I went to the Hive Vancouver as a complete beginner to climbing. I thought their introduction to bouldering class would be good since it teaches you the basics and also includes a 2 week membership, with rentals, to discover if you actually enjoy bouldering.

The class itself was fine, we learned the basics of safety and simple technique in a secluded spot away from the main area, then went off into the gym to practice what we had learned.

This is where I feel the Hive really lacks and is the reason I will not be extending my two week membership. As many people have mentioned, the gym is very busy, basically at all convenient times. Sure, it may not be busy during typical work hours, but as a person who works 9-5, it basically means it's always busy for me. I am not opposed to busy places, in fact most regular gyms you go to are always busy as well, but in this setting it is quite intimidating as a beginner.

The issue I had is that the Hive has no real way to encourage a beginner to learn and improve. The gym has no beginner area, rather the entire gym can have extremely difficult routes right next to extremely easy routes. As a complete novice in a very busy gym full of what appeared to be expert climbers, I was left totally intimidated. In order for me to climb one of the easiest routes, I would often have to make experienced climbers wait (since the routes often overlap, you can't both climb at the same time). I would be totally embarrassed when I couldn't even complete the super simple routes, to the point I felt really awkward.

You are told to just jump in when someone is finished climbing, which you basically have to do as it's so busy and usually a couple of people are waiting for the same route. There are also many, many people loitering around at any given time, most of them sat or stood watching you climb. Again as a beginner, I couldn't have felt more intimidated. Due to this, when I was climbing I felt pressured and rushed, with no time to focus on technique. It got to the point that I was so uncomfortable climbing in front of experienced people, that I would circle the gym looking for a quiet spot, but there never was any. The gym is just too busy!

I went three times in total and half way through my third visit I just decided it wasn't for me. I never grew comfortable with the setup they had there and spent more than half my time wandering around looking for a quiet spot. While the facilities are certainly great, it seems set up for experienced climbers. I didn't notice too many beginners there in all honesty, and I can see why. The place is very intimidating to a newcomer to climbing. Also, it is quite expensive if you are simply pursuing it out of curiosity. At around $100 a month it's not something you might keep paying for the odd time you go, it's really only passionate climbers that will pay that fee, which is probably why I didn't see many beginners.

If I had one piece of advice, it would be to set up a separate area with easy climbs for beginners to practice on without feeling intimidated or pressured.