The ARC – Arcadia Rock Climbing

I’m not an regular climber, so don’t rely on this review if you’re looking for how «legit» this place is for rock climbing.
I loved it. The guys at the front desk were friendly, easy-​going, and helpful. They have a lot of different bouldering routes, from beginners (I actually finished one!) to advanced.
They also have a slackline… apparently one of the guys at the front desk is a semi-​professional slackliner. Sounds pretty lame, but watching him in action made me want to come back and practice.
All in all, a great experience. Will come back soon (and master that slackline)

I am new to Rock Climbing and love this place. The community is great and extremely helpful to beginners. The staff is also very friendly and is always willing to offer advice and guidance if having difficulties with any problems. I would highly recommend anyone new to try it out. Great workout and lots of unexpected fun.

It’s a good gym for bouldering. definitely cheaper than most rock climbing gym in terms of membership and day pass. It is smaller, lacking good top roping and lead climbing. People are decent here; the climbers are always there to help out. As for the reviews about rude workers, you’re not there to talk to the workers. You’re there to climb. All ratings are harder than average. V1 or 2 at another gym could be a 0 or 1 at ARC. It’s harder for beginners– if you have no strength whatsoever, climbing even a 0 will be hard. It’s all about improvement. Once you climb for a while, it’s not so bad. Nice thing is, all the walls are being repainted and reset.
$ 15 for adult one day pass. Few bucks for shoes. Don’t bother with top roping– it’s good for kids and birthday parties only.

The Arc was fun because I am an avid climber. However, their grades were stiff and not friendly to beginners. The facility is not air-​conditioned so it is very hot in the summer, even at night. The facility also does not seem to wash their holds so grease, dirt, chalk residue, etc. accumulates on the holds, making them more difficult to grip.

I went to The ARC a couple times when they had a discount on lady’s night (I don’t think they do it anymore :() and am not really impressed. I’m not a fan of the routes being marked with colored tape. I prefer the holds to be the same color. Also, I don’t feel as safe with a crash pad under me instead of the whole floor being padded. I know that you only have a crash pad when climbing outdoors. Maybe I’m just spoiled by Hangar 18. Actually, yeah I am hahaha.

Not a big fan of this gym because of the people working there. Most of the workers here I’ve encountered are rude and give off a condescending vibe. They are either on their phones or on the computer and don’t even bother to look up to answer your questions.
This gym is definitely not for beginners. I understand grading varies from gym to gym but the grades here are significantly more difficult than any other gym I’ve been to. I did a couple of v0s that really felt more like v2s to me. I’m able to climb v2s easily but that may not be the case for someone just starting off.
Lots of overhanging problems which are fun. There is a super small top rope section also. But aside from that, this gym is for bouldering.
The gym itself is a little dirty, but nothing that’s unbearable.
If you’re a decent climber looking for a gym in the San Gabriel Valley, this is your only option. Although smaller than most gyms, it definitely gets the job done. Prices are pretty cheap compared to most gyms around the LA area.

I finally made my way back here (I live 30+ miles away now) and was treated so badly that I’m actually considering filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (I’m kind of contemplating about suing ARC too, but I think I have better things to do than to waste any more of my time on this place).
I was the first person in on a Sunday. As I handed my 10-​visit punch card to the front desk, I was informed that the card was not valid any more. Ok, there were five visits left on the card, worth $ 55 total (I paid $ 110 for a 10-​visit pass), and there was NO EXPIRATION DATE written anywhere on the card. The front desk person was feeling charitable and decided to «let me in just this once.» Well, that will be last $ 55 ARC ever sees from me.
I sat down at the sofa to put on my climbing shoes and a projectile smacked me squarely in the back, right on my spine (I have a bruise from it). A guy, who appeared to be setting routes, decided to start throwing things before looking to see if there were people around. After mumbling a half-​hearted apology, he exclaimed, «it’s just a roll of tape!» Right, I don’t think that bruise on my back cares that it was a roll of tape (it still stings when I move).
I was so upset at that point (knowing that I’m out $ 55 for a gym I don’t even like that much to start with and my back hurting), that I only managed to try couple routes before taking off.
If my review is not enough to turn you away from this place, keep the following in mind when you visit: 1) do NOT give ARC any money upfront, for any reason, you may never see it again; 2) watch for projectiles coming your way, a roll of tape may seem harmless (although my spine would disagree), but I’d hate to see a hex wrench stab you in the eye during your visit; 3) practice holding your breath, the place stinks to high heaven; 4) be prepared for a heat-​stroke, there is no air conditioning at this place.

