The Circuit Bouldering Gym

Great Facility | Friendly Staff | Solid Routes
$$
Excellent all-​bouldering gym
Staff: great
Facility: lots to climb on, work out area upstairs
Route difficulty: moderate
Price: comparable to CA Bay Area day pass prices
Highlight: the iceberg boulder!
If you check out my other climbing gym reviews, you’ll notice that I’ve been to a bunch of gyms in several states. So, with that said, I’m comparing gyms to a lot of the CA ones.
I heard this is supposedly the smallest of the Circuit gym locations, but to me, this place has enough stuff to keep you busy. We went on a Sunday, so we really don’t have an accurate experience in terms of the regular crowd flow. When we went, the crowd was literally non-​existent. I was SO surprised! It made me feel like climbing was an underground sport again, haha.
The front desk staff was friendly. He also let us borrow a big chalk bag for free that’s usually for $ 2 to rent. He also took the time to address how their gym works — what’s all on/what’s not, where to top out, how they rated their routes. Our day pass was $ 14 each unless you’re a student ($ 12).
If you’re used to climbing at PG and Touchstone facilities, this place is small to you. The bathroom is even smaller to your standards. For me, it’s a good size. This gym is bigger than my home gym, too. So, I was pretty darn happy to see this gym: P
This gym has some excellent routes. I really like the flow on most of the things I jumped on because I could read the routes right. Some of the PG and Touchstone gyms have really awkwardly forced moves on their routes, so comparing this gym to those in CA, I must say that I was impressed with this place. They have solid setters. Again, keep in mind that the climbing rating system is subjective, too. AND, the holds aren’t super old and greasy. SO nice!
Facility is good. Small workout area upstairs above the bathroom area. There’s also a small slack line area. I think my favorite part of the gym was the lone iceberg-​looking boulder! This is the only gym I’ve ever been to that has this. NEAT. And, the routes are challenging on it.
Overall, I really like this gym. I could see myself climb here regularly. Floor padding is a lot better than other places, though stiffer, but somehow it eats the impact. Putting an extra pad below you is a good idea though. If you like overhang problems, definitely check out their big wall on the right — it’s right when you enter the gym. FUN!

This is a nice bouldering gym. Plenty of routs so you don’t feel like you are on top of the next person. Small workout area which like many rock gyms is mostly unused. There is a small kids area which has been the hit of the year in our household.

The smallest of the 3 circuit gyms, it still provides a wide variety of walls to climb, with a floating ‘iceberg’, concave wall, caves, straight walls, etc. you’ll find challenges everywhere. The settings are pretty spot on with difficulty compared to the other 2 gyms. I came today on a Sat morning from 11 – 2 and it was almost empty. Nice for me but probably not great for the gym so check it out and give them your business! You’ll definitely get a great workout in!

As a noob boulder-​er (Level B — 2), this place was kind of small compared to The Circuit in NE, so it didn’t take a very long time to try all of the easier routes. If you’re a newbie, go to the NE one instead!

You guys would have people lined up around the block if you would just change out those horrible floors to thick squishy awesomeness! (or at least provide super thick crash pads). Fix the flooring and I personally would bring you five newbs easy. I asked the staff about it and they said that they’ve been trying to get the owner to do it for years, but «he’s too cheap». Reduce the risk of injury and make challenging routes more accessible = more fun, more members, more $$$. Don’t be lame like that.

Great exercise. I went here for the first time last Friday and every muscle in my body hurt plus my hands didn’t work the next day. It was very much worth it because it didn’t feel like exercise. I got to be a kid again that wanted to climb everything. I took my 12 year old and he did not stop for 3 hours. They have a few slack lines and an area just for kids. After my son mastered the kids sectioned he tried anything else he could. Went with a small group and had a great time. It’s four stars because it def smelled like a gym and it was absolutely freezing inside. I’d get a membership if it wasn’t triple that of a normal gym membership but I will still go a few times a month.

Are you ready for a challenge?
I heard about The Circuit from a couple of friends and let’s just say that I’m more than happy that I went and I will definitely be back.
I would suggest getting there early as it gets pretty hot in there as the weather warms up. The girls at the front desk are extremely friendly and more than willing to show you around and help you get acquired with the building.
My only complaint was that my hands were pretty sore afterwards, but they say the more that you do it, the less pain you’ll endure with your hands.
I’m definitely looking forward to future visits.

