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Chris Goflin
via Google I’ve been coming to grotto for about a year and a half and have seen a drastic difference in the route setting, I’m not sure when it changed but it went from “challenging fun” and a blast to progress to absolutely sandbagged V3-V5s and some of the easiest “V6s” you’ll climb in your life. I am not sure what the route setters see when they finish a problem but it’s definitely not the grade they’ll slap on it. Highly recommend checking out the other gyms in the area. The only reason it’s getting 2 stars is because of the dog friendly environment. :)
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Cynthia Khuuvia Google Overview: The BEST climbing gym in San Diego, welcoming community, great facilities
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Grotto changed my life. After my first visit, I fell in love with bouldering and signed up for a membership the very next day. The sense of community here is so strong - the people I’ve met here have become like a second family, and this gym feels like a home away from home.
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Facilities:
This is exclusively a bouldering gym with a variety of sections, competition walls, a spray wall, and an adjustable MoonBoard.
- Route setting schedule posted next to the water fountains and next to the fitness area
- Each wall stays up for around 2 months and a different wall is reset every 2 weeks
- Their mats are soft, a LOT softer than Mesa Rim
- There’s dedicated holds to help you climb down marked by a red tape square
- Also it’s faster to sign the waiver online before coming!
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Fitness Area:
- Great for supplementing climbing, it would be even better if there were cable machines
- Strength Training: Squat racks, benches, free weights, barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, resistance bands
- Cardio Machines: Elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike, and rowing machine
- Hang Board Area: A wide variety of holds for grip training
Yoga:
- Free for members
- Different types of yoga from slow, rhythmic flows to strength-based power yoga
- Classes are scheduled in the morning or evening depending on the day and location
- Easy sign-up; check the schedule and reserve your spot online
- Make sure you sign up at the correct location! (Miramar and not Mission Valley)
Amenities:
- Bathrooms with free tampons and hair ties
- Two changing rooms
- Water fountains with a refill station
- Dog-friendly! Water bowls are located next to bathrooms
- Plenty of cubbies for storage, including smaller ones near seating areas and a larger storage area.
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Membership Perks:
- 1 free guest pass per month (usable anytime)
- An additional guest pass on the last Friday of every month
- Access to both G1 (Mission Valley) and G2 (Miramar) locations
- Free yoga classes
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Pricing:
- Regular Monthly: $98 (+ $100 initiation fee)
- Discounted Monthly (Military, First Responder, Student): $93 (+ $100 initiation fee)
- 10-Day Membership: $49
Prepaid Options:
- 1 Month: $151
- 6 Months: $540
- 12 Months: $972
Pass Options:
- Day Pass: $31
- 5 Punch Pass: $140
- 10 Punch Pass: $279
- 20 Punch Pass: $476
- 30 Punch Pass: $684
Extras Purchases:
- Drinks, protein shakes, and bars available for purchase
- Shoe rentals $7
- Chalk rentals $4
- Shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shoes, and chalk also for sale
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Seating and Workspace:
- There’s plenty of seating around the gym— plastic garden chairs and wooden stumps with small cushions.
- A large communal table with outlets; great for charging devices or getting some work done (music is always playing, so if you need concentration, bring your own headphones)
Crowds and Parking:
- Quiet Sessions: Visit in the mornings
- Busier Times: After work hours (around 6 PM)
- Extra Crowded Days: Mondays and Wednesdays (UCSD climbing club meets at 7 PM), and Thursdays (adult climbing class starts at 6:30 PM)
- Parking can fill up quickly on busy days, but street parking is available nearby
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The staff are so genuinely nice and welcoming, they set Grotto apart from all the other gyms.
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Overall: Whether you want to try out climbing for the first time or you’re an experienced climber looking for a gym, I can’t recommend Grotto enough.
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Raman Ebrahimivia Google Amazing gym! The price is definitely worth it. The atmosphere and people climbing there are so nice and friendly. They have spray wall here which is a must for every gym in my opinion. As well as adjustable board climbing and comp routes. Also the setting here is lovely! Kudos to the setters they're doing an astounding job!
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Jodi Dobinskyvia Google My partner and I recently visited Grotto during our trip to San Diego.
Pros: The staff at the front desk was awesome. They were very welcoming and generally peppy. The gym also really felt like it was working to cultivate that community that gyms thrive on. Very clean and diverse climbs.
Cons: the day pass was very expensive for how small the gym was. It was almost $30. The workout area also wasn’t great. The treadmills kept stuttering when I tried to run and I felt like I was sort of in the middle of things.
I’m really glad we checked it out, but we are going to keep exploring other gyms in the area.
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Rodd Carrollvia Google Awesome, welcoming and encouraging staff! Great variety in routes with a great balance of difficulty. Really love the atmosphere, makes it easy just to relax and take time between sets. Instead of feeling like you need to rush and be constantly climbing which leads to getting pumped out, ending your session. Was here visiting from canada with work for a month so was great to keep up my climbing routine especially being right across the road.
Will definitely be back again next time my Sqn comes down.