15 $ bring your own shoes or rent them here. Ample parking in their private lot or street parking out front.
Def not a place for beginners. Most walls are pretty steep and it’s primarily bouldering. No AC in this joint so it was also sweltering hot by the time they opened at 10am… They have ginormous fans but that doesn’t seem to help ventilate the funk enough to make it bearable for more than an hour; I don’t even wanna imagine what it’s like when it’s crowded! Yowza.

Not for beginners as there is zero instructions, most of the walls are too difficult to climb and you can only use a harness if you pay for it. Otherwise, you have to climb without a rope and some of the handles are loose and spin around. My friend and I had a good time goofing off in the totally empty gym but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are seriously trying to do wall climbing.

2.5 — 3 stars.
Please don’t go here if you are a beginner. You will probably be discouraged by the intermediate and advanced climbing and bouldering that goes on here.
I came here about two weeks ago. My experience was alright at best, especially since part of the area was «under construction» and most of it catered toward more experienced climbers. One more thing: I noticed that some hand holds were loose, which can be dangerous. Yikes!

Not beginner friendly at all. Their v0s are v2+, v1s are v3, etc. It’s old and the routes are subpar, hence why it’s never busy.

A great local friendly bouldering gym. Excellent for training, never too crowded. First of all, the boulder problems here are typically harder than normal climbing gym but it’s always fun to finally tackle each ones. I was surprised how much stronger after trying to climb outdoor. Secondly, boulder problems here don’t get updated as often as other places (~2 months rotation?). I’d prefer if they get new routes up little more often. Currently, the walls are not ecstatically pleasing due to some patches. hopefully they’ll get some good repairs/​paints on them soon. Again, excellent bouldering gym if you want to be better climber!

We took our nephews here for a first time lesson/​session. The instructor was great — very patient and encouraging. We would highly recommend.

We could have started the weekend off the usual way, drinks and snacks at a bar, searching Unilocal for the latest and greatest HH deals or even visiting our favs then regurgitating in a Unilocal review the same ol’ back stories (c’mon, you know what I’m
Taking about) but this Friday we decided our weekend shenanigans would begin at a Rock Climbing Gym :)
Now, we are no strangers to the Boulder climbs or the color coded walls of doom but let’s just say it’s been a while. A very long while.
The equipment is clean and easy to use. I liked the large open gym and the staff was extremely helpful. Best part? The price for the two of us was WAY under what we would have spent on drinks.
The bathroom and some holds were not as clean as I would hope, so for me I say this is an «A-​Ok, 3+star, I’ll be back» kind of rating for today.

Review is for the staff and overnight event they hosted for our Scout troop. Amazing team of leaders on hand to create a memorable overnight trip for the boys. They were very organized considering there was a group of almost 70 boys. Created really fun rotations and games for the entire night. Staff was all super helpful, no attitudes! Boys, some younger sisters, moms and dads had a blast. I liked the belay and climbing gear here– was easier than most other gyms. A great place for a birthday party, team building, large group event. Best part– the swing!

I came here for my birthday on a Sunday evening. We saved a couple of bucks for going as a group. There was a 100 dollars deposit in order to reserve the time. We got to use harnesses for high walls. There was a challenge to climb up a wall blind folded which was pretty fun. It took me a little longer to go up even though it was hard to see. Definitely a fun challenge.
Later we got to do some beginers bouldering. There was clearly marked holds to go different routs to help yourself go up. IT was a tough challenge! We go to do some ladder climbing which was pretty fun. We ended up doing some tight rope walking to end the night. My forearms were so for days! I loved it, i would come back for sure. The guy was pretty personable, the girl not so much. But she was pretty cool.
I would come back.

