Basecamp Climbing Bloor West — Attraction in Toronto

Just like it’s other location both gyms have extremely friendly & helpful staff. Affordable rates, rentals available, introduction and advanced level lessons….

Basecamp is by far my favourite gym in the entire city and I’ll tell you why.

The gym it self although it’s most certainly not the largest in terms of size. They make up for it in-terms by having an exceptionally well planned wall layout and overall design utilizing. Two of its main exterior walls for dedicated roped climbing & adjoining those two main exterior walls with a large central four sided pillar with a tall archway. They have truly created a simply marvellous & diverse gym.

The location is absolutely perfect in terms of accessibility. As it’s just steps away from Christie station, nestled in-between all the various shops and restaurants that Bloor St. west has to offer.

I’ve been coming here for over a month now & I’m just simply blown away by the design and shape of all the walls. Ranging from Slabs to Vertical to overhangs, Roofs, & Arches. Along with the variety of routes ranging from fun 5.7’s to very challenging 5.12’s. Moreover the frequency of which those routes are being set. Almost feels like every two weeks there’s some new routes to try. & Its awesome……

Also for every top rope climb there is also the option to climb the same route on lead most gyms have a separate dedicated lead climbing area it’s a great utilization of space and offers something for all skill levels to thoroughly enjoy

The other great thing about this gym or basecamp in general is that the membership is transferable between both locations so if your in the mood to climb some lead, top rope, or auto belay you can go to this location. If your in the mood to project some bouldering problems you can go over to the queen and Spadina location it’s great having a gym like basecamp in the heart of Toronto with multiple locations to choose from.

This location also has second floor loft with a moderately sized bouldering wall with a vertical section, slab section, and a larger overhanging section in the middle. With a great variety holds volumes and features & various routes ranging from V0’s all the way up to V8’s

Lastly this location also hosts great semi informal events promoting inclusiveness & acceptance to all of its community members and gym members alike. It’s really great to see that a gym is actively engaging with its community and providing a safe space, for all to...

I’ve been climbing at Basecamp since 2017 and it’s still one of my favourite gyms in the city. It has top rope on the main floor and a whole bouldering section upstairs, so there’s always something to do whether I’m climbing with a partner or just want to do my own thing. The space is super versatile and easy to navigate, even during busier times.

When I started I had never climbed before, I signed up for the intro lesson and was instantly hooked. The staff made it super easy and fun to get into, and everyone’s always been really friendly and welcoming. I remember being kind of intimidated at first, but the vibe at Basecamp was so relaxed and encouraging that it didn’t take long to feel comfortable. Over the years, I’ve met so many great people here. It’s got a really solid community vibe, which I find is something that not every gym has. Whether you come in with friends or solo, everyone is so friendly it’s easy to connect with others.

The route setting is great too. I’m on the shorter side and sometimes find climbs at other gyms can feel reachy or awkward, but at Basecamp the setting feels thoughtful and fair. There’s a good variety of styles, and I always find something that challenges me without being discouraging. The grading is consistent, and I actually feel like I can trust it and track my progress, which is super motivating.

There are also four auto-belays, which are handy if I’m climbing solo, or waiting for my partner to show up. It’s a great option that not every gym offers, and I use them all the time.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences here over the years. The space is well-kept, the staff are awesome, and the climbs are always fresh and interesting. Whether you're brand new or have been climbing for a while, they have a huge variety of difficulty. Also bonus points for the location, it’s in a great neighbourhood with tons of cafes and food spots. My climbing partner and I always go for mango smoothies across the street, it’s basically a post-climb tradition now.

If you’re thinking about trying climbing or looking for a new gym to check out, I’d definitely...

My second time at basecamp, first time was an ehh experience but this time was a bad experience so it’s worth writing a review so hopefully things can change to make it a better climbing gym.

Routes for lead are not designed very well, a lot of the holds are positioned right unerneath the quickdraws so you get caught up in them.

The staff member I dealt with for the lead test was very knowledgeable but it was not pleasant to talk to. He would talk to me in a condescending manner and then a memeber would talk to him and he would be very respectful to him/her.

Weird thing they make you do it stand directly under the first clip when you are belaying your partner for lead. Every other gym I have been to allowed and even recommend to walk back and forth as it helps give out slack at times. This also helps watching your partner so if they fall you can see that they are falling but if you stand under the first clip on an overhang you can’t see that they are falling so the reaction time is even slower.

Also I don’t know about anyone else but when I got taught to fix a Z clip you just unclip the bottom clip and clip it back to the rope. Here they want you to undo the top clip and let go and clip it again. As far as I know it’s super dangerous to do that because all the slack that was created. I told the guy that and all he said something like then your belayer is not doing there job and referenced the rules about clipping every clip even though you can just clip the bottom clip back in.

Did my lead test and passed and luckily I rembered that it was just a deposit and you have to ask for it back as they don’t automatically give it back or even remind you that you can get your deposite back after the test is done.

Most of the other climbers where fine but a couple would just climb right next to you and did not care that there route intersect with yours.

I was there for 3 hours today I did not see one staff member walk around to make sure everyone is following the rules and being safe.

Overall just a rude staff member and that ruined my...