MetroRock Climbing Center

For Vermont climbing indoors it’s some of the best in the state (there isn’t much in the state). Tall walls, lots of routes, the staff were super friendly. What was disappointing and preventing a full 5 star review were the rental shoes and bouldering wall. Some of the rental shoes seemed to flat out period be falling apart. The ones I had were almost unusable on the wall. The bouldering wall itself was also not beginner friendly. You had very few V0 - V2 that felt like climbing ladders and then as soon as it became V3 it became significantly more difficult. The gym seems very catered to more expert climbers than beginners and intermediates. Overhaul the rental shoes, put more thought into setting bouldering routes for beginner and intermediates.

Came for the climbs, stayed because my arms stopped working, and I couldn’t leave. MetroRock is the perfect mix of pain, and joy—routes are challenging in the best way, and staff members are friendly. 10/10 would fall off the wall again.

Super friendly staff and a large facility with lots of stuff to check out. Their ropes are some of the best set in Boston in my experience and although their bouldering area is a bit smaller they do a good job keeping climbs rotating and interesting. Also have to add the vibes are best in Boston - very inclusive and chill

Nice gym, friendly vibes and free liquid chalk, holds are a bit slippery but climbs are well set

The route setting here is great! Challenging climbs at every level with cool wall features and really thoughtful route settings that push you to problem solve different climbing techniques. Love the old school vibe of the place with lots of community. Reminds me of the old school gyms. I prefer the community aspect of climbing. Love the more technical climbs for people who love climbing.

Great facilities. In addition to the classes they offer (ladies night, rope for beginners) they also offer yoga classes for members for free. There is a gym inside too.

Excellent bouldering gym with friendly staff and regulars. I was a member for several months Aug-March and the route setting was always fun and challenging. I typically went later in the evening to avoid the crowds from various climbing teams that go there. When there was an issue cancelling my membership (due to moving) they promptly refunded me.

Climber coming from out of town. Rad old school gym vibes. Setting is very outdoorsy and static which I enjoyed. Awesome staff members too. Do be warned there are no rental chalk bags. Staff member was super awesome to let me borrow his bag because I didn’t fly with my chalk.

Great low key + good vibe facility I've been climbing here for two months now. Ngan was my top rope instructor and she was excellent, very thorough and made me confident for my first couple weeks of climbing. I really enjoy the atmosphere, absolutely zero pretentiousness & a really welcoming place. Huge compared to a lot of the other gyms in Boston and a great value for the monthly membership.

We had a birthday party here for my 8-year old son and it was fantastic! The staff were all incredibly helpful and attentive. I highly recommend this place for older children to learn how to climb safely.

Great outlet for little kids with immeasurable energy and excellent form of exercise for grown ups too. I like how this place is organized and caters to a wide range of ages and skill levels. My children and I visited for the first time during winter school vacation and had so much fun. We were first greeted by the two sweetest and most gentle dogs ever. Petting the adorable dogs kept my children busy while I filled out an electronic waiver form so that was a plus. The staff were laid back but exceptionally responsive to questions and overall helpful. There are not a lot of "no" rules here which is another plus when you're dealing with children who have boundless energy and selective hearing. If we lived closer I'd also consider buying a pass for more regular visits. For now I'm keeping this place in mind for cold winter days and birthday parties. Despite being new to indoor rock climbing I was glad that we were able to start right away after a quick 5 minute introduction provided by an instructor. We used the auto baley device which by itself is pretty fun as it gradually descends you back down to the ground after you've reached the top of a climb (or in some cases, have given up or lost your grip). It all felt very safe. There were 4 of these in operation along the walls towards the back of the gym. We also had access to plenty of shorter walls for climbing, without baleys but with giant red mats to catch your fall. Again, very safe environment. We spent about 2.5-3 hours at this place and upon leaving everyone was asking when we could come back. The cost of admission and the rentals seemed reasonable. We rented the harness and the chalk but declined to rent the shoes so wore our own athletic sneakers. While it's doable with regular sneakers in hindsight I recommend using the right footwear whether you rent or buy your own. It was silly of me to try to save a few bucks; at the end of the day you want to have the right gear to do this activity.

It's actually the least snobby gym in the Boston area tbh. The yoga teachers were wonderful and the staff are nice people. I decided to stop going and migrate to Central Rock after a group for teenagers moved their training from Boston Rock to MetroRock on weeknights.

I got a Groupon from my secret santa back in December and I needed to use it before it expires so I convinced one of my friends to come join me on my first rock climbing adventure. We both took the intro to climbing course on Sunday afternoon with Alec!! ( I hope I got his name right and I hope I remembered it correctly x.x) He's awesome, informative, and enthusiastic about rock climbing! I learned a lot from him and I enjoyed his lesson. He did warn us about having a habit of going over the time for our lesson, but I didn't mind at all; I really appreciated that he warned us and apologized us for that. The Groupon deal included a 10 consecutive days membership to the place, shoes, chalk, harness, and a 2 hour lesson. It was a pretty sweet deal, so I highly recommend it for people who look forward to their first rock climbing adventure. This was my first time rock climbing and I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't think it was going to be that hard, but climbing a wall was certainly hard. It was easier said than done, that's for sure. It helps to have a very good partner who helped my belay. The place was big and had a lot of different level climbs. It was all labeled and color coordinated, which was a huge plus!! I took advantage of the Groupon and went again on Thursday and I saw staff making new climbing routes, which I thought was pretty cool. I look forward to climbing again here and I certainly recommend to other people as well, who want to rock climb for the first time.

What am I doing in this section of Everett? Picking up a prostitute? Buying crack? Oh, wait, there's a rock gym back here. Now I remember what it was I drove out here for... Despite the complete sketchiness of the area MetroRock is in...it is my favorite of the indoor rock climbing gyms around eastern MA. I like that they have a loft area with a rowing erg and a moving rock wall, so I can get warmed up before my always tardy friends get there. There are plenty of storage areas for your coats, shoes etc...cubbies by the bouldering area, and lockers if you want to secure your stuff. I like the double pulley system they have. For me, it's easier, feels more secure, and I don't have to fasten myself to the floor when belaying the guys. They often change the routes, and post the new ones by the water fountain. The gym is big enough that there are always a good selection of routes on all levels. I'm a big fan of the names of their routes too...I will have to update you a list next time I'm there...past ones were something like Kentucky Fried Penguin and Whanker In a Whirlwind... They are open until 10PM every night except Sundays (close at 6). They used to have one night half off...I think it was Tuesdays? Not sure if they still do. Either way, it's nice to be able to go at night for a few hours, then come home and crash for the night. They are adding bits of awesomeness to the gym...big bits...as in a 6,000 square foot addition...can't wait to invade it once finished...