I’ve been in Portland for the past four months and I’ve been going here since early February. When my sister goes off to work during the weekdays, I need something to keep me busy. Pure, belay free, multi feature indoor gym. What more could you ask for. They go by the V scale, and have plenty of VBs to start with. A couple of the VB and V1s have ‘All Feet’ inscribed next to the tag. You can use any of the holds for your feet. Great way to get into climbing and bouldering. The holds here are pretty clean and grippy — and if not, they have brushes.
I notice that many people say that the gym smells like feet, but I’ve never noticed that. There are two large garage doors that they open in the daytime when it’s not raining. I went a few times when they had the doors closed, but it didn’t smell or anything.
First timers head straight to the iPads on the right when you enter the door (other side of the registers) and fill out the waivers, then head to the counter. Tell them your name, and if you’re a student it’s only $ 10. If not, it’s $ 12. Shoes are $ 4 and chalk is $ 2. Super cheap! There are bathrooms directly to the left, immediately as you walk around the registers. Plenty of storage slots to keep your shoes, jackets, what have you. Benches to change shoes. (I do suggest wearing socks with the rental shoes, but that’s a personal opinion.) And they play some sweet tunes to climb to.
Rates (It’s on their website, but just in case you don’t want to go there and check it out, I’ll list it below):
[Pass: Adult price /​Student price]
Day: $ 12 /​$ 10
10 Visit: $ 96 /​$ 80
Month: $ 59 /​$ 49
Annual: $ 499 /​$ 399
The staff is super friendly, so feel free to ask any of them if you have questions.
Some of the walls are verticals, with most angling out. There are 30+ new routes every Tuesday, with changed routes posted next to the Men’s bathroom door. They have a hanging boulder that looks intimidating, but there are actually Bs, 1s and 2s. The whole floor is padded, so don’t worry about falling, I’ve fallen at the tops of some of the higher walls with no pain. There are extra crash pads near the hanging boulder. The first wall you see when walking into the gym looks intimidating as it starts under an overhang and arches out, but there are 1s and 2s on it. In the middle, there is a shorter wall you can climb up and over, and there are stairs on the other side. (I would suggest you find Bs and 1s on this to start with, because I’ve notice most people have a problem with coming back down. Especially for those who are not too great with heights, like me, go for the top-​out because you don’t have to look down and stairs are much nicer than routing backwards. When i first started coming here, the walls were pretty much all vert. But, I’ve noticed within the past three weeks or so, the back walls just seem to lean out more and more!
Above the bathrooms is a small gym area with weights and that jazz if you didn’t get a full workout from bouldering already!
There are two slacklines. One behind the kid’s boulder, right behind the hanging boulder. Another one between the walls in the back right. In the last week, they routed a climb that included the slackline from one wall to the other. I saw some people attack it and some people fail miserably. I didn’t even try to attempt it because I’m terrible at slacklining.
Main thing is, HAVE FUN. Oh, and try to come between the hours of 11a and 4p. Anytime after 4 and you have a chance of seeing a packed gym. There is a Subway and Starbucks right next to it, so fuel up before or after your session.
1) Don’t forget to use your legs. It’s not just about upper body and core.
2) Don’t be afraid to fall. Just don’t stick your arm out to try and catch yourself. Do a ninja roll.
3) Take your time. If you don’t get the route the first time, study the route a little and plan it out.
4) Use the potty before and after your session because they don’t like climbing shoes in the bathrooms, and you can wash your hands.
5) HAVE FUN. Oh… did I say that already? Well, have fun!

Smells like feet, but it’s a great place to boulder. They leave several doors open to get air circulating through the facility. You get used to the smell. Overall, it’s a clean facility with a variety of routes from beginner to challenging. The staff is friendly and they play good jams. This is a great gym. I recommend investing in your own climbing shoes instead of renting (they’re icky!).

The concept of a Rock Gym may seem simple, but it can be done very wrong. I’m glad The Circuit has stuck to a basic business model that allows for a clean, friendly, and fun environment! I prefer this location to NE — parking is easier, it smells less of feet (and people seem to genuinely be showered), and the routes are less crowded.
New routes are available each Tuesday!

This place is a lot of fun! They have LOTS of routes of different difficulties and they keep changing them, which offers new challenges on every visit. The routes are coded by level of difficulty, which is great for finding routes within one’s level of expertise.

