The District Bouldering — Attraction in San Antonio

I really wanted to like this gym. My partner and I were so excited to get back into some kind of alternative fitness but when we walked in, it felt pretty clear that we were not the target audience. Nearly all the walls have a greater than 90 degree angle, and the one that didn't seemed to only have really small holds - like it was an afterthought. It is not a beginner friendly gym.

Literally all the other patrons in the gym at the time were lanky, muscular, experienced male climbers that had their own clique. The bouldering area is incredibly compact and the guys sat in the middle of the area so we felt like we were disrupting their space by trying to figure out what was accessible to us and where we could start.

The equipment offerings did seem varied and intriguing, but the atmosphere was so exclusive and off-putting that we turned around and asked for our money back since we didn't end up even really trialing the gym.

The incredibly nice front desk person (the only reason my partner and I even really stuck around to try the gym) said they were a new employee and they needed to ask how to do a refund. They walked to the group of lanky guys sitting in the middle of the bouldering area mats and pulled one of them to talk to us. He asked why we weren't happy with the experience and wanted our money back. We said it wasn't really what we were looking for. He and a random patron both continued to prod and ask why we wanted a refund and to leave, like they took it personally that it wasn't our scene. It's not unreasonable to look for feedback, but we were already uncomfortable and the questions seemed to persist far past our genuine answer, like they could convince us to change our mind.

We were then told (through a smile) that they didn't know how to process a refund and there probably wasn't a way to do it. We didn't want to make a scene and just wanted to leave, so we said okay and left. I did end up disputing the charge because we wandered around the gym looking at the offerings for maybe 10 minutes and the request for a refund felt pretty reasonable.

Like I said before, I had really high hopes for this place. I picked it as the best option out of everything I researched in the San Antonio area and felt so confident that we'd be able to fit right in. If you're already experienced and looking for a challenging, compact space, this might be right for you. If you're looking to get back into climbing and bouldering after being away for several years,...

Here is a absolute honest opinion on my personal experience with the District gym:

1. THE STAFF: Ive read all the reviews and noticed a review stating that the staff to be rude. Trust me when I say that I am one who absolutely cannot tolerate any form of arrogance. With that in mind, I can personally say that the staff are not only nice and inviting but also extremely helpful when it comes to truly wanting to learn climbing and improve technique. Everyone talks to everyone. Its amazing. It feels like a family. Something that is practically non existent these days. If you're a person who truly wants to learn and ping pong ideas on ways to improve your technique, you've gotta just talk to the staff. That's it!

2. THE GYM This gym is for the serious! For those who are sincerely wanting to either get in shape, become a better climber, learn body weight training, etc.., you're gonna love love love this spot! I mean, It's not the prettiest, nor does it have the newest weight equipment like many of these gyms, but trust me trust me.., its got the necessities for getting in shape fast. I mean fast!

Please note: Fridays are packed but alot of fun and a cool way of meeting new people. Sundays, a group of 4 incedibly experienced climbers change a wall with new bouldering problems . Keeps things exciting for the following week to solve new boulder problems.

(note: On Sunday, there is still access to climbing other walls. The setters just work on a portion of the wall)

3. THE COST Literally only $40 a month. 24 hr access. Showers, lockers, towels. Also, free beginner climbing classes 2 days a week. What else do you need. They offer shoe rentals too!

However, Id highly highly recommend going to REI and buy some climbing shoes. I mean, if you really want to get serious in climbing, you gotta invest on some shoes, chalk, and climbing balm. The rentals will get quite costly in the long run but if you're a beginner, renting shoes is okay.

4. OVERALL COMMUNITY Overall the people ive met in this gym are amazing. It seriously feels like a family.

Ive had memberships at lifetime fitness 281, Spectrum at Rogers Ranch, and Anytime Fitness. There is just some weird magical vibe about this place. Not sure why..but there...

I can only speak to the bouldering section of the gym; haven't tried other sections or classes at this point.

Pros: The 24-hour access is an awesome feature; can't praise that highly enough. It'll be great to be able to climb before work, and early on weekends, before it gets too hot. There are a lot of routes and different kinds of walls for a small space, and the way they indicate them (with different markings on different-colored tape) is creative and helpful.

Cons: Some of the floor padding seems ideally set up to break ankles and/or legs...on the slab wall especially, it's easy to imagine slipping off (rather than falling outward, like you would on the overhung walls) and landing between the pad and the wall. This makes me not want to push myself on that wall, to avoid falling. The largest issue I have, though, is the style of the routes...I'm not sure if they're all put up by one person, but they all seem to be fairly similar in that they are suited for dudes. Particularly, tall dudes. I can absolutely understand catering to the kind of member you have the most of (and presumably that's men), but there need to be at least a couple of routes that don't pretty much require the ability to do a pull up in order to finish. When I can climb V4 at several other gyms and can't top out on even V0 here, that seems to be an indication that the routes aren't allowing for different styles of climbing, and climbers with different strengths. If I just missed those routes, I'd love to know, but I certainly looked for them, and I...