MetroRock is an older gym with a focus on partner climbing, and shows its age compared to the many newer gyms in the area. On the upside, the walls are tall and the routes can be interesting if you lead or top rope climb with a partner. Be aware they double wrap the anchor, which can make it more difficult to belay, especially for light partners. If you're primarily a solo climber, this may not be the gym for you. There are only four autobelays in the adult area of the gym and they're almost continuously in use. The boulder area is very small with short climbs and crash pads, and some of the pads seem as old as the gym. I'd love to see the gym upgrade to thicker floor padding so the crash pads aren't needed. The boulder area is usually crowded and it's annoying to have to wait to climb an open route because there aren't enough pads to go around. Unless this is the closest gym to you, there are much better options available around Boston, some of which are less expensive as well.

The reviewer who thinks MetroRock is "he best indoor climbing gym I've ever seen" clearly has not climbed much. Generally speaking, Boston isn't know for its gyms - none is nationally ranked. However, having been to both of the MetroRocks (MR) locations, the Boston Rock Gym (BRG) in Woburn, as well as gyms in 5 states (including 2 of the top 5 gyms in the world), I can definitively say MetroRock falls short of BRG. There's a reason why world class rock climbers train at Boston Rock Gym instead of MetroRock. I must confess that when MR first opened, I preferred its shiny new-ness, but it lost its luster quickly when I encountered some bitchy staff (this is an opinion that's corroborated at least 1/2 dozen others), I'm also annoyed by the lack of seriousness that the MR climbers display... it's as if they are climbing just so they could sound cool. Eventhough Woburn is further from the city, it takes about the same time for me from Cambridge 'cause of the speed difference between highway and city driving. The staff is friendlier, more knowledgeable, and the routes are "reset" more often & well designed for both training and fun. BRG also have a fantastic kids program and events package (I've had a couple of events at BRG myself). Frankly, I would only recommend going to MR if you live in Everett or Revere, otherwise, I say Boston Rock Gym all the way!

Pros: * Newer gym * Extremely friendly & knowledgeable staff * Large locker rooms and bathrooms are right there (especially if you're like me, where you'll put your harness on and 30 seconds later realize you have to pee - imagine that kid where you just spend 20 minutes putting into a snowsuit with multiple layers and then telling you that they have to go to the potty, yup that's me!) * The soft, gel floors - in case you do fall, you're landing isn't too hard on your body. * Safer feeling of the equipment - double pulley system which means more stability if your climber starts to fall and better control of the rope. * More of a rock feel to it than a "wall". Cons: * Located in a sketchy area of Everett (a little hard to get to, you have to drive down a bunch of side streets to get to an area behind a bunch of cargo crates and buses - I would not suggest walking from the T station) * Not a lot of beginner climbs to choose from *** VERDICT *** I'm still not sure which gym I prefer. I'm still looking for my go to location. While this gym is newer and safer where I feel more comfortable in both atmosphere and safety, I would like to have more beginner routes and now, if I could just move the location to a less sketchy area that's not so far out of my way, I would probably go here more often.

Groupon, equipment rental included with a 30-day membership. Perfect. Screw taking the shuttle there. These employees to not give a shit about your time. A little shady walking there so maybe jog? just kidding. Solid 20 min walk sounds accurate. I tend to wander...since there is a Target near by and I'm still alive. I would NOT suggest doing the walk in the dark. Climbs are a bit funky because you'll find that the setter makes or breaks a climb. Once you're done with a route, you've basically figured out the height and strength of the setter. Meaning some 5.8+s are harder than another setter's 5.9. Maybe a little quality control needed or I could learn to take the numbers with a grain of salt or even better, do enough climbing to get to know which setters I like. I also like that this place accommodates to newbies and those who actually know what they're doing.

MetroRock is my favorite climbing gym! I have been climbing at MetroRock for a long time - it's what keeps me in shape. The community at this gym is fun-loving and supportive. The route setters do a really good job to challenge you at all levels. Classes are held on a regular basis to help you advance through the climbing world. I have seen climbers join the team and increase their climbing skill tremendously - well worth it! Some other details that I really like: The wall surface and climbing hold quality is my favorite here. The bouldering is superb - great variety and good people. There is a gym for cross training. Climbing specific work out set ups are also available. The shoe warmer (have you ever left your climbing shoes in your car overnight in winter... yea... you know what I am talking about) Discount on gear if you join as a member: shoes, harness, chalk. MetroRock is very family friendly: whether it's climbers with kids or parents sending their kids to be active. Weekend mornings are great times for families to climb. I've seen birthday parties that do the challenge course for fun - great activity for the kiddos! In summary, I highly recommend MetroRock to all climbers and to all people that would like to try climbing. You will not be disappointed.

We did a group event here with a bunch of coworkers. I'll start with the good. The staff is very friendly and the facility is huge. They spent A LOT of time on climbing specifics and ensured we were ready before we climbed. Team had fun with that. Now to the bad...the ropes course. We were given a good safety briefing on the clips. But that was it! They NEVER told us how long the course was. NEVER mentioned you couldn't get down once started. NEVER mentioned skill level or athleticism required. NEVER said how long it took. We thought it was only the first two sections. NEVER said the only way down was a zip line. Not until we were up 50 feet did they tell us there was NO WAY down. How could that be? How is that safe? What about emergencies? Why no stairs? Why no ladders? Why no nothing to get people off the course if they choose to be? Absolutely makes no sense. Other bad...bathrooms are dirty.

