Momentum Indoor Climbing Millcreek — Attraction in Millcreek

I've always really liked Momentum, but my last trip secured it as my preferred climbing spot of the two large SLC gyms. The gym is large, colorful, beautiful, has high walls and many routes. Routes have expiration dates and seem to be rotated regularly. Though gyms are typically crowded in the "after work" time frame, Momentum's many routes ensured we could always see 2-5 top open top rope routes. There were many more available in the lead area, but some get to a difficulty(high 11, 12, 13) that exceed my endurance and abilities. But, that's a good thing if you're interested in progressing. The staff is friendly and are unobtrusive as they observe climbers for safety on the gym floor.

My wife and I take an annual skiing trip to the SLC area and climb most days after skiing. SLC area gyms don't provide lead ropes, so we've just top-roped for the past 3 trips. We finally brought our rope so that we could climb the beautiful and expansive "cathedral" area. First, we took our lead test, which was free (they don't usually charge their stated 5 dollar fee) and very chill. Some gyms are slaves to an inviolable checklist and seem to want to "weed people out". Our tester seemed more concerned that we were comfortable and unpressured so we could perform at our best. She asked a few upfront questions (the top 3 you MUST, necessarily, get right before passing lead), and then quietly observed that we worked well as partners, executed all the necessary checks and climbed/belayed proficiently. The test climb was a very reasonable and juggy 5.10a and they actually post nearly all of the information you need for the test right at the route's start. Clearly, if you are experienced and competent, they want to expedite getting you leading there. We climbed there 3 times in our six day trip and had a great time. If your body can handle it, there is nothing better than this warm, bright, inviting gym after a full day of being in the cold. I've never had any gripes with them, which is more than I can say for the Front (see my review if interested).

Of the several ways I've seen gyms handle route grades, I like the method Momentum uses the best. In the 5.10's and above, they use a, b, c and d grades. Some other gyms use minus (a or b) or plus (c or d) or a two grade range (a/b, b/c, or c/d). When I get to the top of ability, currently in the 5.11s, a single grade difference is huge to me so I really appreciate the specificity . Momentum also allows climbers to "vote" on the grade of new routes. I love that community input, though it would be nice if they attached a marker to the tag. Gyms who do that get a lot more votes and Momentum had few votes on most tags. Maybe I needed to ask for a marker at the front desk but, perhaps shame on me, I couldn't be bothered.

Side note: I read some other reviews, and I agree that some seemingly regular climbers take up the floor with their gear in the cathedral area. Also, some had their babies there. I think it's a legitimate concern but they do seem to choose the middle area that is safely away from overhang fall/lowering range. The only thing that made me uncomfortable was that someone left their baby/stroller near the cubbies and the baby was crying uncontrollably. There were a couple kids running around, but I saw the parents trying to control them. This is much better than my home gym (Vertical Endeavors, west Chicago suburbs) where kids run in dangerous herds and non-climber parents don't know enough to control them for everyone's safety. So, all I can say is "it...

It was my first time here. The staff explained everything to me and were very helpful. I signed up for the new pass and spent about an hour in the bouldering area. It is really amazing. The routes are challenging and there are lots of them.

I also found the other climbers there were very friendly and talked to me, which was really cool. Everyone seemed to be safe and were respectful of other people's space.

You can tell that lots of pros train here. They have everything! They had equipment I didn't even know what it was. World champions train here.

Cleanliness - I found the whole place to be very clean. Restrooms and locker rooms were clean, which is pretty amazing considering the size Of the space and number of people who come and go every day.

Parking - lots of easy parking.

Safety - felt like a very safe place to me. There were kids and adults and everyone interacted well.

Men and women - I saw nearly as many women climbers as men at this location (By the REI off the 215) so if you are a female worried that it is going to be all dudes.... not so.

Age ranges. I saw every age range there. I am 48 and saw some people older than me and there were kids that were probably under ten and every age in between. I would say the biggest age group was probably 30-40 in men and women.

Newbies - i am totally new, so it is always intimidating walking into a new giant space. But I found it easy to ask other climbers questions and when I was struggling with a route (problem), I could invariably sit back and someone would come by, climb that route, and I could see how they did it and then follow what i saw, which was really helpful. There is no doubt in my mind that if you asked anyone standing around to help you solve a route, they would jump right in to help guide you.

This experience reminded me of taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.... you are super intimidated to go at all, but then once you do, you are shocked by how friendly, open, helpful, and ego free the people are.

Anyway, if you are looking for bouldering, climbing instruction, or an amazing indoor climbing experience in Salt Lake City - Momentum is really an...

Had one of the most horrendous interview experiences I've ever gone through at Momentum Millcreek. I had applied and then suffered an unfortunate injury, I broke my jaw and had to have it wired shut. I was contacted by Momentum as they had seen my resume and were intrigued. They then proceeded to invite me to a group interview and insisted they would accommodate my injury and ensuing medical status (being unable to talk out loud). When I showed up, they had completely forgotten and made me go through the process with the rest of the group. So I wrote my responses on my phone and passed them for the managers to read so I could be understood by all. During this time, they repeatedly called me by the wrong name and took creative liberties reading from my notes. I've never walked out of an interview so appalled, but I really wanted to work there so I tried to shrug it off. Also during that interview, the general manager mentioned that my timeline for recovery would actually work well on their end, which made me feel hopeful as I am aware that not being able to speak is an impediment in the industry. I then received an email from a different manager asking me if they could ask me more questions. Sure, of course. Those questions never came and when I inquired further they told me they were not willing to hire me at this time. I understand that sometimes things don't work out for any number of reasons, but to put someone with a brutal injury and (social anxiety because of it) through that process, lead them on, then write them an extremely impersonal email saying "no thanks," is one of the least empathetic treatments I've received from a potential employer. At the end of the day it's a bullet dodged, but I would encourage anyone looking to work here to seek opportunities elsewhere. I thought, they can't possibly be as bad as The Front, but time and again I'm reminded how these people hiring at these institutions don't have to care about you in the slightest, because there is always another bright eyed outdoor enthusiast they can prey on after they treat you...