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Metrorock vs BKB Somerville

Alissa Doherty · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 60

I responded with my thoughts on BKB and Metrorock since that was the topic of this thread but, as an unbiased climber, wanted to validate Benjamin Mackall's biased claims.

I think that the setting at Rock Spot may be the best in the area. It is very thoughtful and challenging. I find it to be much truer to outdoor grades than other gyms which often inflate grades (Central Rock being the worst offender in my limited experience). As a non-boulderer, the height of their walls leaves a lot to be desired, but with such quality setting, I think Rock Spot generates climbers with really great technique. If I was more into bouldering, I'm sure this would be my gym of choice.

In response to jTaylor, Rockspot is also pretty inexpensive.

jim.dangle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 5,882

Gyms are expensive in general especially in Eastern MA but there are some deals that soften the blow. Groupon and Boston.com often have deals. Most of the gyms run early bird specials (on Weekdays). Most weekday nights-- at metrorock at least-- have discounts for something: lady's night, teacher night, etc. I think they even have a guys night-- for the bros, yo.

Definitely wish there was a real climber's gym around but I just don't think there is a market for it. Ultimately these gyms have to cater to families and hipsters to turn a profit.

Do any of the many universities around have climbing gyms?

JIm

Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0
jim.dangle wrote: Do any of the many universities around have climbing gyms? JIm
Well duh - Harvard and MIT for starters. Do you have an affiliation?
jim.dangle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 5,882
Eric Engberg wrote: Well duh - Harvard and MIT for starters. Do you have an affiliation?
No.

I was really asking for others who might be looking for cheaper alternatives. Looks like the Harvard wall is available only to "members of the Harvard community" but MIT's is FREE and open to all. It's probably tiny though.

Jim
Jake D. · · Northeast · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 365
jim.dangle wrote: No. I was really asking for others who might be looking for cheaper alternatives. Looks like the Harvard wall is available only to "members of the Harvard community" but MIT's is FREE and open to all. It's probably tiny though. Jim
If i remember MIT's is an old racqetball court so. yea small.

yep, bouldering only but it's free.
CatProx · · Somerville, Massachusetts · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

Yeah the MIT bouldering room is a room that was converted into a place to Boulder. It's pretty tiny, but it does the job. And it's free. I hate how Harvard doesn't want to share anything with the community it should be part of. Not cool, Harvard. (She says as she stares over at Harvard and Lesley from her post atop MIT)

Nic the brit · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 0

What about centra rock in watertown. Yeah it costs money but it is good.

Andy Elliott · · Hampton NH · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 40

I'm gonna be moving to boston in around two months, gonna join a gym for sure. i just wanna know which one is better for training and which one has hotter chicks.

CatProx · · Somerville, Massachusetts · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

"better for training" I'm not sure what you mean by that. But pretty much every wall at Brooklyn boulders has a negative slope, so that definitely forces you to handle that. However metrorock has a lot more wall-features an a lot of their routs force you to figure out how to use the wall in interesting ways, instead of just using holds, and that gets you thinking a lot more like outdoor climbing.

You will find a lot more Harvard types at Brooklyn Boulders, and a lot more outdoorsy types at MetroRock. It all depends on what you find hot, "brah". Both places are full of grad students, cuz that's the demographic in these parts.

Noah Haber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 78
CatProx wrote:You will find a lot more Harvard types at Brooklyn Boulders, and a lot more outdoorsy types at MetroRock.
Stereotype much?
Andy Elliott · · Hampton NH · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 40
CatProx wrote:"better for training" I'm not sure what you mean by that. But pretty much every wall at Brooklyn boulders has a negative slope, so that definitely forces you to handle that. However metrorock has a lot more wall-features an a lot of their routs force you to figure out how to use the wall in interesting ways, instead of just using holds, and that gets you thinking a lot more like outdoor climbing. You will find a lot more Harvard types at Brooklyn Boulders, and a lot more outdoorsy types at MetroRock. It all depends on what you find hot, "brah". Both places are full of grad students, cuz that's the demographic in these parts.
Whats with the "brah?" and by training i mean having training stuff, like campus board and hangboards and not just one shitty one, "brah."
Ben Mackall · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 1,823

I think the "brah" is in reference to your apparent use of the prevalence of "hot chicks" to judge the worthiness of a gym.

If hot chicks is what you want, climbing ain't your sport, "brah!"