As a youngster I could be found perched in a huge evergreen in the front yard, legs wrapped around its thick limbs, leaning back on its trunk, reading a book. In our neighbor's maple, we devised a pulley system to haul our snacks and pets up so we wouldn't have to come down for hours. I don't remember ever having to pee. The love of ascending hasn't left me after these decades, though now my recklessness has declined and fear of falling increased. MetroRock provides not only a safe way to climb but a solid workout that has my fingertips red and hands and forearms aching with effort. They've got a huge bouldering area with problems for all levels of climbers. The topropes are also varied, with some sport climbs that I hope to attempt someday. Routes vary from low 5s to 5.13s. It's a super kid friendly place with colorful holds and friendly staff. Just come before 6pm when the work crowd takes over. At $16 a visit, it would be worth it to get a membership if you come more than once a week. As all good climbing gyms, it's out in the cut but give em a ring and their purple van will fetch ya from Wellington Station.

Ererrgh I'm conflicted on writing this as when it comes to routes, I really like this gym, their walls, etc. much more than the closer, newer, BKB but I've now had several unnecessarily bad experiences with staff just reflecting a really low priority on professionalism and seeing the customer has a good experience. Many of the staff are totally lovely as a whole in a perfectly friendly nice sort of way one should hope as a base minimum, though I haven't had any sort of "exceptional" experience with them. Though many friends have related that they feel once they purchase something they feel like they become disposable, like once they have your money, they don't care about your experience. I can only relate my own experiences of recent here: I hadn't been to MR for a year or so, but was confident I still had several passes left. I let the desk clerk know I wanted to use one of them. He responded that there was no record of me having any passes, or really having ever been there at all (aside from the week before when a friend guest passed me in). (For the record I had a round or two of annual memberships, and have bought several rounds of drop in passes) I relate that is pretty weird, I'm confident I had several passes. I have a gear rental card that had 4 punches left, so that probably correlated to the number of drop-ins I had. "We don't accurately punch gear rental cards," he countered. "Okaaaaaay, so I mean I have several unused passes and it isn't my responsibility to keep track of what I have and haven't used." "Well we don't have a record of that and we can't just let you in for free." "Uhm, it isn't _for free_ if I paid for the passes, and it is your responsibility to keep track of what I did or didn't use, or at least alert me that some how I'm responsble for proving to you how many times I have or haven't been here." Again he countered that he can't just give me anything for free, that they have no record, etc. He was so generous as to let me know that he'd let me in this ONE time for free. Finally he just had me give him his email and told me management would reach out to me. I still haven't heard from the management about the passes I paid for that they seem to have lost track of. I also went a couple of times with my small dog, a well trained quiet creature that sticks around me by about 10 feet or so and waits at the bottom of the climb. I would walk right in with her and the staff generally adored her and didn't say anything. The third time I went with her, I was putting my shoes on while she sniffed around, and some rando from 20 feet away is like "Is that your dog?" I nod and let him know it is. He then asks me incredulously "And you just let her walk around?" I respond that she generally stays pretty close to me and no one ever told me there was anything wrong with that. He then goes on about how she could piss & shit wherever she pleased, run under climbers, etc. (the place was practically empty as it was late Thursday morning). I let him know she is well trained, has just done both those things before I brought her inside, stays close to me, and again the staff hasn't said anything. Keep in mind this is just some random guy talking at me so far as I know. After a few more hostile, unclear questions he lets it be known that there is a policy that dogs can stay in the front area, or need to be kept on a leash. And it is like "O okay, that is totally fine let me put her leash on," which I do. Why that wasn't made clear from the get go is beyond me. Also every time I had brought my dog in was midday during the week when the place is dead. ...apparently this was the owner. Why the staff never said anything to me earlier I don't understand. I was seriously considering re-purchasing an annual membership but after these experiences within a week of each other I'm reticent to take climbing back up as intensively as I originally considered. --OTHER ISSUES: While their guest policy has improved quite a bit. it is still lacking.. It used to be more of a silly taunt than a real perk; you could only bring a guest the third Monday evening of every month, and only if they'd never been to Metrorock before. Now you can bring 2 guests a month, though you can only be a guest once a month, which is still a little weak. Climbing is a partner activity and if I have friends with memberships who want to use their guest passes on me, that should be their discretion. -LET US TAKE A VACATION OR TWO A YEAR ALREADY! I totally understand not wanting to find yourself pausing memberships for a 10 day honeymoon here and a long Christmas to New Years weekcation there, but when I'm out of town for study/work or some such for 1-2 months give me a break! Certainly letting people pause their membership once per cycle seems reasonable, I put up with all your heavy construction and load sounds and disabled parts of the gym while you were expanding without any discount after all.

As the only gym within T distance from Boston, I can understand why so many people go here. But aside from the convenience, it doesn't offer much in terms of ambiance, technical challenge, or growth. The climbs are generally muscly. While I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to do an interesting 3-walled climb, it is NOT the norm. Almost all their climbs are about doing pull-ups, dynos, or gripping crimpy little holds. Great, if you all you want to do is take off your shirt (which people do... gross... wear deodorant), but pretty irrelevant if you actually want to go outdoors and climb real rock. A 5.7 means an overhang with lots of big jugs, and 5.8 means an overhang with slightly smaller jugs, a 5.9 means an overhang with only a couple jugs and moderately spaced apart holds. Anything higher, means you're crimping. No real challenges to improve your technique to think creatively. Also, I've found that the ratings are way easier than Boston Rock. The staff, and many of climbers who go there, are obnoxious, childish, and downright annoying. The staff use the PA system as means for flirtatious teasing (most recently, a girl working used the PA to tell everyone to give another desk worker a dirty look because he was being a mean to her... really?) Also, their frequently and not very useful announcement ("the shuttle for the T is leaving right now") are delivered with an attitude. If I wanted listen to condescending people, I would have gone back to middle school. I also watched the desk workers try to ninja-star throw someone's credit card to another desk worker, and I had to pick it up off the floor from across the room when it ricocheted off the computer screen. Stupid. Climbers there aren't that friendly, and the gym definitely lacks a feeling of community. It also doesn't help that it is jam-packed full of people every weeknight, and people tend to get possessive of their ropes. The only reason I go to Metro is because they had a cheap deal on a local coupon website, and I'm a student (ie. poor). It's basically one of those places that I go to because I'm short on money, not because I particularly like it. If you want to go to a gym with genuinely nice and helpful staff (they give great climbing advice and even let me try an unrated, newly-set route), a great homey community feel, and climbs that challenge you and force you to be creative, go to Boston Rock in Woburn instead. Plus, they have $1 women's night and 1/2 off student nights.

