CR
Central Rock Gym
Central Rock Gym: Where bouldering meets community in Cambridge.
4.4
Business
$$$
Central Rock Gym: Where bouldering meets community in Cambridge.
Central Rock Gym in Cambridge offers a broad bouldering experience with routes for all levels. Located at 20 Brattle St, the gym earns praise for friendly, helpful staff—especially manager Che—free chalk, and a welcoming, collaborative atmosphere. The bright, medium-sized space includes a cardio area and plentiful natural light, near Brattle Square; parking can be tough.
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Diverse climbing problems for all skill levels, regularly reset to keep challenges fresh and engaging.
Access to cardio machines, dumbbells, and workout gear in a compact gym area for cross-training.
Free chalk provided for climbers to enhance grip and performance during sessions.
Nightly yoga sessions in a bright, open space to complement climbing with flexibility and relaxation.
Friendly staff assistance and orientation for new climbers to ensure a safe and enjoyable start.
Hosted bouldering events that foster community spirit and competitive fun for enthusiasts.
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Overall rating
Robyn Burger
Staff was so friendly and great! Also there’s a community chalk bag which was sweet. Fun, varied routes and a very collaborative and friendly atmosphere
Connor Lessard
TLDR: needs more bat-hangs. Been going to this gym since it opened in ~Fall 2022. Excellent spot in Brattle Square, close to shops, restaurants, and the Redline. This gym notoriously grades softly compared to other gyms in the area (including beyond other CRGs). While this is the CRG I go to most often, their grading gives me a false sense of confidence and I find myself "struggling" at other gyms trying to climb the same grades (which is mostly my issue). They must be aware of this as I've spoken with many other CRG regulars who hold the same sentiment. I would describe the routes as good enough; nothing mind blowing or all that creative generally. Additionally, a common issue I overhear is that short climbers (in this case, anyone shorter than 6'-0") have a hard time with lower-grade routes and reaching for holds. The current setters are pretty tall and do not accommodate for different body types. I'd say the size of the facility is *medium*, and I can get a good workout in after circling the (bouldering only) walls once or twice. I've never participated, but I think they've hosted 2 bouldering comps before, and I can imagine it would get pretty cramped in there for such an event. If you come after 6pm, the gym does fill up quickly and you will often have to fight to get a turn on the wall. The workout space is tiny but has the essentials. People often don't respect re-racking dumbbells or keep bands organized, I wish after 3+ years of being open that CRG Harvard would have a better system for this. There seems to be a lot of neglect / unawareness by staff in this building. Just a few things; one storage cart for loose workout stuff (bands, small weight-plates, ab-rollers) had a broken wheel on it for what felt like months, and the sinks in all of the bathrooms have never drained well. Soap dispensers often run out of soap. Public brush-poles never have a central place to live and the heads of brushes are often worn down beyond use, which staff seem to always be surprised by. There's a few seams on the mats throughout that definitely need to be fastened down better, I often watch other climbers trip on loose wide velcro-seams. This gym could also have a few more clocks posted around the place IMO, especially in the workout area. In the back near the workout area is a huge open space with tons of windows for natural light and views of Brattle Square. They often host nightly yoga-esc classes in there. Lovely space to get away from the loudness of the rest of the gym and try out different activities besides climbing. I will admit that the gym gets excellent light, both natural and artificial. I've gone to some gyms that feel like caves compared to this place (and not in a good way).
Felix R.
Great spot for bouldering. Lots of different routes for all skill-levels. The manager Che was incredibly friendly and helpful, showing us the space as there wasn’t much traffic. It was also nice to see how she patiently trained a new stuff member, while making us feel very welcome at the same time.
Reja Debevc
This is gym is clearly new with good workout equipment and helpful staff. However, there are a couple of issues. The climbing routes are crowded so you are often waiting in line to actually climb. The routes are mostly just vertical and simple, lacking creativity and the problem solving aspect of bouldering. The holds are used up and slippery. Overall, it is quite crowded and there aren’t that many routes to climb. There also isn’t a warmup area or a changing room. The daily pass is 34$ (without shoes) which is quite expensive for a one time visit. This gym has a lot of potential but is currently not worth the steep price.
Mark Niednagel
Phenomenal bouldering, Location large number of problems of varying difficulty from beginner to expert. Free chalk to use, gym, equipment, and cardio equipment. Parking is difficult to find but aside from that great location.
