Rockreation Sport Climbing Center — Local services in Costa Mesa

My husband and I were visiting California to binge on a pretty sinful food tour after hiding in our basement for the past two years. After a few days of basically guzzling oil, butter, and carbs, we needed to find a solution to digest to make room for two more days of food. That's why we came to Rockreation because 20 mins of climbing is practically 2 hrs of a regular gym.

The staff was nice and accommodating. They were professional and were super informative/nice in letting me know that there aren't auto belay systems at the gym. But no worries, they have a huge selection of routes for lead climbing, trad climbing, and an awesome cave (basically 7 sections within and outside of it) for bouldering. + 1 for a dedicated traversing wall. I find the routes creatively set and not just routes where you can power through with raw muscles. The fitness facility includes other regular gym equipment and hang boards. I do find it unique that the routes' difficulties aren't marked. It's pretty beneficial because it encourages people to try out routes they'd normally wouldn't try if it was ranked.

I love this gym - too bad I don't live...

I've travelled and climbed all over and this is easily the second worst gym I've ever been to in the country. It's small, has short walls, and just feels old and dingy. The routes are poorly set, and there were a ton of screaming children there for a kid's birthday party. They have an arbitrary "gym policy" of no gri-gris. They say gri-gris promote "inattentive belaying" but this is old-timey, backwards thinking. Studies have proven that you are much less likely to have an accident using a gri-gri versus a tube-styled belay device.

The reason I gave this place two stars instead of just one is because they recently remodeled their bathrooms and they're beautiful. If I had to rate just the bathroom it would be 5/5, I would definitely poop there again. Who would I suggest this gym for? Parents who are looking for something to do for their kid's birthday. They won't notice the difference that it's a terrible gym and they can just add to the yelling and screaming. Or maybe if you're new to climbing and don't have any friends you can go to use the auto-belay. Or if you need to use the bathroom. But besides that I'd stay...

Truly, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Rockreation and the community there! It is, hands down, the best indoor rock climbing gym/community in Orange County. I booked the Gravity Series (3 part series) back in March 2020 and was unable to use it until a few weeks ago. I was super nervous because I’m older and haven’t climbed in about 5 years, and didn’t know what to expect. I was able to get in for 1-1 sessions with Alan who is by far the most gentle, patient, and kindest instructor I’ve ever had. He challenged me and pushed me to reach my full potential in every class. He made every session fun and I learned so much in the short amount time we spent together. Everyone I have met or crossed paths with so far have been so friendly, helpful, and welcoming! I couldn’t have had a better experience. Thank you Alan, Mads, Kayla, Eric, and the rest of the team and community there! It really is...