Ape Index Rock Climbing Gym — Attraction in Peoria

Best Part: The Walls & Equipment - Lots of different paths with different levels of difficulty; used brand name climbing equipment Worst Part: Atmosphere - 2 Main problems: 1) No A/C in 113 degree weather is miserable! 2) It was uncomfortable being a "non-expert" climber.

We went in with a groupon, and it was pretty effortless to get in and get equipped. The safety tour was thorough and well-done, even if the staff member was less than enthused about doing it. There were tons of possible walls to climb, and they even had two self-belay options, which was great! The available walls were perfect for beginners and still difficult for experts. However, there were multiple times where more "expert" climbers climbed over me (apparently they wanted to climb where I was trying and I wasn't going fast enough). The most annoying part was that there was a group of hippie experts that camped out at the best part of the place, and made it impossible for anyone else to use the easy paths of it. Even though they weren't using it the whole time, they still staked their claim, and therefore I never got a chance to try it. It was more than annoying when I realized that one of the members of their group worked there - he should have known better and been professional enough to help his group let others take turns. I was not the only person who was obviously waiting for a chance to try, but they just kept their "claim".

In the moments when we didn't have experts making us feel uncomfortable and found a wall to ourselves, we had a really great time. Really - aside from absolutely NO A/C (only utility fans), it was a really well-equipped place. If the management were to revisit some of their policies and make a more comfortable environment for both experts and beginners, I would go to this place as often...

We went here for our first rock climbing experience & it was horrible. The instructor taught us only halfway & then left me with my fiancé up in the air wondering how to get him down! Then we were asked to move to another wall because there was a class, but the back wall was shut down, the globe was under construction & the vertical wall you can climb in the middle was taped off. So four walls. We were only there a short time when we decided to leave because we had climbed all the walls & the ones we had heard were the best we couldn't use. I called the next day because the staff were dealing with an injury when we left & talked to a manager to just say we would have liked a warning that so many walls were down & we would have waited to come another night. He yelled at me saying that only one wall was down but when I explained there was four he told me its my fault for not looking at the community board! I had never been climbing & did not know what a community board was. After trying to explain why it was frustrating to pay full price for only half the gym he told me it's my own problem I didn't check the board & we ended the call. I have never dealt with such a rude manager or bad service at a gym! Don't go here unless you "check the community board" because that's apparently a...

I remember the first time I walked into this place years ago and was surprised how dark it was and even asked if there were even open. We climbed there for a couple years and after months of no new routes we cancelled our membership.

A year and a half later I am back as a proud new owner of my very own New and Improved Ape Index Membership. I couldn't be happier.

I have been fortunate to climb at many different gyms around the US when I travel for work and the new Ape Index is by far my favorite.

While the owners are a bit sarcastic and remind me of the "Odd Couple" this new updated gym hit the spot. Super Bright and Inviting soon as you walk in the door. The color scheme is incredible and invokes emotions in me that I cannot express. The new routes are so fun and very challenging with enough difficulty for anyone learning or experienced.

All in all you couldn't ask for a better gym, great owners, super friendly staff, and an inviting atmosphere to push your climbing limits.

Super...