laziness or broken machine? lol BUT, the staff still do not seem inviting still. There's only two people that have an inviting tone, and eager to help. The rest of the staff seem like they are always in a bad mood, hiding away from people so it would be inconvenient to ask them anything, and have conversations with each other and if you ask them anything, they have the "what?!" response and attitude. Regardless, this doesn't bother me because I just like to keep to myself, but this is a general review for people who may utilize the staff/services.

I have been a member at this gym for almost a decade and as much nicer and more expensive gyms became available, I kept my membership for the well set routes, friendly staff and good people. Since covid it seems all effort and hope has been lost. I walked in to find the only staff in beach chairs outside, metal music being played so loud you could hear it from a 100 feet outside of the gym and a cooler that used to sell drinks with a hand made sign made by a child that read staff only. This is besides a under construction bathroom and routes that are rarely changed. After covid I said I was going to stay with this gym for it's affordability knowing staffing may be a struggle but saving $50 dollars a month does not seem worth it to Climb in a loud empty warehouse.

Never register a membership here. Especially, it's really dangerous to get out of the card automatically. It's very difficult to cancel the contract while making it easy. They take money unconditionally and never give it back. The interior is also very messy and the bathroom is really hard to use.

I could've sworn that I requested to cancel my membership, then I checked my statements on a credit card that I lost and simply locked in case I found since I didn't use it anyways. Not only did they keep charging me for the full membership but I was also charged a late fee for the time my credit card was locked. I tried explaining them this via email but they were very dismissive. Would've been nice to be a little understanding and take into consideration whether I actually used the membership. But whatever, I guess they're charging me for keeping me in the system lol just know they're have poor business ethics and might give you a hard time terminating your membership.

I honestly really liked what the gym had to offer. It had a good amount of bouldering problems and had a good range of top rope, lead climbing, and auto belays. Despite the good that the gym had to offer, it felt as if the place hadn't been cleaned since it opened. I mean the crash pads looked clean, but everything else felt nasty. The floors looked disgusting, some of the holds felt really grimy, dust everywhere, and I just felt dirty overall inside the gym. I've checked out the San Clemente, Aliso Viejo, and Orange locations, and those locations weren't as nasty.

Went for a kids birthday party. The sign in process is grueling. They want your life history. The children were guided by patient staff as they climbed up and down up and down up and down. They utilized maybe 3 different ropes for two hours. There was an upstairs seating area for the waiting adults. The party host was able to bring in food from the outside for the guests. It was fun watching the regulars climb and have fun. This was an awesome experience. The facility is very small.

I'm not a bouldering expert so I can't say much about the routes. It was my first experience at this Hangar as my home gym is in Arcadia and I wanted to check this place out. I came during busy hours so take that into consideration when reading this review. The place is small that's a given I get that gyms get busy but what worries me is that kids were running around everywhere and it made me nervous that I might land on one. I was watching someone send a route and one of the holds slipped once she put all her weight on it causing her to fall. We laughed it off (but in the back of my mind I was like sh** girl did your life flash before your eyes?!) and she asked staff if she could get a wrench. The staff was super nonchalant and didn't seem to be surprised, which bothered me. Again I'm new to climbing and idk if this is a normal experience at a gym but I didn't enjoy my experience due to safety. Call me a negative Nancy but I'll look to other gyms and rethink my membership.

The sets are great. The staff is awesome, and the community is so kind and and supportive when it comes to climbing. A great place to make this your home gym. Also I once spotted the world famous climbing influencer @sebi_climbs at this gym. This place has everything!

Decent place to get your climbing fix! You get what you pay for. For $5 the first month then $36 the following months, Hangar is a "chill" spot. You definitely meet a TON of folks here -- regular climbers, old & new climbers -- and everyone is friendly. The front desk has rad folks, with different personalities and humor. Personally, I've been spoiled by another rock climbing gym, and prefer the routes there. Hangar has some great routes, some not (they can get confusing when colors coincide for different ratings). The routes are a hit or a miss. Most people boulder here, but I also prefer top rope and lead climbing. So in that sense, Hangar may fall slightly short for me. Apart from that, it's a fantastic community and I love spending time with friends here. Climb on!