No, but seriously. BKB just put in a new training room which I've heard is pretty nice but not necessary climbing-focused, Central has a sweeeet roof ramp that terminates in a good campus board, Metro and Rock Spot both have smaller training areas.

Climber ladies tend to be hot, period :)

Christop F · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 70

I have found that MetroRock has the largest climbing specific training area overall. Downstairs they have a varied campus board, hang board, and rings right near the bouldering. Up stairs on the "mez" they have an overhanging woody with different system wall setups and 3 more campus board sets all of them different. Plus a treadwall.

On the other hand BKB and Water Town both have larger general fitness area's.

cjdrover · · Watertown, MA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 355
Benjamin Mackall wrote:BKB just put in a new training room which I've heard is pretty nice but not necessary climbing-focused,
Its definitely climbing focused... rice buckets, three (maybe 4?) different hangboards, 3 sets of campus rungs (including the half-hemisphere slopey/pinchy style covering in climbing rubber) and a symmetrical system board.

Benjamin Mackall wrote:particularly compared to the other Boston gyms where strength wins over beta and technique (BKB, I'm looking at you).
Definitely think this is off the mark. How many problems did you climb? I would wager not many. Huge variety at BKB, from power to crazy beta weirdness. Bouldering is definitely a strong suit there. Although, for the truly bizarre boulder problems, I doubt anyone will ever beat Boof from Metro.

ETA: Anyways, I find the differences between Metro/CRG/BKB to be minor enough that location made my decision for me. I still have punch cards to CRG and Metro for variety.
Ben Mackall · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 1,823

First of all, my bad. Didn't mean to misrepresent. I'm going on total hearsay about the training area at BKB, so take my word with a grain of salt.

As for BKB bouldering, I've climbed most every problem below V7 and a few above that on pretty much every set since the public opening (up until about a month ago), and my opinion stands. It is that though, an opinion. I don't feel consistently engaged by the bouldering, and have very often felt like muscle got me through many problems, especially in the sub-V5 range, before using actual beta did. I should mention that I'm a technical climber, not a muscle-y one. I'd say maybe one in four routes has truly interesting movement/ cryptic beta, and not just hard pulls. I will grant that this aspect has gotten a LOT better since the first set. I think the setting itself is quality, very professional, with good consistency to difficulty, but I have consistently always felt like it could be... just.... more interesting.

^^^^ Admittedly, this is just my experience. Everyone should climb what they like, where they feel comfortable, on the types of problems that appeal to them. There have been problems I have LOVED at BKB, and I also greatly enjoy their roped setting, flaws of the wall design notwithstanding.... making generalizations about any gym is dangerous business to begin with, so I guess it's my bad for going there.

CatProx · · Somerville, Massachusetts · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

The "brah" was because you asked about "hot chicks."

Ming · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 1,955

So after really wanting to love BKB I am now convinced the lack of features for the rope climbing with all the curved surfaces - while good for the aesthetic, just doesn't hold up against Metro or Watertown. Metro's rope climbing is still consistently more fun (by a pretty big margin) than BKB, though I think Watertown and Metro are evenly matched with Watertown having more consistent grading and better "flow" while Metro is more burly and athletic. 3 5.13s (and yeah, they're pretty hard from the first few holds that I tried) in Narnia at Metro pretty much reinforces that.

So recently Watertown's new routes have definitely been graded more "fairly" than the routes that were put up over the summer - it's closer to the actual grades than grade inflation that was prevalent from the routes set in the summer.

I do love BKB's bouldering and I find it to be pretty fun and really well thought out - but it's not better than Metro or Watertown. Lowering the highball V2s was a start, but I never think about the height problem on either Metro or Watertown. There is no way my ankle can survive a 9+ ft fall onto the un-broken in (still) mats of BKB on the highball problems.

So I think for most people the "home" gym is pretty much a toss up. None of them are clearly better than the other with the exception that I would rather go to Metro or Watertown for rope climbing. But for bouldering they are all fun with BKB offering the most area but I do love the ramp boulder at Watertown. That's my updated view.

S. Neoh · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 35

That's funny, Ming, I have found CRG Watertown roped-climbing routes to generally be more burly and less technical than Metro routes, for .12a and below.
I can't speak about routes at BKB but, for contrast, I found the boulder problems (up to V4 or V5) at CRG to be less burly and more easily graded than the Metro boulder problems.

M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090

But what about the hotties, Soon?

CatProx · · Somerville, Massachusetts · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

I'll have a full ten page spread next week. ;-)

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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