Boulderz Toronto Climbing Centre — Attraction in Toronto

I’ve been a member at Boulderz for years now, and have rarely provided any feedback, but in this specific instance I wanted to send a brief note recognizing one of your staff members.

I’ve known Jeremy for a number of years now, and I can definitively say that it is in large part due to his encouraging disposition, excellent route setting, and discerning sense of client management that I continue to remain a member at Boulderz. I primarily climb at the Junction location, a gym that—in the increasingly apparent commercialization of climbing as a mainstream sport—certainly has developed and retained its own unique culture of which its attendees both enjoy and are proud. Jeremy has, of course, a lengthy history at Boulderz (both as a member and then as staff), and from what I understand has a particular fondness for the Junction location. As such, it’s not surprising to us—the members—that Jeremy is known within our tight-knit community as something of a institution, without which the culture of the gym would devolve into something less than what it has become.

One of the significant draws of the Boulderz chain as a whole is the high quality route-setting. While Jeremy is by no means the only route-setter on staff that produces challenging and interesting blocs, he is the one—in my opinion—who most consistently provides me with the most opportunities to learn and iterate upon my skillset by climbing the problems he produces. The problems he sets are often apparent as uniquely his, and, as his skills as a route-setter have matured over time, an overarching pattern of the skills he wishes to introduce to climbers has developed. A great many of us at Junction in particular have had the opportunity to speak with Jeremy with some frequency as to his route-setting philosophy, and—speaking for myself and my friends—his willingness to discuss his process and engage with clients who provide feedback is refreshing.

Further, Jeremy approaches his dealings with the Boulderz clientele with kindness and (to lapse into a rather colloquial turn of phrase) extreme stoke. I, for one, can say that I am a far better climber than I once was in no small part due to Jeremy’s informal training and beta suggestions.

That is all to say, I don’t know what sort of recognition is available for management to give exceptional staff members, but in the subjective opinion of this single member, Jeremy is...

The community and space at this urban climbing gem/gym is so special and unique that I want to keep it hidden, but at the same time I can’t resist giving it the full 5-star review it deserves.

I strolled through the doors of Boulderz in the Junction back in October 2024 with virtually no climbing experience. I was just looking for a queer friendly space where I could get active again. Years of arthritis and chronic pain from travelling and working at a desk had set in. My wrists hurt too much to continue doing yoga or martial arts. My lower back and hips were too sore to walk, run, swim or kick. Halfway through the 2-week intro package the change in my body and mindset was set on course and I knew I was hooked on climbing and would become a member. It became my church and Boulderz my home gym.

Climbing for me organically blends physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual elements, together to offer up the perfect form of meditative, restorative and strengthening movement that is adaptable to any body approaching the wall in any state. It is a practice that is learned instinctively and naturally. The only goal is to start at the bottom and go up. There’s no right or wrong way to climb. There is no too fast or slow. There are techniques and terminology you can learn, if you want, and the staff at Boulderz are the most generous and knowledgeable as any I have ever found.

After a few months, my approach of just getting on the wall and climbing had reached its plateau. I adapted a fascia flossing practice into my warm up and rest intervals and the result has transformed me. Not only has my body been pain free for the first time since I was 16, it has been toned and strengthened better than any of the workout and diet programs that I reluctantly tried over the years.

I encourage anyone interested in climbing to try it out. I have now been to many other climbing gyms around the world and can say without a doubt that Boulderz in the Junction is special and I’m so happy to have it...

At the suggestion of a member of your staff, who was very kind and helpful, I am writing to pass on some feedback about your decision to change the format of the gym. Unfortunately, these changes are all for the worse.

By moving to a "spray wall" model that prioritizes use of the Stokt app, you actively discourage climbers, like myself, who come to the gym to get away from their screens and enjoy moving their bodies. I'm sad to say that the new approach—routes overlaid across each other all throughout the space—is all but impossible to use. I watched many people move around, visibly perplexed, trying to figure out where their routes were going.

None of this would be a problem if the routes were colour coded by hold colour, however; you'd simply be able to look at the app, see a colour ("That yellow V2" for example), and then trace it out yourself on the wall. However, the decision to make routes out of holds of all different colours eliminates this possibility. As someone who likes to make decisions quickly when flashing routes and pick my next path based on grading and hold style, I was not able to successfully complete a single climb yesterday. I gave up in frustration and spent my session in the weight room upstairs (which, I have to say, is much improved over what it was before).

The best I can say about the new app is that it is slick and easy to use. However, it also introduces unnecessary complexity where there is no need and, frankly, attempts to solve a problem that didn't exist.

I urge you to reconsider this approach to managing the routes and wall in your otherwise exemplary space. Unfortunately, it's not likely that I would return to Boulderz—or recommend it to anyone—based on these new changes. Your staff member indicated that she has received similar feedback from other climbers.

I mourn the loss of the old Boulderz, and I don't...