So fun! I think this was my second time rock climbing in my life (does ymca rock climbing in middle school count as one? Haha) so I didn't know what to expect. Parking- lots of spaces available, esp if you come on the weekend Location- it's in the back of an industrial plaza. If you're coming from the 405, it's 1-2 plazas after the el Pollo Loco/shopping plaza. I came here with a group of 9 people (we had reservations) and we were all very new to rock climbing. They had two instructors for our group (Kevin and I think her name was kelly... I didn't catch her name bc I went to my car to put my stuff away. I feel bad bc she remembered everyone's name in our group) and they were so nice and supportive! They made rock climbing a lot less scary and helped us on our way up. They also kinda pushed us to try new walls and stuff which was fun. We all got rocked the next day bc we don't do any physical activity haha. We came on a Saturday afternoon and idk if it was considered busy or not. But there were a lot of people that had their own gear and whatnot. I think we were the only group that was new to rock climbing. Everyone else here was clearly experienced haha. Just be careful where you walk bc there can be people jumping from the top and stuff (one of their rules is to always look up). There was also a small group of kids having a birthday party. There's bathrooms in the back which also has a shower in it which is convenient for those who want to take a shower right away after. There is chalk everywhere so expect to get some on your clothes. LADIES, I recommend wearing yoga pants or something bc everyone will end up seeing your undies if you wear reg running shorts as you climb haha. It also smells like sweat once you walk in but you get used to it.

Its a fun community of members there, but I really cant stand some of the staff anymore. Ive been going here for over a year now. Keep in mind, im not in any way criticizing or questioning safety procedures/precautions. What I AM pointing out is their inconsistency when informing members OF their policies (and enforcing them), and then rudely denigrating those who arent made aware. (And by the way, im not talking about the common sense ones, like running/etc). Surely, experienced climbers can predict [most] general policies, but if you are a new climber (or thinking of starting here), I would look for another gym that is more (consistently) informative and inviting. Some of my visits: - Earlier this year, I brought "guest A" [experienced with their own gear] when I was a newer climber/ before I had my belay cert, and A was going to belay me so I could experience top rope for the first time [i didnt belay them]. Staff never asked A what climbing we planned on doing, nor did they ever belay or fall test A. A taught me the figure 8 follow, safety procedures, and helped demonstrate belay movements on myself. (nothing was said from staff). You'll read later why I mentioned this. - I brought a guest B one time and there wasnt any staff at the door to check in. We waited like 15 minutes and no one came to us. I had B sign the waivers and figured we'd just check back in later, but the only staff member was having convos in the back of the gym/busy and never at front by the time we finished. - Brought guest C who has a belay cert at another gym (I also have mine by this time). While putting on our shoes, C told me "I know how to belay, but my gym usually has the grigri's already attached to the rope there, so remind me how to put it on the rope?". This is similar to Hangar 18 already having the figure 8 ties on every rope (they only test you on the fig 8 follow-through, not how to make the tie). Of course, while we're still sitting, I start to show C how that part is done (Why would I not?). A staff member rushes over and rudely exclaimed (at ME!) "IF YOU TEACH HER ANYTHING IM TAKING AWAY YOUR BELAY CERTIFICATE". I was confused and offended by this interaction, having never been aware of this "policy(?)" or why it would have anything to do with my own certification. She started telling C "well if you dont know how to put it on, then you need to schedule an introductory class that takes an hour [and costs money]" (despite C already explaining they know everything else and a class would be unnecessary; a test was understandable). After a very unpleasant interaction, C takes a belay + fall test and passed. To reiterate: im not criticizing any safety procedures; just how they are inconsistently enforced and explained here. Yeah idk how i had time to write this either lol

About a year ago we had a great experience for a father/daughter group function - but recently we went back to have a group climb w some kids and were left dumbstruck by the lack of organization. If you are a single climber looking to just have some climb time, this review may not be relevant. But if you are looking to do a group function and climb stay away. We showed up and the meeting area (which was clean and well set up in our past experiences) was a disaster covered in chalk and dust and not set up at all. The employees then proceeded to try to vacuum some of it up once they realized we were there and people had arrived. We stood around while they tried to get it together and as a result started late. The climbing went fine but as a kicker they started rounding up our harnesses early b4 we even reached our scheduled end time. So it was clear they were over it too. They did apologize and made reference to new management. Disorganization is clearly an issue (esp in a place where you must trust them w your physical well being). It's too bad because conceptually it seems like a great idea for a group event. But it's clear they seem to have dropped any effort in that aspect of their business. It's rock climbing, not chuck-e-cheez so we weren't expecting much - a minimum amount of hospitality and effort would have passed - but this was downright unacceptable. By the looks on the faces of the workers they knew it too - and were prob just left out to dry by management on this one. Whatever the reason, this place is not worthy of your dollars if you are a group.

