First Ascent Block 37
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
First Ascent Block 37 provides a top-tier bouldering experience for a wide range of skill levels, from beginners to advanced climbers, in a very clean and well-maintained facility. It offers excellent natural light, city views, and comprehensive fitness amenities including free weights and cardio equipment. Parents can expect friendly staff and useful perks like free locker service, making it an ideal choice for active families with older children or teens who are serious about climbing and fitness.
Key Highlights
- ✓Excellent bouldering problems with diverse routes, styles (e.g., slab problems), and a clear V-grade system for all abilities.
- ✓Consistently praised for very kind, helpful, and friendly staff.
- ✓Facility is very well-kept, clean, and all amenities (including equipment) are fully functional.
- ✓Features great natural light and impressive city views from within the gym.
- ✓Offers comprehensive fitness facilities, including an ample free weights area (barbells, dumbbells, machines) and cardio equipment.
- ✓Provides free locker service for storing belongings securely.
Standout Features
- ⭐**Diverse Bouldering Challenges:** Wide variety of interesting problems with excellent setting, appealing to various styles and abilities, including rare slab problems and the use of V-grades for precise skill progression.
- ⭐**Integrated Fitness Amenities:** Beyond climbing, the gym has a well-equipped free weights area (barbells, dumbbells, machines) and cardio machines, allowing for a comprehensive workout.
- ⭐**Conducive Environment:** Features ample natural light and city views, with available tables for breaks, studying, or remote work.
- ⭐**Free Locker Service:** A practical and budget-friendly amenity for securing personal items.
- ⭐**Engaging & Responsive Staff:** Staff are consistently described as helpful and friendly, enhancing the overall experience.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →**Consider a Sunday Midday Visit:** Based on one review, the gym was 'not too packed' midday on a Sunday, suggesting a potentially less crowded experience.
- →**Utilize the Free Lockers:** Parents and teens can take advantage of the complimentary locker service for their belongings.
- →**Bring Full Workout Gear:** The extensive weights and cardio equipment mean parents can plan for a complete gym workout in addition to bouldering.
- →**Great for Multitasking:** Parents accompanying older children or teens can utilize the available tables for remote work or studying.
- →**Good for Progression:** Climbers looking to track their progress will appreciate the V-grade system used for problems.
Things to Consider
- ⚠No specific concerns reported in the provided reviews.
Price & Value
The gym offers free locker service, which adds value. While no specific pricing was mentioned, the high quality of bouldering routes (including specific styles and V-grades), comprehensive gym amenities, and well-maintained facility suggest a good value for money for serious climbers and fitness enthusiasts.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility features or accommodations were mentioned in the provided reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No information regarding food and drink policies was mentioned in the provided reviews.
🚗Parking Info
- •No information regarding parking facilities was mentioned in the provided reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Reported as 'not too packed, but had regulars there, for midday during a Sunday,' suggesting manageable crowds during this specific time.
🛡️Safety Features
- •The facility is consistently described as 'very well-kept' and having 'all facilities working well,' implying a commitment to maintenance and functional equipment, which contributes to a safe environment. No specific active safety protocols (e.g., staff monitoring, first aid stations) were detailed in the reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • **Families with Young Children (under 12-13 years):** The reviews do not indicate specific facilities (e.g., soft play, dedicated kids' areas, specific programming) or supervision suitable for younger children. The focus appears to be on bouldering problems and general gym amenities for older, more independent users.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
2 Week Trial
N/ADuration: 2 weeks
Try Climbing with no Commitment. Explore everything the gym has to offer from Vinyasa Yoga Classes to meetups and more. All without any commitment.
Includes:
- •Free Gear Rental
- •Yoga & Fitness Classes
- •Learning to Boulder Classes
Individual Monthly Membership
$94/moDuration: Monthly
Most popular and most flexible individual membership option.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Individual Annual Membership
$1034Duration: Annual
Best value for individual membership.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Student Monthly Membership
$84/moDuration: Monthly
Most popular student option for full-time students.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Student Annual Membership
$924Duration: Annual
Best value for student membership.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Child Add On Membership
$50/moDuration: Monthly
Add a child to an existing adult monthly membership.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Family Monthly Membership
$199/moDuration: Monthly
Most popular family option, includes up to 2 adults and all children in the same household.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Family Annual Membership
$2189Duration: Annual
Best value for family membership, includes up to 2 adults and all children in the same household.
