Go Vertical

This was a fantastic spot for a climbing party! We came for my sister’s bachelorette party and everyone had a great time. They assigned our group a generous three staff members (all of whom were friendly, knowledgeable, and easy going) for 13 climbers – enough that they kept us climbing a LOT – and made sure everyone got to the top at least once.
Clean gym and the free, reserveable party room was a plus. Everything was easy to arrange over the phone.
I’ve only climbed a handful of times before this but I really liked the routes – tons of options and a good few that were manageable next steps for a fit-​but-​novice climber. Wish I still lived in Philly, but I may be back on my next visit home!

Decided to go with a group of friends to go climbing. We are all new to the sport. Our instructor Christopher was patient knowledgeable and friendly. We had a amazing time and highly recommend. Best use of a Saturday morning with friends. Got our exercise and cardio in. Next-​door neighbors to yards brewery.

great space to try rock climbing. I haven’t done this sport in over 10 years so I was pretty nervous. The staff here are super friendly and helpful. Also you can’t beat the price!
The walls are challenging but the environment is great so just take your time and you won’t regret it!
The facilities could use a little sprucing up but hey, that’s kind of the look they’re going for I think haha. I also wish they had a parking lot!

I used to come here regularly for a solid 4 months. Keep in mind that 3 stars isn’t that bad of a rating.
The reason I had to give my old gym a 3 stars is because I had one nasty encounter with the owner, although this was over two years ago (I’m a tad bit petty). I’m not going to delve into what happened, but it did leave a permanent impression, despite having a membership years later. Everyone else was chill, though. Aside from that, it’s insignificant, but the holds were kinda old (pretty slippery) and seemed unwashed. I have only gotten flappers here. The good thing is, the gym sets the routes quite frequently. Last time I went, the new problems are getting more interesting/​creative now. Another thing I didn’t particularly like is the lack of extra crash pads besides the padded floor that a lot of other gyms provide. As a result, I had a mental block in trying higher grades (for bouldering). The price is a little pricey, but it is in a convenient location near the Spring Garden station on the Market-​Frankford Line and next to Yards for beer/​food.
On a more positive note, this gym is /​the balls/​for lead climbing and top roping. There are sooooo many routes that go up to 50 ft. I know some people complain about the ropes being old, but you should notify the staff members to inspect the ropes if you feel unsafe. There’s also two nifty auto-​belayers as well. The grading at this gym is not soft at all. Also, again, the rest of the staff members are chill. If there’s one thing I miss, it’s traversing across the gym’s wall. Oh! And they have lockers! They’ll rent you a lock with a key if you give them collateral!
Also, it’s pretty crowded up in this jawn after 5 PM everyday. If you’re looking for people to climb with, don’t be shy and just introduce yourself; every Tuesday and another day (I forgot), people from
conjugate and climb.together.

This weekend we had our daughter’s 10^th birthday party at Go Vertical with 7 girls between the ages of 5 – 11. All of the girls had different skill level and experience and they all had a blast. Our belayers, Jordan and Patrick, were fantastic with the girls, taught them about climbing while encouraging them with each climb. It was an amazing way to show these young warriors how strong and smart they are. We used the small party room for water and a few snacks. Our daughter wants me to learn how to belay so she can go back more frequently.
The facilities were clean and well kept, the staff is friendly and the other climbers courteous.

Really nice having a rock climbing gym in Philly. It’s a great place to meet new people. As a new philly resident, it was nice to meet strangers that share an interest.
Be warned, the rating is about one grade higher than what you may be used to, and the routes seem to be put up haphazardly. It’d be nice to have routes that are set to work on certain techniques, but it’s better than nothing.
It’s strictly a climbing gym with primarily top rope, a couple auto belays, some sport, and a few bouldering.
The price is fair. Give it a try. It’s a fun way to spend 2 – 3 hours.

