Jacob Hempel
Edit: below is my original review, which was a 2/5 based mostly on the pricing. I have since updated the rating to 4/5, because LEF replied to this review, mentioning that they are now offering an option for those who cannot afford the membership fees to pay what you can. I find the fact that LEF is trying to improve their gym by genuinely listening to their reviewers on Google to be a really admirable quality of the company and am happy to up my review score to 4. I'll probably be paying the gym a visit at the end of December! LEF is a great place to climb with many different options available (bouldering, auto belay, top rope, and lead climbing). My main issue with the facility is the price and the decisions made to limit price options for people. When I first started going, there was an option to pay $50/month without rental gear included. You could optionally tack on an extra $25/month for rental gear to be included with that. I thought this was extremely reasonably priced. However, now the cost is $100/month, with rental gear included, and there are no other options available to those who cannot afford that price. As a result of this change, I will probably never climb there again after this month simply due to its high price and lack of alternative options for those who struggle to afford it. If you know someone who goes to UKY, the Johnson Center offers a cheap alternative climb ($10 for a guest pass), albeit with severely limited climbing options (just top rope available). Still, I had a lot of fun on my last visit.