I have only been here a handful of times, but I absolutely love it! Such a different place than any other gym in the area full of non-stop challenging walls. I only boulder when I go, but I have a blast every time. Even for the beginners who have never climbed before can get a kick out of this place. There are routes for very beginners all the way up to experts. Not to mention, this place is very kid friendly and kids LOVE to climb these walls. I went with my girlfriends niece last week who is only 10 and you wouldn't believe how fast kids can pick up climbing! All in all, this place is worth every penny you spend. If you look on Groupon, they most likely will have a deal up there which can save you a significant amount of cash. I believe $119 will get you 10 visits to this place, which is usually a $200 value! So if you go once, its easy to jump right in and save a few bucks! I live about 45 minutes away and it is absolutely worth the drive

ben is so awesome and really good at guitar! highly recommend the friendly desk staff! climbings good too!!

We did the obstacle course here recently for a friends birthday and had an amazing time!! It was exciting, challenging, and a great bonding experience. We did the the course twice to get the most out of it, which I definitely recommend. It was a bit pricey per person, but I saw people using groupons so I would recommend getting some kind of discount if you can.

The ONLY negative thing about Metrorock is its location! If I could pick it up and drop it closer to Cambridge or the Red Line, I would do so in a heart beat. Metrorock has what other gyms don't. Its focus is on climbing (as it should be!), and it lacks a country club feel (yay!). It is far superior in terms of top rope route quality, as they challenge both the body and the brain, and allow you to build up your strength-whereas other gyms just use impossible holds and make the whole experience frustrating. Plus, the staff is super great, and you can walk in the door and be geared up, belay certified, and climbing in under 10 minutes. I can spend 4+ hours here, and the only things that force me to leave are my aching fingers and my zipcar reservation. I always leave with a route that I want to work on next time. Try Metrorock! And then feel sad that you've been going elsewhere.

Without a doubt the best top rope routes in the Boston area. So many talented setters there are making fun routes all the time. I love the social environment there too. It seems like anyone could walk in on a week night and find someone interesting and fun to climb with. I have never failed at that. Another thing I want to recommend that I don't think enough people know about. If they have a boulder competitions such as the Darkhorse series (I think this is true for most competitions everywhere) they set problems to challenge any skill level, even beginners. So if you're new to climbing and dig a competitive environment go sign up for the next competition. Then you can hang out socialize, and watch the finals in the evening with beer and pizza. It's so much fun!

Came for open house, which was fabulous. Great ropes course and activities for kids.

As the only rock gym accessible by T (thanks to their free shuttle to&from Wellington Station)*, MetroRock could probably get by doing a half-assed job, but thankfully, they don't. They have big walls, they change their routes up frequently enough to keep things interesting (but not so frequently that you don't get to finish your projects), decent bouldering, a treadwall (for which I have newfound respect), and a very friendly staff. Some days it can get busy and you may have to hunt for a rope, but that's not all that common. Even then, you'll still have something to climb, even if it's not the exact route you wanted. It fluctuates wildly based on the day of the week, the weather, the students' vacations, and so on. Most of the over 70 stations have topropes, but since I don't lead, I never really look at how many of those are also lead-accessible. There are a few lead-only routes. Overall, there seem to be a fair number of lead climbs, but not hordes -- the focus is more on toprope. There are a good number of bouldering routes as well. The topropes are connected in such a way as to create more friction. This means the ropes are sometimes tough to pull through, but when your partner falls, you will barely feel it. This makes it much easier for people of different sizes to partner up. There are no self-belay setups. They offer a number of climbing courses, from basic belaying and safety, to advanced techniques or strength training. You don't have to take a course to climb there, but you will have to pass a test to prove you know how to tie in and belay and such. They can be pricey if you pay as you go: $16 to climb, $14 to boulder, but it gets you in all day. If you're a student or a woman, take advantage of their discounts: students get a couple of bucks off roping, and in Ladies' Night (Mondays), women climb for $8 and can take the basic toproping course for $20. They have memberships as well, and ten-packs passes, but don't use one of your ten for bouldering or Ladies' Night, or you'll be paying -more-. It can be tough to get a medium-sized locker sometimes, so if you're paranoid, travel light enough to fit your stuff into a tiny square cubby locker. Maybe bring an extra lock and use two. Use the potty before you arrive, and shower when you get home; the facilities can be a little sketchy, and they're none too private, at least in the men's area. They have a gear store inside, snacks, and you can even get a sports massage ($8 for 15 minutes? dirt cheap!!) or throw a birthday party with a private room. *Currently, anyway. There are rumors of a couple of new gyms under construction, at least one of which is downtown. But I still expect MR to best them all.

Just finished a 2 week membership stint at MetroRock, thanks to Groupon, and I'm already missing it. I'm very new to rock climbing (i.e. before this, I'd only gone twice before for a class and belay test at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville), but found the staff and atmosphere very relaxed and non-intimidating. It definitely helped me try some of the more challenging climbs that I might have been too shy to try at BB, where people sometimes watched us climb as they waited in line to climb the course after us. Peak times are M-Th after work, but even on those days we didn't need to really wait in line for a particular course... just choose do another and come back later. Friday night and the weekends were pretty empty, which was great for us beginners. We went as often as we could during the 2-week membership period - my arms were definitely feeling it! They rotate the courses fairly often, so although it's a smallish gym you can always find a new climb to try. And they run a FREE SHUTTLE between Wellington station and MetroRock, which was AMAZING since I don't have a car and it's a bit of a pain to walk to from the T. The only downside seemed to be that since it's an older gym compared to BB, the gear (harness and shoes) were older and, well, kinda smelly... but I'm sure most members have their own gear anyway. And besides, I guess what can you expect from rental gym shoes? Every now and then there would be a hand-hold on a climb that was broken, probably just another show of age, but nothing too bad. If I could afford a year long membership to MetroRock, I'd totally do it - and invest in my own gear, of course.