A great bouldering gym with fantastic setting. The amount of bouldering here is baffling and more than enough to keep a diverse training schedule. Last time I was here the climbing specific training area (campus board, hangboards etc) was a little bit lacking, but I don’t think this would detract from the general bouldering experience at the gym. More importantly, the setting is on point, thus a few less deadhangs and few more laps on quality boulder problems is probably a good thing.

I love this place, its a CLEAN rock gym that isn’t filled with climbing snobs! Yay! I love that they focus on bouldering and not belaying. The staff is super helpful and encouraging, they will give you pointers if they notice something and same goes for the patrons!
I just began climbing a few months ago and nothing feels better than topping a climb that you couldn’t the week before!

Does indoor rock climbing get any better than this?! Answer is no.
I’ve been going to the circuit for the last 6 years or so. I started going because I had rock climbed before and thought it was neat. Now I go because I’ve learned rock climbing is the most badass way to exercise and have a good time.
These guys reset about 3 walls a week so there is always new stuff to do. 99% of the time, the music they pipe in is good stuff too. It’s sweet they have some other exercise equipment if you feel like changin’ it up. And at the end of the day, you can say you know how to slackline and show off muscles most people didn’t even know existed.

The circuit is rad. i’ve been here three times and the atmosphere is really great. i’m not an experienced climber by any means, i just love bouldering and it’s a great workout. They’re always changing routes and the staff is really nice and encouraging. I love the fact that they have a slackline as well (whenever your arms get tired, just slackline a bit!) they also have a weight room. When I went recently they were playing really kickass music toward the end of the night. Go boulder there!

I don’t climb. Low body-​weight to upper body strength ratio is prohibitive… But my daughter does. As often as I will take her. She’s 11. So this review is purely parental.
Our first time there, we got very little help from the staff and that hasn’t changed. We did get some advice on shoe fit, but other than that, they kids at the counter do their homework and act completely uninterested. That being said, we still come back.
We have been there when they were changing routes, meaning two entire sections of wall were torn down, which was a bummer because it limited climbing space. But the routes are challenging and my daughter is never without something new.
The smell. You get used to it after a while. All climbing gyms stink. I suppose some worse than others and I have limited experience.
The smell and the lack-​lustre staff are the big dings here. Fun rock for little kids, lots of challenging curves and over-​hangs. We’ll be back, probably this weekend.
Editing: After coming here now for about 2 months, I am warming to the place. Depends on who is working how much help you get, but the crowd here is just so nice. Friendly, respectful, and occasionally helpful. Giving them another star. Sometimes first and second impressions can be improved upon!

We were invited to the birthday party of a 7 yr old boy, and it was great. The activities for the kids were engaging, and there were plenty of routes in the kid section to keep them busy. When my 3yr old was feeling scared and challenged, Steve was amazing. Encouraging, patient, and so engaged in watching Theo succeed. It was touching, as a mom, to watch my little guy overcome his fears in this environment. My older son, LOVED IT!

So far, this is the worst climbing gym I have been to. The problems are short, poorly labeled with the same colored routes commonly overlapping, and often didn’t seem to have much logic to them. A lot of the holds were really greasy, like they never cleaned them. The greasy holds combined with a tough floor and worn-​out crash pads made me feel pretty uncomfortable while I climbed there. And their hanging boulder –although it looks cool– felt equally unsteady (2 holds slipped while I was trying some of its problems) and I was the only person on it the whole time I was at they gym. Maybe the regulars already knew to avoid it?
On the plus side, the staff and the other people there were friendly and helpful, and a day pass was inexpensive.

NE location EVEN BETTER. GO! It does not suck.

Ms. A got us a family membership at the Circuit and it’s becoming my favorite place to work out, especially when I can’t get out to paddle. It’s almost an anti-​gym gym.
The people are super nice there — not just the employees but the fellow climbers as well. The music is bangin’ — they frequently have live DJs — and the mood is jovial. It’s a great place to bring kids of all ages and I’m frequently out-​climbed by 3^rd graders. (It’s okay, I’m not, like, feeling inadequate or anything.)
Besides a zillion creative bouldering routes to try, they have a slackline (like a tightrope if you’re not familiar with this) in the corner and a respectable set of standard gym equipment on the mezzanine (cardio, free weights, universal, medicine ball, etc.) They even have Wednesday night Yoga.
I haven’ tried the slackline yet — but I figure if I’m going to ever join the circus I’d better get practicing. And where better than 2 feet above a super-​cushioned floor? Now I just need to borrow a unicycle…