portland gym prices

i don't do any other social media so i just need to vent somewhere: prg's new prices are too damn high. i've heard multiple climbers talk about how the rate increase is to obviously subsidize the new gym; some have said "they're trying to be movement" and their prices have now surpassed movement's. 

no option for a 'one-gym only' membership for a discounted fee (for me, beaverton is only viable on weekends due to traffic/schedule). 

circuit is right about half the annual cost - are ropes, a gym, and a sauna over in beaverton enough to justify another $600 / yr? 

the people who work there are fantastic. it's an institution and a part of PNW climbing history. GR has done a lot for the climbing world. 

but i'm starting to look at just going the punch pass route at multiple gyms. 

that's all. "suck it up, buttercup" is what i'm telling myself but i had to tilt at some windmills. 

(ETA plz don't cancel my membership)

Hot take: between the settlement happy lawyers, the settlement happy insurance companies and the lobbyists defending the status quo at state capitals and in DC, 10 years from now the climbing gym industry will look a lot like ski resorts- the multitude of independent operations will have been hoovered up by venture capital, prices will have kept going up because climbing kept being fun and slowly gym climbing has turned into a luxury for the well off similar to resort skiing.

Best to invest in a homewall

Hey JP (disclosure to the readership: we're pals)

I feel the same way on every level. But I also put that cost in context. I think the PRG pass is like $100 or $105 per month. I do this for the 6 bad weather months of roughly November through April. If I go to a bar and get 2 beers, that's about $16 to $18 after tip. If I add a burger and fries, that's more like $40. My impression is that people griping about $100/month for 10 days at the gym ($10/per session) somehow don't bat an eye at spending $40 at a brewery, or $25-$35 for 3 drinks at a bar for a 3 hour session. Or literally hundreds of dollars for a night or two at an rental house on the coast. Or people will spend $20-$30 on gas to get to the crag, or the mountain, for just a few hours. So yes, $100 is a lot, but then again so is everything else these days. At least that $100 gets invested directly into your physical and psychological health, while money at the brewery just goes into the urinal. (Not bashing on breweries, I love beers and burgers)

As for homewalls, good for you if that's all you need, but they obviously can't compare to the ability to do 10 or 11 bolt long 60-65 foot routes of all grades and angles, just from a perspective of having fun and getting novelty and getting better endurance, with the social benefits of seeing friends or meeting new peoples (assuming you are not a misanthrop or super introvert)

Touche, mon ami! You know my penchant for brewery outings. :) And I could stand to drink fewer brews and get more workouts in! 

I do agree with you that for folks like us who get out fairly frequently, a gym membership only makes sense for 6-8 months of the year... so by that math, I end up at $680 on the monthly plan which is only $230 more than Circuit for those 6 months, so $38 differential per month. I can probably buy 3 fewer six packs a month during that period!

And John - agreed. If I could figure out an all-weather space at my place for a moonboard, I'd ditch the gym membership (and the 20-40min drive) in a heartbeat. That investment would pay off in a few years.

With PRG you get two locations and one is brand new and bigger (i think?) than movement, so i don't see why you would expect the price to be lower. Also not sure on your math. The circuit is $91 a month and PRG is $105, unless you are comparing the 11 month contract price at the circuit. So the price might be high but it doesnt seem that much different than the other gyms around here and you get two nearby locations with decent rope climbing. It's worth it for me anyways

Never said I expected the price to be lower, what?

I've only done day passes at the gym downtown while visiting friends. It's seems like a great gym with solid ropes, good bouldering (love the bouldering ramp), yoga & fitness classes, workout area with weights/machines, and a sauna. Seems like a pretty sweet deal for $100. My guess is that a normal (non climbing) gym membership might be close to that and doesn't offer half the perks,  but I'm not familiar with Portland pricing

J P wrote:

Never said I expected the price to be lower, what?

Well you mentioned their prices had now surpassed movement's as if that were surprising?

TaylorP wrote:

I've only done day passes at the gym downtown while visiting friends. It's seems like a great gym with solid ropes, good bouldering (love the bouldering ramp), yoga & fitness classes, workout area with weights/machines, and a sauna. Seems like a pretty sweet deal for $100. My guess is that a normal (non climbing) gym membership might be close to that and doesn't offer half the perks,  but I'm not familiar with Portland pricing

Normal non gym is a lot cheaper.  I pay $35/ month at la fitness.   All locations included, pool, hot tub, sauna, racquetball, basketball court, etc.    

That said, I think PRG is worth it.  The new location is fantastic.  

For what it's worth, The Circuit in Eugene is $91/month and they don't even have showers, locking storage of any kind, a yoga/stretching area, or cardio equipment. $100 ain't what it used to be and it sounds like PRG is giving you a pretty decent value. 

Max R wrote:

For what it's worth, The Circuit in Eugene is $91/month and they don't even have showers, locking storage of any kind, a yoga/stretching area, or cardio equipment. $100 ain't what it used to be and it sounds like PRG is giving you a pretty decent value. 

'preciate the perspective. i've sucked it up for the time being. it's gonna be more cost-effective for me to just do the max length account pause and/or even just pay the initiation fee again during the climbing season, then just budget for the 6-month no-climbing window at the gym.

If you get a punch pass somewhere you ought to consider stoneworks. I see you hardly make it out to Beaverton but it could be an excellent alternative if prg Beaverton is way crowded or you want something low key/ happen to be in the area. The walls are not super high but it can make for some fun and creative training doing some back to back climbs on the same route etc. ownership is also genuine and friendly 

Kellie Hill wrote:

If you get a punch pass somewhere you ought to consider stoneworks. I see you hardly make it out to Beaverton but it could be an excellent alternative if prg Beaverton is way crowded or you want something low key/ happen to be in the area. The walls are not super high but it can make for some fun and creative training doing some back to back climbs on the same route etc. ownership is also genuine and friendly 

I really like that gym. It’s old and dirty but it’s also cheap and I always enjoy climbing their routes. Plus their cracks are cool.

However, I don’t understand their punch passes; they expire, which is odd, and it’s in a fairly short time, which has never made it worth it for me as someone who just wants to go over there occasionally (maybe once a month or less) for a session. Also the only way to lead certify is to take a class which I don’t need and seems awkward to schedule.

Though it’s been a while since I’ve been over there so it may have changed. 

Kellie Hill wrote:

If you get a punch pass somewhere you ought to consider stoneworks. I see you hardly make it out to Beaverton but it could be an excellent alternative if prg Beaverton is way crowded or you want something low key/ happen to be in the area. The walls are not super high but it can make for some fun and creative training doing some back to back climbs on the same route etc. ownership is also genuine and friendly 

Heard, I’ve only been there once but I liked the vibe. Just much much farther of a drive for me sadly. 

Yo! Been a bit, my dude, but I got some Circuit guest passes if you want some weekday burns.

I've broken down the cost and tracked my regularity during the indoor season and found that just getting punch pass deals at all the gyms is the cheapest. I also know enough folks with guest passes that are happy to chat and get a belay!