Rock climbing is something I think everyone should try, and while I am just a casual climber, I think Metro Rock is the perfect place for those who climb a few times a week as well as those who climb a few times a month. Accessibility is a main factor in this, its probably the most comprehensive climbing gym that you can get to in this city by public transportation; just take the orange line to Wellington and give them a call, a few minutes later a clearly marked shuttle will be there to pick you up! First of all the place is HUGE! They have over 80 routes ranging from 5."Fun" to 5.13. And a decent number of lead climbs with interesting features, plus they are always changing as the staff comes up with new problems. One section of a "rock face" that butts up against the building actual wall even simulates a crack. There is also a really large bouldering section with a really diverse amount of problems. They also have a cardio machine or two so you can count a membership here as a regular gym if you have Blue Cross Blue Shield. It also gets VERY crowded, especially after work hours or when its nasty out on the weekend. Its also very kid friendly, so if you don't like climbing when there are kids around its best to avoid peak hours. Safety is a main factor here, anyone who comes has to take a belay test or a quick safety course, and you can only lead climb if you have taken their lead climbing class. So it is something they take very seriously. That said, the staff totally rock (no pun intended)! They are probably the nicest, friendliest group of people ever. They are so approachable, and never make you feel like your asking a stupid question. Seriously you can ask them anything about climbing and they will give you their honest opinion, especially when it comes to asking them about climbing outdoors. If you do plan on making climbing a new hobby it is wise to invest in your own gear. This place is a little expensive per visit (although they do have student discounts) and renting gear every time will add up quickly. You can easily get your own harness, shoes, chalk bag, and belay device for about $80 if you shop carefully!

First off, let me admit that I am no world-traveled reviewer of rock climbing gyms. I've been to gyms in Ohio, Long Island, and two in Boston. However, MetroRock is clearly the best gym I've been to thus far and until I find something that blows it out of the water, it shall remain my benchmark. I'm also a boulderer. I've never done a lead climb at MetroRock, so I can't speak for that experience. I started bouldering at MR because I didn't have the money for the $40 rope course, and I also didn't have a climbing partner or a harness. However, my bouldering experience at MR has been immensely enjoyable. The new additions to the bouldering faces have opened up more space for beginning boulderers, and there are enough routes, and enough variety, to keep me continually motivated and challenged. What I particularly loved was the community there. Climb often enough and you meet people who share your schedule--and suddenly you're trading beta and approaching new challenges together. Once you get past the typical climber club "aloofness" (which is only there to weed out newbs who aren't ready to commit, and douchebag dudes who drag along their stretch-denim-clad girlfriends to watch their "macho" boyfriend barely scramble up a V0), the regulars are a friendly, feisty little gang, with a good range of ability. The only pitfalls of MR: No by-the-month membership, which really sucks. As a grad student with low, fluctuating income, it's hard to gather enough cash for a 3-month pass, and I can't always guarantee I could pay every month. No monthly pass means I pay by the visit, which inevitably jerks me out of more money. Which sucks. Be kind to your student members, MetroRock. Also--there is some very wide variance in the route setting. Some of the V0s are clearly too hard for the grade, and others are just very sloppy work. Also, I've almost taken some potentially bad falls on the new bouldering faces--extra hand-holds at the top could prevent this.

I went to MetroRock as part of a class trip at my college. Some aspects of it were fun, but most of the day was inconvenient, unenjoyable, and painful. I had mentioned to several staff members that I was worried my upper body strength wasn't up to par with the route they picked out for our group. I forget the name they used for it, but it wasn't just rock climbing, it was also a bit of an obstacle course suspended in the air. They assured me it would be fine. About 3 minutes in, I lost my balance and ripped a chunk of skin off both of my hands trying to grab onto a rope for balance. Which, I admit, was partially my fault as they did warn everyone to just fall if we slip, that's what the safety harnesses were for. But, that's not always easy to remember when you're 20 feet in the air. After that, I couldn't really continue on because I couldn't grip anything. It took about 15 minutes for someone to assist me back down to the floor, at which point I wasn't offered so much as a band-aid for my hands, which were bleeding. And was yelled at for walking away from the group to try to find a first-aid kit or at least somewhere I could wash my hands. So, personally, I would never go back here. They certainly have everything you need for rock climbing and they employ some knowledgable people. Many of my classmates had a good time. If you want to rent some equipment, climb some rocks, and get some pointers along the way then I'm sure this place is for you. And if you're not bothered by sociopaths that have forgotten what it's like to be hurt, or scared of heights, or not interested in rocks... even better.

Note: This review is from a novice rock climber! MetroRock hosted a fundraising event for HERA, an organization that supports Ovarian Cancer research and advocacy. One of my friends is a climber and somehow convinced me to give it a try. The intro class covered the basics: What is this stuff I'm wearing, how do I use it, what kind of knots again, and what are those words I'm supposed to say? The instructor was GREAT. He made sure each and every person in our group was correctly outfitted and able to complete each and every safety check before we were anywhere near climbing. I believe his name was Zach- an excellent instructor. Sunday was packed, but everyone was very personable. The routes are well marked, though my friend noted that some of them were "marked low" (i.e. a 5.9 was really more a 5.10a). Rates to rent equipment seemed reasonable. Small little yoga studio in the back. Locker rooms that, to be honest, could be nicer, but did their job. Oh! Use the directions on their website to get there, or you'll end up horribly lost! Definitely a place to check out if you're into climbing or want to be. Can't wait to get back and learn some more!

