Triangle Rock Club - Morrisville — Attraction in Morrisville

I've shopped far and wide, and this is by far my least-favorite gym in the country.

First and foremost, their membership initiation fee reveals a heartlessness in their entire model. They charge $75 for you to begin to buy monthly memberships for $75 a month. That's right - if you want to try out this gym for a month, you have to pay $150. Now, it gets even better. My boss at Duke fell ill with cancer after I was there for only two months ($225). When she passed away, I terminated my account because I didn't know if I'd still have a job and I didn't want to pay to freeze an account (for all I knew, I'd have to move away). Then, 9 months later, I manage to make my way back to Durham and re-visit TRC. Guess what? That's right - they insist on charging another $75 initiation fee, so my first month would again be $150, for a grand total of $375 for 3 months of membership. When I wrote their membership director about this, she basically said "That sucks, but we can't waive the membership initiation fee."

Now, what do you get for $375?

Injurious route setting, large crowds, and heartless treatment that poisons the community that climbing gyms should be nourishing.

The route-setting is injurious - I've encountered more spinning holds in this gym than some of the most dilapidated gyms I've ever been to, they frequently set routes intended for tall male contortionists (women and folk of average height and flexibility need not apply), they frequently use sharp holds that discourage really going-for-it, and they rarely pay attention to the security of the clipping stance for lead climbers.

The crowds are large, and often filled with kids and people who don't understand the severity of climbing. In the short time I was there, I've been cruxed out bouldering with kids running around underneath me and the climbing staff laughing at the kids' behavior; I've been lead belaying and had people both interrupt me ("hey, what's this route like? what's the route next to it like?") and stand in between me and the wall.

I'm saying all of this in a pure, honest assessment. There's so much cool lead climbing at Pilot, Moore's wall, Looking Glass, Linville, Obed, the NRG and beyond - it's not worth it for a devoted climber to put up with the injurious, crowded, heartless mayhem of TRC that sucks the psyche out of the climber. If you're a real climber who likes to climb outside, go to Progression and you'll meet a community of strong, happy and devoted climbers spotting each other and laughing, getting to know each other and planning for their next big trip outside.

If you're a church group or a parent throwing a birthday party that doesn't know better and want to give your money to a bunch of swearing heathens with the compassion of a rabid wolf, TRC is the...

It's hard to write a critical review since this is the only real gym option in the area, but here are my honest thoughts after 3 years of membership:

1. The route setting cycle needs to be dramatically shortened. There are still numerous routes in the lead area that were set back in 2017 (As of 3/15/18). I love to climb but often find myself leaving the gym out of boredom rather than exhaustion. It's hard to stay motivated and train if you've done the same routes over and over again.
2. The gym needs to figure out an effective system for pairing up solo climbers who are looking for belay partners. They have a wrist-band system but I have yet to see it actually work. I know that there is a meetup group but I think an informal system for regular walk-ins should be implemented.
3. The music is terrible. Truly terrible. They have a rock-bot app that allows members to request songs, but in practice it turns into a painful mishmash of Skrillex, Abba, Coldplay, Tiesto, and then Journey. No joke, that was the lineup one night. Go ahead and play Abba all night long, but please just give us a theme of some kind.
4. There are often children running around unsupervised, sometimes dangerously so. I've seen multiple kids nearly get crushed while running under people who were bouldering above them. I understand that this facility has multiple user groups, but please do a better job of managing this during peak week-day hours.
5. Gym management needs to better manage their facility scheduling, particularly with regards to the youth climbing team. I'm a huge fan of youth climbing teams and I'm very impressed with the level of coaching this team gets. But scheduling their practice/training sessions during the peak 5-8pm weekday hours should be looked at. The gym is already packed during this time, and having a group of 10-20 team members taking over a wall during that time seems sub-optimal. If no other feasible time window exists, perhaps "reserve" a few routes for team practice during that time and notify members ahead of time, similar to how a pool has reserved lanes for swim team practice. Right now the entire scene on a weekday evening is quite chaotic and unpleasant to be around.

I hope this gym can reduce the chaotic vibe that currently exists on weekday evenings. I'm a fan of the route setting (aside from the frequency) and I think this gym has a lot...

An unforgettable family adventure!

Our first visit to Triangle Rock Club in Morrisville was absolutely phenomenal. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism. The tour of the facility was thorough, and the staff took the time to patiently walk us through safety protocols and equipment—making us feel confident and cared for every step of the way.

We spent a fun-filled Sunday morning climbing, laughing, and bonding as a family. Our boys had the best time and haven’t stopped talking about it since. It’s rare to find an activity that’s both physically engaging and emotionally rewarding, and this hit the mark perfectly.

Special shoutout to Ayres—he was truly exceptional. His encouragement, patience, and positive energy made a huge impression on all of us. He didn’t just help us climb; he elevated the entire experience. Ayres is the kind of person who makes you feel like you belong, even on your first visit. Triangle Rock Club is lucky to have him.

The entire staff was kind, respectful, and clearly passionate about what they do. Beyond the climbing itself, we were struck by the sense of community—meeting other like-minded folks and feeling instantly welcomed. Triangle Rock Club is a first-class operation, and the ownership deserves major kudos for bringing such a unique and high-quality offering to the area.

We can’t wait to come back. If you’re looking for a memorable, family-friendly adventure with top-notch people and a great...