I recently shared some feedback with Climbing Lab and was genuinely surprised by the quick and thorough response from the owner. Not only did they reply promptly, but their message was incredibly thoughtful and professional. They addressed all of my concerns, offered explanations, and even recognised areas for improvement. In the end, they made sure everything was sorted to our satisfaction.

After taking a moment to think it over, I realised my initial 2-star review was a bit harsh. I also noticed I didn't quite express one point as clearly as I should have, which I've now corrected. I decided to keep my original review here because I believe how a company handles feedback says a lot about their values.

Looking back, I should have given the centre a 3 or 4-star rating from the start. It's a solid place with great routes and facilities, and I shouldn't have let the frustration of our journey impact my judgment. So, I've updated my review to a well-deserved 5 stars. The center truly is fantastic, and the exceptional customer service and integrity of the owner shine through.

I know this update is a bit scattered, but I wanted to share my thoughts quickly and fairly.

Original Review This is quite a difficult review to write. We live in the Northeast but drive around various areas to climb and train and as such our recent visit to Climbing Lab left us feeling quite disappointed and frustrated. Despite the promising pictures and information on their website and social media about the Power Tunnel, our experience fell short of expectations.

We called ahead, completed online forms, and even confirmed details on the morning of our visit, only to find out upon arrival that the Power Tunnel required an assessment for under 18s, a detail left out of their online information, waiver forms and our phone conversations.

After starting our climb to warm up, we noticed signs next to the Power Tunnel area indicating the need for assessment. When we inquired at the reception, we were informed that no one would be available that day to conduct the assessment. This essentially rendered our trip and visit pointless, as the primary reason for our visit was to train roof sections on the Power Tunnel.

Communication at the reception was a little lacking; we were only informed about the top out boulder restrictions and not about the Power Tunnel being off-limits at the time of booking in and paying.

While the setting and range of problems were commendable, the prevalence of high starts was also challenging for shorter climbers, although there were shorter reach problems in most grades ... it is clear some thought has at least been put to this in parts. Additionally, the gym area is also off-limits for under 18s, which was disappointing as we couldn't carry out any of our usual S&C.

Moreover, a climbing centre of this size typically has a pull-up bar available outside of the gym area, which was noticeably absent. So we couldn't even work any pull up variations as a finisher. These amenities are important for climbers of all ages and abilities and having an area to do pull ups is useful.

Most of the staff were friendly, and the parking situation was good. However, the overall experience was marred by the lack of information regarding the Power Tunnel and the restrictions for under 18s. This is particularly galling (and expensive) when driving big distances to train.

In the future, I hope Climbing Lab can improve its communication regarding restricted areas and ensure that visitors are well-informed before making a trip. This would greatly enhance the experience for all climbers, particularly those traveling from a distance.

I'll probably reach out direct to them via email or phone as no senior staff appeared to be on site and will update this review if there is further info to add. Just a heads up for anyone who has younger climbers that may be thinking of coming here.