MetroRock is a phenomenal gym. Having done mostly outdoor climbing in Colorado and New Mexico, I wanted to get back to climbing again and a couple of my climbing friends highly recommended MetroRock. If you have any previous climbing experience, you just need to take a quick belay test and you are good to go (unlike other gyms which make you take a course, even if you are experienced). A few weeks later, I found myself signing up for the month-to-month membership because it's simply cheaper. So, here are some of the reasons why I love this gym: 1. Lots to do: A separate bouldering area, which is awesome. A small gym area as well, which is nice for warmups and cool downs. And of course, the slack line at the back, which is great for practice and the treadwall on the mezzanine level. 2. The easy, intermediate, and tougher sections are pretty much separated (intentionally or otherwise). So, beginners and kids can do the 5.6s while experienced climbers can lead climb 5.12 overhangs at the back. Ditto for serious boulderers, who have much harder overhangs at the back (I could be wrong, but I remember seeing a V15 or a V16). 3. A wide variety of intermediate routes, and pretty good diversity in terms of routes. I especially love Boof's routes (too bad he's leaving!), which are interesting, challenging, and simply fun. 4. A lot of gyms only cater to beginners or just to the serious climbers. I find that MetroRock caters to pretty much everyone, and anyone can have a blast. 5. Amazing staff. Incredibly friendly, helpful, and just a pleasure to work with. I cannot stress this enough. And compared to other climbing gyms, the staff never offers you any unsolicited beta, which is amazing since it makes the climbing that much more enjoyable and challenging. Of course, here are some cons: 1. Incredibly crowded: I'm only there on the weekends because week days are a joke. Plus, week days just tend to bring in a lot of beginners who lack basic climbing etiquette. 2. Climbing area is reasonably sized, but can get painfully crowded during peak hours, where you pretty much spend more time waiting than climbing, especially for the mid-range routes (i.e. 5.8s - 5.10s). 3. Groupons: Every time they give away a Groupon, just forget about going to the gym. While it's great for business, it also drives away the regulars. 4. Limited lead routes: It would be awesome if there were more routes to practice lead climbing, across a variety of grades. Sometimes, you just want to practice leading on a 5.8, either as a warmup or because you're simply exhausted. 5. Need more classes: There are a lot of classes unrelated to climbing (e.g. Yoga or Parkour), but very few climbing related classes, especially for serious climbing. It would be amazing if there were more classes available (especially on the weekends, given that weekdays are a wash). But ultimately, the pros win out. Sure, there are better gyms for serious climbers around Boston and sure, there are other gyms with better facilities and what not. But what sets MetroRock apart are the staff and all the little things. Plus, Ollie is the best climbing dog. Ever. If MetroRock wasn't as crowded and was just a little bigger, they would get a 5/5. P.S. Can we get Boof back to set some routes once in a while?

Metro rock kinda sucks. Compared to other rock gyms I've been to, this isn't even in the top ten. Although I'm an experienced climber, last february they harassed me into taking the safety training course. It was basically $40 worth of "Remember to double buckle". The ropes are all very old, and look like they are about to break. They even told me that they were old ropes. That freaks me out. The routes are lame, and are either very easy or very hard. There's no gradual slope, so I basically have 2 routes to chose from. I should have stopped going after the first day, but my cousin bought me a month pass. Not to mention the damage to my car by consistently driving through that industrial graveyard. The pot holes messed up my suspension, and now the car veers to the right. Literally, the worst possible place to drive. Personally I prefer Boston Rock, they're smarter, better equipped, and nicer people overall. Plus, I don't damage my car when I drive there.

I am an experienced climber and a member of a rock gym out of state, but came to MetroRock with some three local friends (who are less experienced climbers) while home visiting for Christmas. While the facility was nice and there are a lot of routes, I had a few issues with belaying options. I had the option to take a test to become belay certified (as it should be - totally fair) but was told that even if I got belay certified, I could only belay other climbers who are belay certified for legal reasons. While I disagree with that policy and think that MetroRock's waiver should be revisited to encompass the use case they are worried about, but what really frustrated me wasn't the policy itself, but the consequences of such a policy. There are autobelays available for those who don't have a belay certified partner, which is a nice alternative, but in reality, there are only a handful of them, and they are constantly in use because of this belaying policy. This means when it's crowded, you have to wait awhile to climb the same handful of routes. You also still have to pay full price to only be able to climb a fraction of the routes, which is disappointing. Having strong safety policies in place is something I definitely value, but these policies should be with safety and climber experience in mind, not because we live in an overly litigious society. Moral of the story: if you don't have a belay partner, be prepared to pay a lot of money for only a few routes.

For me there are only a few things that make a gym good: quantity of routes, diversity of routes, and the people it attracts. MetroRock really does a great job on all three. The route setters aren't just technical crimp climbers or jug setters with huge dyno moves. These guys dream up some of the weirdest and coolest sh!t ever. Sometimes I look at routes and think they can't be done and after a while working on them I can only see beta. This gym is great for that. Lots of opportunity to grow your mindset on how to climb. The quantity is good as well - as others have mentioned this place can get busy but more often than not you can find plenty of climbers to share beta and that's a huge part of climbing. Learning how you climb and taking bits from equal or stronger climbers is a great way to push yourself and become a better climber and everyone here is pretty cool. It's rare to find a climber that won't cheer you on even if you are just working V1,2,3. Although I don't often find myself utilizing the whole gym - I have tried out some of their top rope and lead and even on busy nights I can usually find a few open lines to work and they seem to be pretty unique/diverse as well. As a side note - they run a shuttle from the Wellington T stop for free so even if you live in the city and don't have a car there is an easy way to get out and back.

Newbie review here... Some people have said this place isn't as good as BRG. I haven't been to BRG, but this place was pretty damned impressive. That is, after you spent 20 minutes in the Rt99/16 rotary from hell trying to find the place. That may be part of the charm -- build up your anger so you can let it out once you finally get there. Once there, I learned something very quickly: Rock climbing is hard. Who knew? I spent an hour and a half on the baby track (in case you are looking for it, it's one of the purple ones). Then some kid who looks about 3 years old masters it in minutes. But I still enjoyed myself, and got a lot of exercise. One earlier review complained that the tracks weren't reset very often, but when I was there people were resetting them, so I do know that it happens. Oh yeah, the price review: Positive. I rented shoes, chalk and went right in for $19 bucks.