Includes:
- •Access to all First Ascent locations
- •World-class climbing terrain for all ability levels
- •5 free gear rentals
- •20% off a Starter Bundle (to get your own gear)
- •FREE Learning The Ropes class
- •FREE Learning To Boulder class
- •Weekly routesetting
- •Full schedule of yoga & fitness classes
- •Fully-stocked fitness area
- •FA Bonus rewards program
- •Free guest passes for first-time visitors (earns reward points)
- •Special member pricing on all paid Climbing Classes, Yoga and Fitness workshops, Climbing Training programs, and more
- •Fun events and meetups
Group Event / Birthday Party (Up to 10 climbers)
$450Duration: 2 hours
Two-hour climbing session in a dedicated area with instructors, and space for celebration. Bouldering only at Block 37.
Includes:
- •Dedicated climbing area
- •Friendly instructors (age-appropriate ratio)
- •Dedicated party space
- •All climbing gear
- •Television with HDMI cable
Group Event / Birthday Party (11-15 climbers)
$675Duration: 2 hours
Two-hour climbing session in a dedicated area with instructors, and space for celebration. Bouldering only at Block 37.
Includes:
- •Dedicated climbing area
- •Friendly instructors (age-appropriate ratio)
- •Dedicated party space
- •All climbing gear
- •Television with HDMI cable
Group Event / Birthday Party (16-20 climbers)
$900Duration: 2 hours
Two-hour climbing session in a dedicated area with instructors, and space for celebration. Bouldering only at Block 37.
Includes:
- •Dedicated climbing area
- •Friendly instructors (age-appropriate ratio)
- •Dedicated party space
- •All climbing gear
- •Television with HDMI cable
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Group Events & Birthday Parties at Block 37
Friday 5:30-7:30 PM, Sunday 2:00-4:00 PM, 5:00-7:00 PM
Up to 10 climbers: $450; 11-15 climbers: $675; 16-20 climbers: $900
A two-hour group event package including a fun bouldering session in a dedicated area, friendly instructors, and a private party space to meet, celebrate, and hang out. All climbing gear is included. Bouldering only at Block 37. Maximum 20 climbers.
🍎Food Policy
- • Food and drinks are not included in group event packages, but outside food is welcome.
- • Each location has a refrigerator available for use in party spaces.
- • Alcohol is not permitted for group events or birthday parties.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Everyone who enters First Ascent must complete a waiver.
- • Parents or legal guardians must complete a waiver on behalf of participants under the age of 18.
- • Email verification is required as part of the waiver process.
- • Climbing shoes are required for both roped climbing and bouldering.
- • A harness is required for using auto belays (Avondale only).
- • Belay checks are required for top rope and lead climbing (Avondale only). Wait time is typically 15 minutes.
- • Auto belays can be used after a brief orientation.
- • Bouldering involves climbing shorter routes with a cushy pad for protection; no harness or rope required.
📅Booking Policy
- • Group event payment is due in full at the time of booking via online portal.
- • For group events, guests are permitted to access their party room 15 minutes prior to the booking window for setup.
- • Monthly EFT memberships are charged on the 1st of every month and require a credit card on file.
- • Annual memberships are paid in full at the time of sign up.
- • All Monthly EFT memberships require a credit or debit card on file; cash payment is not accepted for these.
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 7 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Sean Bready
a month agoMy Friend who is a member decided to take my girlfriend and I to join him and his girlfriend. Space was very easy to navigate and wasn’t too packed, but had regulars there, for midday during a Sunday. The space offers a lot of routes for varying degrees of difficulty as well as has a nice assortment of weights to use for warming up to strengthen and condition. The views are great and bring a lot of natural light into the facility.
Alexander Sofronas
a month agoExcellent bouldering problems and very kind staff, highly recommend!
Katherine Slattery
7 months agoI went here when I was visiting my friend who lives in the area and I was quite impressed by this rock climbing gym. They have many different levels of bouldering you can try. In addition, the gym has such a nice view of the city. There is also a free weights area and some cardio machine. The free weights area has ample equipment, with barbells, dumbbells, and a few machines. There are also a few tables and you could take a break to do some studying or remote work if you wanted.
Tim T
2 months agoStopped by while in town for a conference. Excellent gym. Wide variety of interesting problems with excellent setting. The problems will appeal to those with varying styles and abilities. (Personally, I love slab, and found lots of great slab problems, which is rare at most bouldering gyms). Also very glad to see they are using V-grades instead of the color/spectrum/circuits style grading that many bouldering gyms are using now. Many other amenities including weights, cardio equipment, etc. I would certainly get a membership here if I were local.
沈宗豪Matthew Sim Tzong Haur
5 months agoThe place is very well-kept and all the facilities are working well. The gym also offers free locker service which is very useful for someone with low budget and work-out alone. There are plenty of routes of various bouldering grades spread around the gym. Finally the staff was helpful and friendly. I really enjoyed my time at FA! Definitely going back when I can!