South Bay Hangar18 doesn't necessarily possess the most modern aesthetic. Though, its charm rests in those who fill it. The setters do an amazing job of creating routes that provoke deep thought and prove to be physically challenging- all while ensuring that they incorporate versatility. The desk staff members always offer a warm welcome, and the climbers who call this place home (@sebi_climbs) are what make Hangar18 so much more than a gym.

Hangar 18 is the low cost climbing option the area. You get what you pay for. If you understand what you're getting and what you're paying, it may be the best option. First, don't expect the staff to be friendly or helpful. I doubt they pay well and the people they hire are probably not known for their customer service talents. In general, staff at climbing gyms are not known for being the most helpful. Hangar 18 is definitely on the low end of that scale, though. Due to the low cost, it attracts A LOT of people. This place gets mega crowded and it's not a large space. At prime time expect to be bumping into people and trying to maneuver around people. Realtors would call the space "intimate". The crowd here tends to be older kids (14+) and adults. The adults are usually considerate and fine to climb around. As for the kids, like all older children, they tend to congregate in groups of 3+ on the mats sometimes impeding other people trying to climb. The groups of kid (and it happens with the younger adults, too) congregating and blocking traffic is one of the major annoyances of climbing here. Again, it's a small space, there is very little room to hang out so when it happens it's always an annoyance. When I come I always wish people who climb here would be more considerate of the space and not just hangout blocking large areas. If you need a rest, find somewhere off the mats or go outside. The walls here are unique from what you'll find down the street at Sender One or any of the Touchstone gyms in the north. The walls have texture and contour and aren't the typical flat sandpaper kind. This allows routes to be a lot more interesting than you'll find elsewhere and the route setters here take advantage of that. This leads to some interesting problems and creative route setting making this one of the more interesting (although still small) bouldering gyms in the area. The presence of 3 auto belays is also a nice difference from neighboring gyms. The walls are short, though, so it's not as great of an experience as what you'll get elsewhere with a belayer but if you're by yourself it can be a nice way to do top rope climbs. If you set your expectations in line with what you're paying for, this place might be a good fit for you. It has pros and it has cons. In the absolute sense, though, this gym falls short. After climbing many places in southern California, I'm still on the lookout for the gym that has it all or is even the best of everything (which I would expect to come at a higher cost).

I was at this climbing gym from January 2019 to September 2019 and overall I would say it's a great gym for the price of $36 a month. I've only ever bouldered here. There are more than enough options for someone of my level which would be around V2-V3 at this gym. I did notice that it was easier than the Hangar 18 in Arcadia. The people here are nice, and it's close to my workplace. I do miss climbing here as there was enough variety for me to keep myself occupied.

Hangar 18 is a great place for any level climber. Kid friendly but please teach your children some gym etiquette (ask before climbing on a wall someone is working on, do not walk in someone's fall zone, etc). There are 4 autobelay walls here that change about every other week. Lots of options for top rope climbing. They do not allow ATCs or the like at hangar 18, but you can check out a Grigi for free. Generous lead climbing area that is rarely used. Shoes and a harness are 3$ each to rent. Fill out online forms before you come for the first time or they will eat up your first 30-45 minutes there. Great community of mixed level climbers here regularly.

Nice for beginners, look for the Groupon discount tho, they offer shoe rentals if you don't have

I can't say my very first impression of this place wasn't that great. The moment I stepped in the door I got a good whiff of the scent of sweat, and really badly. I don't know if it's always like that or just that day but it was quite unpleasant. It could be cause there were just so many dudes inside that day. My friend that is a regular said he thinks a frat came for the day. Nonetheless, it was still fun learning to properly knot and pull the rope for your partner and climbing and trying to Boulder haha definitely need to work on my upper body strength. For newbies like me I think it's better to have your friend teach you everything and just borrow their equipment. For entrance and shoes rental I think it was all $20. Don't forget your water!