This place is awesome! I don't know how many square feet of climbing there is, but it's big. My entire family really likes the place a lot. Some of the highlights my family likes about Metro Rock 1. They provide a number of auto belays that the kids can go and play on independently. I'm not sure who appreciates this more - my wife and I or the kids. 2. There is a little kid wall in the back sized for little limbs to climb on, where all the kids can play together 3. Wide variety of bouldering routes for all skill levels on a unique bouldering cave environment. It really is cool how it's set up 4. Room in the back, sort of designated as a kid friendly area. It has a number of lead routes as well 5. Kid friendly weekend mornings. I personally really enjoy seeing a bunch of little people attacking the walls with gusto, or toddling around 6. Ropes course 7. Music (this in particular my wife appreciates - I'm generally too preoccupied with not falling down) 8. Super friendly staff, and climbers are generally really nice as well 9. Clean (my wife's heart grew three sizes bigger when she heard staff vacuuming a crash pad). 10. Big, fat, soft crash pads. Some of my family are particularly accident prone, and new to climbing. Having the big soft crash pads increases the ircomfort level for sure. I also have the tendency to overreach and make spectacular falls, which is totally cool with the big pads 11. Decent amount of parking. Sometimes during peak it's a little more challenging to get parking, but generally there's enough parking to find a space without too much issue 12. Every month members can bring a guest to climb. This has been great to bring friends of the kids along for Some things others might really like about Metro Rock that my family doesn't particularly care about 1. Special problem walls. In the back and on the second floor area there are often really difficult problems that are up for the more advanced climbers to play on. Generally my family can't start the first move hahaha. 2. Training area. Campus boards, all kinds of grippy things, etc. 3. Exercise gym in progress - I think. We just climb until our arms don't work anymore 4. Summer camp, after school program, and climbing team. 5. "Dark Horse" competition climbing series. The last one happened a few weeks ago and all the routes were changed for the event. Woot. 6. Good bars just down the street, including a brewery. 7. Foosball table for when you need a climbing time out Some bummers 1. Location. Driving there can be a little challenging, given the rotaries around it. My wife won't go unless I drive 2. After the last Dark Horse event, all the routes were tougher than they were rated, which really only truly affected beginners who are climbing V0's. My family was sad panda. I think this will be addressed next event though. I really like the bouldering section. The texture of the walls are rock like, and the formation of the walls give the ambience of being on an outdoor wall (or a cave in certain parts). They're clearly not, and you're clearly indoors, but it feels more organic than a plain wall, which feels more.. sterile? Whatever, stop judging me. I like it.

Rock climbing! MetroRock is located in a dark alley near old warehouses outside of the superplex of Costco and it's other franchise minions. Once I entered in the building, I was in a world with like minded rock climbers that were here to stretch their mental and physical abilities. It's a game of strategy and can be as stimulating as playing any challenging crossword puzzle. The levels go from easy to severely challenging. I am yet to dangle at a 45 degree angle upside down. The staff are talented climbers who have been all over the world just to fill their itch of climbing. Warning, rock climbing is highly addictive. So if you plan to go once make sure you have enough money in the bank to support your habit. You will be back.

I have been climbing at Metro for about 4 years. Like all gyms there is a series of pros and cons. Cons: Groupons: when they put out a groupon you might as well forget about climbing that week or month. There literally can be 3 people deep cues for climb. Changing/Lockers: Space is dismal when the place is busy and largely nothing is secure. They have added some bench/cubbies lately that seem to be helping but need to do a lot more. A simple and likely vestigial ccd camera on the cubbies might deter the honest thieves. Pros: The staff. Always friendly, always willing to help. Josh, Matt, Damien are all experts at what they do and are always willing to help. Hours. The new later hours allow for people with crazy schedules to make this place happen. Ollie. Best climbing dog in the world!

I ordered a Groupon for the intro to climbing course & haven't looked back. I have really enjoyed the people and the gym. It's been extremely fun to learn and everyone is super helpful!

I've been climbing at MetroRock for about 4 months now and have to admit that I love it. The attitude there is non existent - people who love to climb at all levels of climbing, and everyone helps people out. On a regular basis when I'm starting a new run and I'm struggling - more experienced climbers give me some hints and its uber helpful. The facility has a great bouldering section, as well as top roping and lead climbing variations.... The best times to go to avoid big crowds are early on Saturday mornings and Friday night. Other things that are great : if you don't have a car there is a shuttle you can call from the Wellington T stop and you'll be there in 10 minutes, they have a variety of courses available, they're open until 10.00 pm most nights, they offer student discounts (if you are still so lucky)... Really great spot for climbing when you have to be indoors.

Much more realistic surface than Boston Rock Gym, but there's more posing --- ran into several friends holding court and giving phone numbers, back to the wall. Very good if you're looking to connect with other climbers, and go have some coffee after. What keeps me coming back is really the geometry (geography?) of the routes --- these aren't walls, they're arching promontories. Well-stocked gear shop, fancy laminated safety badges (in at least three levels), and not that hard to find as long as you're willing to drive through a post-industrial wasteland based on faith and a web page printout.

I like the place- a good mix of climbs and staff seemed friendly enough. Shuttle to and fro the T stop is a bonus since the place is in the middle of nowhere. One has to show his/her proficiency with belaying and safety stuff to obtain the "Toprope Access" rating. However, the staff are kinda strict about granting beginners rope access "on the fly" so they have to take the "safety course". Other gyms that I've been to permit beginners to climb as long as they don't belay (wouldn't want them to anyways) and as long as they climb with someone who is experienced. I guess different gyms have different rules.... Nevertheless, I like the place enough to go back again.

This place, despite the SKETCHY location, is great. The staff is friendly, the facilities are huge and always changing. I'm constantly running into people I know here. Plusses: New routes means never boring. Ladies night on Mondays = 1/2 price for women! Reservations: the $40 belay class for beginners is pretty steep for what it is. It can get really crowded in the evenings and on weekends.

Michelle was amazing!!! Give the lady a raise!! I went with a friend for an intro class for climbing, she was super informative, energetic, loving and patient! I definitely will be coming around more often!