I’m giving it a third star because people were friendly but I have many complaints. I have been to many gyms around the country and this is easily the worst rock climbing I’ve encountered.
Ventilation was terrible so the gym was musty and smelled like feet (as a climber I know this is just part of the package but rarely do I find that a gym so easily imitates what I imagine it would feel like to be trapped inside my own climbing bag).
Routes were the anti fun. I know they rate way lower than equivalent places so a 9 is really a 10 or more, but the real issue is the climbability and how well it flows and what kind of moves you need. No flow, no interesting balance moves, no fun! Setters should try to be a little more intentional. Also too many slopers. Throw some crimps in why don’t you.
Everything was super expensive. I have to pay for the day pass, harness and 3 different beaners? All in a gym that smells like toe jam?
Finally — the locking mechanism. I HATE when gyms try to oversimplify the belayers responsibility. I get you want to be safe — so I understand a gri gri but not having a climber tie in is setting them up for failure in any other climbing endeavor.
Overall — if you’re looking for your taste into climbing and are planning on doing this sport only once just to try — go vertical. It’s totally perfect for the casual/​vacation climber. If you live for climbing and plan on spending 3 days a week in a gym — I suggest you move out of Philadelphia.

I have been to a few indoor climbing gyms across the country. This was by far the largest and the safest. Upon entering I was immediately greeted by very friendly and informative front desk staff. We were given an intro into the different routes for bouldering and traversing and pretty quickly I was on my way. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to climb in the Philadelphia area.

I went on a day where we were expecting some inclement weather. It was great that they were still open and everyone there was nice. I called two weeks prior to arrange for a surprise party. When we arrived everything was ready and everyone had a great time. We all can’t wait to go back!

we went with 12 people on a Thursday morning, so no crowds at all. The staff was beyond helpful since only one or two of us had ever been climbing before. They were friendly and made is feel very safe. I was the oldest of the group (52) and never climbed before and have a low level fear of heights. I was estatic after I reached my first 35 ft peak! We will return,

Tonight my husband and I went with a friend to Go Vertical for the first time (well for us at this location). My husband and our friend are experienced climbers and each had their own gear. I was the newbie but quickly caught on after watching them do some runs and show me the ropes (pun intended). The place was PACKED but we still had free reign to do any runs we wanted without any interruption. The space was clean and everyone we interacted with was really friendly.
I think after this experience we will both be investing in the couples monthly membership ($ 125/​month). The only reason why they don’t get 5 Stars is because of parking – which is a NIGHTMARE. We drove around for at least 15 minutes trying to find a spot and had to park wayyyyyy out on Frankford near Girard. It was really discouraging at first (because it’s only about 25 degrees outside) but ultimately we had a great experience once inside. I will say that I wouldn’t feel safe necessarily had I not been walking with two dudes back to my car.
Overall we will be back!

This place was my very first experience with indoor rock climbing. I went with a group of people and there wasn’t a single one out of the 8 of us who had done this before. The two gentlemen assigned to belay for us were SO nice (can I use real names here?)
They really took their time with us explaining everything from how to properly get into the harness to how get a good hold and even how the route setter prepared the ‘routes’ going up.
As a work out, be prepared to sweat, my forearms were on fire after the second trip up — I need a lot more upper body strength.
All of us had a really good time and I can check this off my bucket list. I don’t have a big fear of heights, but I did not go to the highest point possible — simply couldn’t get over a certain point mentally. There was one fella who climbed all the way up there & literally everyone was watching him. That will probably never be me, but for my skill/​comfort level, I had a great time. The staff really took care of us and I’m working on my forearm strength for a future trip.

I still like GV a lot, but there is definitely room for improvement. The routes are changed with good frequency, but the holds should be replaced/​cleaned more frequently. Grading and route setting can be hit or miss depending on who set it. I would love to see the gym open early at least one weekday.
Most of all, the gym would do well to be a bit more democratic: there are a lot of people with good insight, advice and recommendations. I would love to see managment take initiative and reach out to members for suggestions on how to improve.

Who knew there was a rock climbing wall in the city! We usually go to the one NJ, so this one is right on Delaware Ave close to the Blue Line. The walls are huge and there are tons of options and challenges. Great for first timers as well as experienced climbers since there are so many options. We had an instructor with us the whole time, but you can get certified to belay on the site. The cost is about $ 20 with your own equipment, or $ 28 with all equipment which is pretty good. Great place to try out for something new to do with friends!

Great workout. Spacious, though sometimes pretty crowded. Expensive without membership. Good people.
Go Vertical has been my climbing gym for about three years. Setters change routes after approximately three months, so new routes are frequently available. The regulars are very supportive, particularly on the bouldering and leading walls. I’m informed the ratings tend to be a little low (problems are harder than listed) though I don’t tend to find this troublesome. After the first time, if you’re interested in coming at least 4 times per month, buy the membership. I’ve noted many families and dates happening at GV so it’s fun for everyone! I dock a point for the lack weight room/​training wall. Hang boards are available, though they are placed in the middle of set routes. Cheers.