Context: I don't exercise, I'm not very strong, and people can easily make more progress in one month than I can in a year. I was at Hangar 18 for about a year before I moved out of town. I've climbed at Sender One and Cliffs of Id, but this will always be my 'home' gym. I mostly boulder, but top rope or autobelay (there are about 4 of them) when I get tired. Space: This is an old school climbing gym -- the walls look like rocks, and the routes are set really densely together. That means that there are plenty of routes to climb, despite the relatively smaller size of the gym. I just moved to Austin and the newer climbing gym here jus doesn't have enough routes of each ability level. The routes: I've always had plenty to enjoy and to work on -- it never gets boring -- and then by the time I've gotten most of the ones that I am capable of, they change the routes up. Grading seems to be harder than at Cliffs of Id. The routes don't go up nearly as high as Cliffs or Sender One, but to make up for that, the routes are slightly trickier/more technique-y, and IMO, more fun. The only thing that I don't get here that I get at the other climbing gyms are the high top ropes -- there is a certain endurance that doesn't get tried here at Hangar as much. As for the variety of boulder types, they just started putting in volumes and introducing some more balance-y ones (in addition to the slab ones, the overhang-y ones, the dynos and the cave-y ones that they had already). So, as of recently, the boulder problems have become much more varied. The people: This is probably the best thing about the gym. This is BY FAR the friendliest gym I've ever encountered (I've now tried out 5 different gyms -- 3 in LA and 2 in Austin). Some people complain about it being crowded (especially after work on Mondays thru Thursdays). But this is precisely when I come and why I come. I never find that I really have to wait long to climb the route I want to climb (cos hey, we all need breaks), and the dense nature of the routes means that there are always people better and worse than you working on something in that same patch of wall. Everyone is SUPER supportive, cheering each other on regardless of ability level. There's always someone working on the same problem as me, and always someone better willing to give me tips to make me a better climber. Cost: $36/month, but see if you can catch their 3 months for $79 deal -- it happens several times a year, usually around holidays. SO worth it, especially compared to the price of other gyms ($60-$80+/mo). Parking: Easy. Large space. The other locations: One thing that is nice is that there are several Hangar 18 locations and membership in one gets you into all the others. Tip: There's a Monday/Wednesday crowd and a Tuesday/Thursday crowd. There's barely any overlap between the two sets of people. Pick a pair of days, start coming regularly, make lots of friends, and get fit. Ps - I love sender one and cliffs of id; they are objectively awesome, with much nicer facilities. That is without a doubt. Just, much more expensive too.

I came here about 16 months ago with my bf about two and half years ago with my uncle, had a blast and decided to bring my g-friends. None of them had indoor rock climbed before so we were so excited! There was literally only one auto belay for true beginners. The other ones require more practice which we couldn't do because the beginner one was occupied most of the time. When I went two years ago, they taught us to buddy belay and I loved it. I felt secured and stable compared to the auto ones. (The rope is very tight and I can hang without it dropping me) This time around they wouldn't let us unless we passed the "test". I couldn't remember how to rope in the climber (tracing the 8) and FAILED. All they had to do with tell me like before and I would've spent two hours of fun, but instead I did one auto belay, got terrified of the instability coming down that I just couldn't get the nerve to go up again. I asked a random neighbor if he could buddy belay with me (he seemed like member) and I came down like a pro. Because he showed me how to secure the rope onto my harness, I asked them to test me again and they said I couldn't because I failed the first time. I really wanted the girls to experience the buddy belay because they were having a hard time with the auto belay also. I have done this TWICE before. Each times two hours each, I just couldn't remember the "8" tie in of the climber and if they could gone over with me it would have not been a problem. And fine, let's say for liabilty reasons they aren't allowed to teach you anymore, but if I got taught by someone else and I knew the material later, why am I not allowed to get tested again? I only needed a recap. This wasn't new material for me to master. I swear, Hangar 18's new management and their rules are so full of crap. It is definitely not recommended for beginners. Back in the day the whole right wall was filled with colorful grips to practice for beginners but now more than half of the rocks were missing. If they are doing so well with advance climbers, they shouldn't advertise this place for beginners. O and the stingy business won't even let you dip your hand into chalk. If this was an all included package for beginners, shouldn't that be included as well? I can guarantee you that if we could have done the buddy system, the girls would have had more fun. I can say this because I am terrified of heights but I could climb to the top with the buddy system. Literally out of four of us, only one could do the auto belay. And one can climb so many times on the short walls that doesn't require the harness... I definitely wouldn't recommend this place for indoor rock climbing. And although I only came like once a year, never would I step foot into this place. Management is rude, bathrooms are dirty, not friendly for beginners, and it smells. What a waste of money and a beautiful Saturday