Bottom line: A lot of lines, staff is good though inconsistent, gym is crowded. MetroRock has boomed in popularity especially because they papered all the groupon sites which definitely attracted a lot of business. There's a lot of space. But unfortunately more than enough patrons to fill up that space. Check in can take a while and it isn't helped by the insane amount of groupons that they process here. Once you finally are through and get your equipment (remember, street shoe size does not equal climbing shoe size) there's lots of places for you to roam. When it's really busy here you can easily be frustrated by waiting for a line or standing in line for bouldering. My suggestion is to firm and go as soon as your desired course is open, otherwise you're just going to be the "polite guy who finishes last". I typically boulder and that is definitely the case here. BE CAREFUL. There are a TON of kids running around here as part of a kid MetroRock program. They have NO QUALMS about climbing into you, running underneath you, etc. Try not to kill them (pretty sure that'd be frowned upon). That being said, I think something should be done about the amount of them running around like uncaged wild animals with no supervision because i'd hate to see any of them get hurt because someone wasn't paying attention. All in all, this place suffices for climbing the walls. But bring your patience along or you'll be in for a rude surprise.

I, like the rest of the modern technology crazed world, suffer from extreme ADD. Thus I'm going to make this easy for you: Metro Rock is pretty good, but not great. Oh, you're still here? Fine, I'll continue. Most of the routes are solid, but the ratings can be a little crazy. It seems like most of the route setters set routes that are way below their level - so they just don't have a good feel for if something is a 5.8, 5.9, or 5.10a. That's annoying. Tape periodically comes off of the holds - and they seem to pretty much never repair them. So typically the older a route is, the harder it is, because it's missing more holds. The gym is pretty tall - not as tall as Carabiners, but 45 feet is pretty good. It is heated in the winter and stays pretty comfy. In the summer, they air condition it - but the AC leaves a lot to be desired. On a hot day outside, the AC simply can't keep up and it gets toasty. This is especially true when it is busy. There are plenty of bouldering, top roping, and lead routes. I'd guess something like 50 bouldering, 100 top roping, and maybe 25 lead. The top-rope routes have the rope double wrapped at the top. This means that lightweight people can belay heavy people without worrying about getting yanked up into the air. It's a nice, newbie friendly feature. They do have one rope that they leave single wrapped. It is not marked in any special way. I didn't realize that the first time and was belaying somebody that weighed more than 100 lbs more than me. Let's just say that that coulda ended badly, and I did go flying into the air when he started coming down, but we were both fine. They don't allow you to teach people how to belay at the gym - so you have to give parking lot lessons or pay the fee for the class. I'm not sure if this is a way they are trying to force people to pay for the lessons, or a liability thing, or something else. Either way it is a nuisance when bringing people new to climbing here. Some staff are super sweet and nice, while a couple have incredibly awful attitudes. I think they forget that they are being paid to rock climb. Goodness! So - it's a good gym, but it's far from perfect. If the courses were better marked and weren't always changing due to tape loss, I feel like it'd be a whole lot better.

Definitely up there in terms of numbers of routes and rock height for the 10 or so indoor gyms I've been to. The staff is nice, although they can get a bit overwhelmed when the place gets PACKED on a weekday night. Every rope will be taken! But everyone is generally friendly; make some new friends tonite! Overall, a good addition to the "Boston" scene. One more note: it's way hard to find your first time as it's in an industrial park in Everett?! off the worst set of nested roundabouts I've ever driven through - write the directions from their website *exactly* if you're driving. But if you're T'ing it, then, yeah, they will pick you up and drop you off in their MetroRock van. Cool stuff.

I used to work at a gym in Connecticut and I have been to countless gyms across the country. Metrorock is definitely one of the best I have been to. I haven't spent much time on the ropes, as I primarily boulder, but there is plenty to choose from. The bouldering here is great. There are 2 free standing boulders, as can be seen from the photos. You can top out on both of them, but not all problems top out. The floor is made entirely of a softish foam type material that makes it easy to take a fall from a decent height. There are plenty of large mats to drag under whichever problem you are working for added protection. They seem to changes the routes regularly, which always instills that feeling of new unexplored territory. Overall, I can't really find anything bad to say about this gym except its location. I would give 5 stars if it was a little easier to access. For me the T involves taking 2 trains and then waiting for the shuttle, so I have just been making the drive lately. Highway driving is easy, but once you get off it's a little confusing finding the place. If you are going for the first time make sure you have clear directions!

Pro's: -Great route-setters -Laid back atmosphere -Student discounts -Decent protein bar selection -Nice little climbing shop in entrance -Staff are always helpful Con's: -Very busy on weeknights -Slow route-refresh, go more than twice a week and you will quickly get bored -Crowded bathrooms with poor privacy

Ah, MetroRock. Where I discovered my complete lack of talent for bouldering. This place is a lot of fun, and you can tell that most of the people here are regulars and borderline obsessed with bouldering and climbing. If you're really into climbing, you could probably spend all your afternoons here and not finish all the bouldering paths or whatever they're called. There is a LOT to do. The staff is really friendly here, and the regulars are great too. When we went, most of us had never done any type of bouldering before, so some people gave us a few tips here and there. Well, including the 8 year olds who were way better than we were at any of this. My friend ended up dislocating her elbow here (she jumped off and landed on her arm at an awkward angle), and a regular who even knew the staff offered to help her out with that, first aid style. I, unfortunately, am not blessed with the upper body strength, skill, or patience required to really embrace bouldering (I get frustrated after 5 minutes of staying in the same place and having no clue how to propel myself up), so not sure I'd return, but it's a must for all climbers who love a challenge. Although, I've gotta say, it's a great feeling when you finally do get to the top. Beats any feeling you can get at the gym!

The more climbing gyms I try all over the place, the more I realise how just damn good this place is. True, none of the staff is going to be running around being nice, smiling at you -- but you know what, if the routes are well set, maintained and updated periodically, and that's all I really need to make me smile. The place is hygienic, equipment is functional, with plenty of options for everyone -- look-at-my-arms boulderers (oh hello!), dabblers like me, and hardcode lead climbers as well. Pricing is comparable to other locations in the area, but the Monday night deals for women are a total deal! And like almost every sizable climbing gym, the neighbourhood is sketch-aplenty, and getting here is an adventure in and of itself. If you find it, happy climbing!

I love metro rock. The first time I went there it was dark and winding through the warehouses and semi trucks looking for it was a little scary. It's definitely the tallest facility I've ever climbed in and that was intimidating at first...and it's always super crowded so finding a spot can be hard. I love it though, and if I could find a steady climbing partner I'd go far more often.