Vertical Hold — Attraction in San Marcos

I am an experienced boulderer, and I want you to know that this gym is unsafe before you purchase a pass. One of the most important aspects of indoor climbing is the routesetting. Routes needs to be set in a thoughtful manner and tested to ensure they are rated properly and safe. At Vertical Hold in San Marcos, the majority of the routes were clearly just thrown up, with absolute beginner routes on high overhangs (no way could or should any beginner do that!) while others had obviously not even been run by the routesetter. Much of the joy of bouldering is the opportunity to hit one's limit and spend a few days returning to figure out a "problem." I found no compelling problems at that gym; it was just full of tragedies. I can't speak to the quality of the top-roping, but I have to think most of the positive reviews left here were not by people who went to the gym...

I had been a member since April 2021 but had to temporarily suspend my membership due to upcoming unavailability for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, I missed the deadline for canceling my membership for January, by coming in on the second and was charged $81. Despite being a loyal customer for nearly three years, the staff refused to reverse the charge. I recommend investing a little more for better facilities and an overall improved experience at Mesa Rim. Fortunately, there are nearby Mesa Rim locations near Vertical Hold San Marcos and OldTown, where I plan to take my business once I can resume climbing. It's unfortunate that it had to end this way, but on the positive side, it motivated me to seek a better overall experience. Save yourself the headache and pass on...

This place was so much fun!! We had our son’s 12th Birthday Party here and all the kids had a blast! They have a good size party room with tables and chairs and we were able to bring our own food & drinks in for the party. The staff is so great and friendly. They explained everything throughly and were patient with the kids. There was plenty of room for all of them to climb and lots of levels for them to try. We had kids who had never climbed to kids who are avid climbers and all of them had something that challenged them all while still enjoying the climbs. Thank you Vertical Hold for not only a great party for our son, but a great experience climbing! We will...