Wow, the guys who tended to our group were great, very helpful, and super funny, the girl wasn’t so personable.
For $ 25 for 2hours, we were able to use the front walls, where you are held by the harness, then the other walls for bouldering, where you don’t connect your harness to the rope, that was intense, and a giant ladder, where each step is like 3 feet apart, and they ended it with tight rope walking…
Anyways… This is a great place for beginners and pros. They were really nice about me being a newbie and very scared of heights…
When we came, they were changing the holds on a few of the walls to change it up. That’s cool…

Not too crowded, nearby gym to practice climbing! Smaller than others but it does the job. A great challenge to yourself not only physically but mentally as well. A «fun» workout since it’s more engaging than running, recommend this as a good confidence builder.
It’s not just physical strength that gets you to the top but technique and mentality. I like figuring out new routes since it’s like a physical puzzle. There are colored tape on rocks to let you know which route is which, it’s almost like a vertical game of Twister. To people on their first days climbing, I usually just tell them to climb anything and not really worry about the colored tape route system. There is a lot to learn when you’re starting out, just get over the anxiety of falling and get used to griping weird holds with muscles rarely used.
The sign in process is fairly fast there is one paper form to fill out and then they input your info on the computer and snap a photo of you. From then on all you need to do to check in is give your name!
I like how they have chalk bags available to use in a crate near the check-​in, free convenience. Fun things available: slack line, large wooden beam/​rope ladder, rope swing, campus board and ping pong table (although you should bring your own ping pong paddles and balls as the ones there are pretty beat up).

I am surprised Pasadena or the surrounding 15 mile radius from Dt Pasadena doesn’t have one decent rock climbing gym… Not ONE.
I decided to try this place out and I hate writing bad reviews, but the ARC sucks. Dirty bathrooms, dirty holds (calluses became itchy within minutes — which is a sign they don’t clean their holds), and don’t get me started on the customer service.
In reference to the dirty holds, I wash my hands after a climbing session but to clean my hands almost every CLIMB after touching their holds raises a red flag.
DISGUSTING. Seriously, get your shit together. I was nice and told the guy at the front desk about my concerns: bathroom, holds, but his lackluster attitude made it seem like he didn’t give a shit. «Oh, yeah sure we’ll get to it.» … Continues to do nothing. I am so disappointed.
I really wanted to like this place since it would be my GO-​TO climbing place when I move from Upland to Pasadena in a few months. Why is it so hard to find a good climbing gym in Pasadena/​Arcadia???

ARC isn’t the greatest climbing or bouldering gym, but with not many competitors in the immediate area, it might be your best bet for a chance to boulder and climb.
NOTE: There is a happy hour special everyday from 12PM-​3PM. I believe it’s $ 7 for those 3 hours, not including the $ 5 rental fee for shoes.
I just needed to note the lunch or happy hour special because it took a lot of looking and pushing to find out about the special, and even then I had to ask the staff when i got there to get the price, because they didn’t offer or even mention it to me.
Unless you’re a really intense climber, I’m pretty sure that these 3 hours are more than you need if you happen to be coming within the time range, so it’s definitely worth your while to ask for the offer.
Other than their lunch special, I think the ARC is a little overpriced for what it is. Like others have mentioned, it’s a bouldering heavy gym and although I’m not a climbing fanatic, I felt like the problems were definitely a little harder than I was used to. Along side with the fact that they were a little harder, the holds and whole gym seemed to be a little run-​down, or at the very least not as well maintained as it could or should have been, which made it a little harder to grip the holds and climb.
However, like I said, it’s one of the few climbing opportunities we have around this area of the SGV, so you take what you can get!
My only real complaint about this place I guess, or what I couldn’t get over was how bad the service and staff here are. They just seem so uninterested in their work and in the gym. Every time I call or interact with them at the gym I feel really dissapointed in how unhelpful they are and how uninterested they seem: C

I’ve always wanted to try rock climbing and after seeing my gf post a picture on fb I thought I’d ask her and give the place a try.
Great amount of parking and spacious in the inside. Price is fair, $ 15 general admission and $ 5 extra for shoes. It was our first time for my friend and I and we did not get the shoes nor the harness which is another $ 25 extra I believe.
They have a several walls, by the entrance is about 4 – 5 walls for beginners or easier ones and in the back are for more of the advanced and expert. You can tell because the walls are totally declined. We tried the easy ones since it was our first time. After awhile your fingers start to hurt, almost like when you bend them they have a bit of cramp or small pain. I mean you are gripping these small rocks to climb up so that’s to be expected. They also have chalk for those that may have sweaty hands after. Towards the end my friend and I kept going on the same wall because it was easy yet still somewhat challenging. It’s a great workout to test your upper body strength and its fun.
I wish they had a few more walls for beginners and intermediate. For those wondering if you if you are a beginner but decide not to use harness, yes they do have a huge mattress so that you can fall safely. The whole floor is actually padded. I want to go back and try to climb up and down faster that my timing before