WOW this place ROCKS!! Ha ha ha DISCLAIMER: I'm not a regular climber or anything. It was just something I'd been wanting to try. One morning, I woke up and decided: WHAT THE HECK today I will go climb rocks. And that's just what I did. As a little kid, I was TERRIFIED of rock climbing walls. You couldn't pay me enough to get on one. But I really wanted to try something new, so I decided to check out Hangar 18!! I got a Groupon for an intro lesson and a day pass. Rental gear was included (shoes and harness). I walked in and told the guy at the front desk that it was my first time. He had me fill out a waiver and look through a checklist. After that, he gave me a pair of climbing shoes and a harness and started the lesson. The guy who was helping me kinda seemed half preoccupied and kept leaving to take a call...maybe it was super important idk. But he was kind and patient when I kept falling LOL I went alone, so I wasn't able to take the belay class, but I did get to try autobelay climbing (climbing with a device that controls your fall/helps you with your descent, as opposed to doing this using another person) and some bouldering (climbing with no harness, shorter routes)! They have quite a few routes, so whether you're a total beginner or you have experience climbing, they're sure to have something for you! They have four autobelays I have absolutely zero experience climbing. Like none. And I possess no upper body strength...so it was pretty challenging!! But this seems like a really amazing workout and a great community!! If you're in the area and don't want to go to laser tag or Gable House or walk around Del Amo or eat anymore (because that's what we do 99% of the time when we hang out in the South Bay), definitely check this place out!! I'd really like to come back with a friend to take the belay class Bottom line: It's located towards the back of an area with a bunch of warehouse buildings. There's plenty of parking!! If you decide that this is up your alley, you can upgrade your lesson/day pass to a membership! They had a promo going on which gave you your first month for an additional $5--pretty rad!! You also get a guest pass if you do this. I almost signed up for the membership, but I'm not going to be in the South Bay for the rest of the month, so I decided against it...but I really did enjoy my climbing experience!! Rocks ain't so scary anymore. Also this place kinda really smells. If you try hard enough, you an ignore it, but there's no doubt that the stench is there...

If you're someone with a pretty average to below average fitness level, this will most likely be a very challenging experience for you as it was for me! I enjoyed trying rockclimbing for the first time with my sister and her veteran rockclimbing friends. Although I don't know much about rock climbing I can tell this facility boasts a lot of popularity with their surrounding area and they seem to be well-stocked for all the materials that you would need. There are free climbing walls as well as the ones that use the harness. This place was completely packed on a Thursday night, and I found myself weaving between people for the majority of our visit there. It's definitely harder than it looks and I give a lot of credit to those ninja warriors out there. I believe it's $15 a day if you don't have a pass and somewhere like $50 for a month pass with discounts for various students and jobs. Cool place to check out if you're interested in trying out rock climbing or wanted it to become a more long-term fitness hobby.

A lot of fun and a great place to challenge yourself. If you wanna get the most out of this place you're gonna have to go a lot but still very enjoyable for beginners and casuals. The music they play is totally a vibe too

3.5 rating I came here with a group of about 5-7 of us. I had so much fun. This was my first time rock climbing and I was a little scared when I started. The staff was really nice on teaching you how to rock climb. We met some people there that go all the time and they were giving us tips on climbing. I had a lot of fun and would definitely come back!