I am more and more pleased every time I return here. The staff is friendly and so are the people who climb here! It does get very full during peak hours but let me say that if you can sneak away for an mid-​morning climb, even early afternoon… the walls are open for climbing.
Buy your own gear, it will more than pay for itself. Cannot wait to return!

Dearest General Kalame,
It seems our scouts were right. We are going to have to move the attack to an earlier date. Yes, I know the bonobo clan wants more bananas to solidify an alliance but we have no choice. Give them the fucking bananas.
–Moko
—-
MOKO WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS OUTRAGE DO NOT TALK TO A SUPERIOR OFFICER LIKE HE NEEDS ORDERS THE ALLIANCE WILL BE SOLIDIFIED AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE 8!
—-
Honorable General Kalame,
I respect your authority but things have changed. Our spies have taken photos of a new development. I’ve sent them to your Blackberry. This should change your mind.
–Moko
—-
I DONT SEE ANY PHOTOS HERE IM SORRY I DIDNT TELL YOU I CHANGED NUMBERS AND HAVE AN IPHONE NOW HERE IS MY NEW NUMBER 34 420 031 456
—-
Righteous General Kalame,
Please check your iphone then.
–Moko
—-
THESE PHOTOS ARE FAKES HUMAN BEINGS CANNOT CLIMB WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?
—-
Heroic General Kalame,
This facility is real. It is called Go Vertical. The humans are using it to climb, just like we do. They have been training troops here for years now. Those emerging from this facility have superior strength, stamina, and climbing skills. We have to destroy this facility immediately if we want the war effort to succeed.
–Moko
—-
I SEE YOUR POINT I WILL RALLY THE TROOPS AT ONCE AS SOON AS I GET MY HAND IN THIS GLASS JAR TO RETRIEVE THIS BANANA
—-
Foolish General Kalame,
Don’t go for that banana! Don’t do it!
—-
Missing General Kalame,
Humans, if you are reading this on our leader’s iphone, then know that we are coming and we will kill you. We know how to read, write, and send text messages on iphones and Blackberries (but let’s face it, Blackberries are old news and many of our brothers have migrated to Google phones). Death to humans!

I have never been to a gym that has more routes below a 5.8 than here. Perfect for beginners. The height of the ceiling was pretty nice, a real test to endurance.
I was visiting a friend who just started climbing so he wanted to go and I didn’t have my gear so I rented. Ridiculously expensive rental gear. Come on charging for biners and an ATC? That should be included. Also weird that they don’t use gri gris and was questioned about using a backup safety knot when using the ATC. Odd.
The grading was beyond bizarre. They were significantly harder than what the grades should be. a 5.9+ /​5.10a were up there with 5.11s. And they had 5.5÷5.6÷5.7, which you rarely even see outdoors or at other gyms. I do like how they have +/​a/​b/​c/​d gradings. Not a lot of gyms do that. The top routes flowed ok, and bouldering was pretty nice.

Our good friend and fellow Unilocaler Lawrence K. asked my wife and I if we wanted to join them this past Saturday morning to go climbing. After the Elite event at Molly Malloy’s the night before I was a bit apprehensive but we agreed as we have never climbed before.
We were a party of 8 which is cheaper than a smaller party. The 2 hour time frame was more than enough time for us first timers. I parked in what I thought was their lot and was quickly told to park in the street as they did not own the lot. The front desk staff was friendly enough and we filled out the necessary paperwork and paid our admission. We were there from 11am to 1pm and it wasn’t too crowded. We were introduced to our Belayers and hopped into our harnesses.
We were lead to an easy wall to get the feel of climbing and all were shouting encouragement to each other in our group. We were then lead from easy to harder climbs and we had a blast. After about a hour and a half I thought my arms were going to fall off. Its Tuesday and I’m still feeling it but we had so much fun that I definitely want to return. If you are looking for something different get on over to Go Vertical and try it yourself.

I’ve taken a couple of first dates here for the 3 Supervised Climbs (top roping) and I really enjoyed killing my forearms (yeah, yeah I know I’m doing something wrong). But what’s even better is watching guys on a first date try to rock climb even though their muscles are dying. I had one doctor after reading and hesitantly signing the waiver ask me why people weren’t wearing helmets. Ummm. The same reason why you don’t wear a helmet while you’re going bowling– you have to really f’up to warrant one, dude.
It’s a great way to see what someone’s really like, so I love that Go Vertical offers this!