Bouldering Project - Springdale — Local services in Austin

First impression: there is a lot of slab in this gym. I've never seen a gym with this much slab. The gym is like 65% slab. There is not much overhang, but there's a nice cave. There are at least two top out boulders. Built very fancy, like the other Boulder Projects, but this one felt a little dirty. Love the soft mats, makes me feel more confident in the top outs. There are a lot of volumes.

My visit was a mixed experience. I went on a Thursday night, it was very crowded. Not one person talked to me, however, I tried to start a few conversations, but nothing carried. The people seemed friendly, but most people were already with friends, and no one was really talking about climbing or climbing hard. I came to train hard, so I was a little disappointed I didn't find people to climb with. The routesetting is good, but the holds were very large. There are a lot of jugs in this gym. When I was expecting a bad crimp, it was a full one pad 4 finger bucket. Several of the climbs felt soft. The feet are very good in this gym. There were several dynamic problems. There's a comp training area, and comp problems mixed throughout the gym, however, the quality of the comp problem holds did not seem very good. In terms of the hold quality, there's a mix of super nice fiberglass holds, some nice plastic, and some old plastic holds. There were not many brushes in the gym. The store had a very good selection of chalk, and I bought a bag.

My favorite part of the experience was the routesetting, and my least favorite thing was gym culture. Next time I'm in Austin, I would not go back to this gym if I was alone again. However, in a group this would be a fun gym. I genuinely hope that they will improve the stoke in this gym. Compared to west coast gyms, and even other gyms in Texas, this was a pretty...

I joined Austin Bouldering Project a couple of weeks ago, and I really love it.

The prices are reasonable. You can buy a day pass for $18, which gives you full access to the gym, a 10 day punch card for $150 (which is essentially a discounted bundle of day passes), or a membership. I knew I wanted to go regularly, so I bought a monthly membership. There's a $40 starting fee, and after that it is $75/month.

That costs more than some other general fitness gyms, but you're getting an awful lot for the money. There is a robust training area if you want to focus on strength training, a yoga studio with regular classes, and of course the bouldering area itself. As a member, you also get discounts on equipment from the shop and have the option of charging things to your tab, which is then charged to your credit card at the end of the month. There's also a sauna, which is great after a few hours of bouldering.

I am fairly new to bouldering, but what I can say is that there are plenty of problems at a variety of skill levels, which means that there are plenty of problems I can handle and plenty of problems I can't. That's great, as it gives me something to look forward to.

I was a bit nervous about joining because I'm not in great shape, and I always associated a specialty gym like this with serious people. It is certainly true that the people I see at ABP seem to be more generally enthusiastic about fitness than people at other gyms I've gone to, but I have to emphasize that everybody is kind and respectful. The staff is helpful and the other members are there to work out and have fun. I've recently started attending yoga classes here as well, and again I would say that everybody is kind.

In brief: great gym, great people, go have...

My experience as a woman who sometimes climbs:

Staff: At the front desk they well assist with any questions or give you anything you ask for like chalk. They aren't friendly like at Westgate - no smiling or welcoming statements. The instructors for fitness classes are fine. They give good classes and will hang back to talk after class.

Climbing: it's so spacious and there are tons of options for climbs. I really enjoy climbing here because it never gets old. There are LOTS more climbers at this location and it can feel a bit crazy. Also, this location tends to always have children running around unsupervised who hang out below climbers or start a route that causes you to stop for safety. I think it's bc of the birthday parties or no staff oversight as to how parents control their kids in the main space.

Fitness: I've only been to the mobility classes and they are fine - off to the side in a separate room but it's a small space. The yoga classes gets PACKED without an inch to spare.

The gym: I like that it has space for alternative types of training like acrobatics, locomotion, mobility. Seems to be fine with the equipment options.

Locker rooms: clean, spacious, convenient. My main complaint is that the sauna is always ruined by people who don't read the sign outside because it's small and the wording is tiny. Hence, they they don't shower, undress, enter with a phone in use, and talk - all major no-nos for sauna etiquette. Every single time I come I end up leaving bc of this. Please make a better sign to educate people on this!*

Parking: I know it's terrible but you get creative.

Upstairs space: nice for chilling out or practicing some movements on the open...