This Hangar location was pretty awesome pre-covid. Lots of routes and diverse climbs. Route setting quality has been down since covid reopening which has been the case at most Hangar locations (save for one). Apparently there's still only 1 or 2 setters at the majority of Hangar locations. However, you can almost always secure a reservation despite capacity limits because there doesn't seem to ever be filled time slots (2 hour blocks). This is probably the only benefit to going to a location like South Bay, Riverside, Rancho, or Signal Hill. I do frequent all the locations with Orange being the best by far. Because there are always slots available, my boo and I figured we'd swing by this South Bay location since we were in the area and wanted to climb today anyway. We showed up at 2:45 which is in the middle of the 2-4 time block but the gym was nowhere close to full capacity and Hangar allows walk-ins at all locations after 30 minutes into a block. We were denied entry because we had a 4-6 booking (which still had over 30 spots to fill) and we weren't allowed to "double book" in one day. Double booking is when you book TWO different two-hour time blocks in one day. We're not double booking. The gym was nowhere close to capacity. Each block has 45+ slots and there wasn't even 15 people in the gym. We were walk-ins for the 2-4 block and then we had a booked spot for the 4-6 block. Nope. If we wanted to climb then and there, we're kicked out at 4 and can't keep climbing. What if we walk-in for the 2-4 block, cancel our 4-6 appt, wait for 30 mins, and then walk-in for the 4-6 block due to the inevitable lack of people that actually show up? Nope. Climb now and you're out by 4. Can't come back. Absurd. Arbitrarily enforcing supposed capacity and double booking restrictions when there isn't even enough people to fill a gym. This was a really disappointing experience. We've been climbing at Hangar for going on 2 years now and climbing during covid since October. The quality at every location besides Orange has been pretty low post covid and the Orange location is only good because they retained the staff from when it was The Factory. At this point, we straight up don't wanna go to Hangar anymore unless it's Orange. Oh and when someone needs to use the restroom as a paid member, it'd be nice to be taken seriously and not be questioned just because we can't climb.

They have more climbing walls when compared to the LB location, but the customer service here is seriously lacking. From the moment we walked in the guy at the front desk was really rude and just put a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly I don't expect much, but compared to the super nice and helpful people in LB this place sucked. If you are trying to learn I suggest you go to LB first. Because the bouldering is in the middle, a lot of people stand around the perimeter and watch so it makes it hard to belay in some areas. There is a big parking lot available. Shoes and a harness are $3 to rent. Canceled my membership.

This was by far the worst experience we had. I purchased a Groupon for an all day pass with belaying lesson but when we arrived the staff was unfriendly and unprofessional. They did not explain anything to us on how to properly climb, it was almost as if we were expected to know how to use the facility. Even after I told them it was our first time there. The staff was eating and having cake and not helpful. Then we began to use the equipment and someone walked up to us to tell us that we were not properly using the climbing gear and when I told him that no one had bothered to help us or tell us how to use the climbing equipment, his response was "sorry we are busy right now" I was shocked and extremely upset by then that I decided to just leave. Never again! Staff is ridiculously unfriendly!

This is my very first experience here. The staff is great, very friendly, and very willing to show you whatever you need to see/know. The atmosphere is really cool and at the same time one can tell that everybody is working hard. Cold drinks, locker rooms for men and women, dumbbells, some free weights, and music are some of the amenities. The groupon is great as well as it comes with a guest pass! I'm a member as of today for at least a month so I'll see where it goes!

Came here as a guest with a friend who is a member. He gets one guest-pass per month, which is a pretty cool benefit. We came around 530pm during the week so it wasn't really busy. Some people on the walls and some on the boulders. Upon arrival I had to fill out a few forms on the iPads that are available. While it does save trees, they should probably restart those iPads since some were unresponsive or just super slow. I got a free pair of climbing shoes and they also have harnasses for hire if you want to scale the walls. My buddy explained the different level tags and colors to me and we just stuck to boulders. I had a good time for a quick visit but would probably not come here on my own because it does get really crowded at peek times and there is no AC in the hanger, just open gates. So it gets pretty hot in there. Also, the place smells worse than my boxing gym (which is saying something). Although I did hear that the monthly subscription rate is pretty low, which makes it tempting.