Prime Climb

Kids had a blast, the walls were as challenging as you wanted them to be. The staff was very welcoming, accommodating & patient with my kids. Great value with a groupon.

Prime Climb is a phenomenal rock climbing facility. The walls may look dated, as most new-​age gyms have giant towers of underutilized concrete, but the setters make great use of the space provided.
To the reviewers who say the routes are tough, a little side note on CT climbing history… CT and most of New England have some of the stiffest climbing grades in the country. Heck, climbing on the continental US pretty much started here in CT, before migrating westward.
The routes at Prime Climb seem to be set at what actual rock climbs outside feel like, which makes sense since it seems like the entire staff here are all dedicated outdoor climbing enthusiasts. Many of its patrons can be heard discussing routes at local crags, or those of far distant climbing destinations. With so much real climbing chatter, it makes for a very comfortable environment if you are an avid climber, or just getting your feet wet with the sport.
The route setting at Prime Climb is top notch! I have climbed at gyms all over the United States, from little hole in the wall bouldering barns to the massive concrete mega-​gyms, and the setting here is some of the very best I have climbed. The hold selection is prime, routes flow well, and it is readily apparent that thought is given to clipping holds and climber sizes. Many gyms tend to make holds further apart, or remove feet to make a route feel harder, but not here. The setters do a great job at creating fun, flowing, movement that is attainable by all.
While visiting Prime Climb, I happened to be witness to a belay lesson, which I was very impressed with. Many gyms today rush the belay lessons by giving the new climber a GriGri and a quick lesson in pulling rope. The lesson I witnessed at Prime Climb was incredibly thorough. The staff member went over all the safety aspects of the harness before even approaching a rope. He then taught the AMGA approved method of belaying on an ATC and then expanded into lesson on the GriGri. I wish more gyms today would teach belay lessons more like this, as there would be a lot less accidents outside.
One of the greatest benefits of Prime Climb is their «sister» company Mountain Fun, which is next door in another building. Mountain Fun is their auto-​belay and party facility, which really helps reduce the amount of children running around the gym on a busy day.
Overall, it seemed to me that Prime Climb was very much a rock-climber’s gym, but also had a highly welcoming environment for anyone new to or interested in the sport.
Last bonus about Prime Climb… sweet reggae vibes playing on the radio the entire time.

Prime Climb in Wallingford is a great place. Don’t be fooled by the old, run down buildings surrounding the Prime Climb location. When indoors, there is a variety of walls for a variety of ability levels. Also, be sure to check out the room upstairs where there is a special surprise for advanced climbers.

As far as climbing gyms go, this one is pretty good, and has both it’s strengths and weaknesses. But I can definitely recommend it to anyone.
First, it’s a little tricky to find, located in the back side of an old factory of brick buildings. This actually gives it a pretty cool external ambiance, despite having a bit of an old feel and not being as modern as other gyms. Once you find it, it has plenty of routes and bouldering problems to entertain almost any climber. The staff is helpful and several people have been there for a few years, which is good. The prices are certainly reasonable as well.
As someone else mentioned, the gym can get crowded during peak times. The clientele seems very laid back, so it’s not like you’re fighting for walls though. Just be prepared. While the staff does put up new routes, other gyms do a better job I think of rating them, and keeping them marked. This is no big deal to me, but might to you. As of 2014, there’s been some quibbles that many routes are too tough. So if you went this year and found too many 5.9+ routes, the staff is aware of this and may have revamped several routes since I last visited.
There is one more bonus though that Prime Climb has that sets it above many other gyms, and that is Mountain Fun, which is a second gym located just behind Prime Climb and under the same ownership. Mountain Fun is a smaller gym of about 16 top roped climbs with auto belay systems. Several of these routes are easier as well, though not all of them (most in the 5.2−5.7 range I’d guess). This gym makes a great place for kids, groups, or people looking to get a lot of climbing in, in a short amount of time, for training, cardio or whatever the reason.

Looked promising but was a let down after I started to climb. I had brand new shoes and the holds were too worn down to have grip. I don’t think the staff has every washed them. They charge premium prices like other well maintained gyms but lack the effort of keeping the gym to similar standards of most other gyms. I feel like I wasted my money and time here. This is a wake up call to management. I’ve recently visited two other local gyms and they were kept up to date and clean. I would suggest not coming here until this location cleans up their act. On a side note the only one employee working was a nice fella so for that they get 2 stars instead of 1.

This joint is so baller–
makes a carabiner holler!
With climbing walls and boulders–
works your legs & your shoulders.
Hard to find– like a warehouse or old factory.
Keep driving ’round back, then you’ll see.
The people were cool, experience fine–
get yourself up to CT’s Prime Climb!

I wanted to write an update, since I went ahead and bought a membership here.
Crowded. The gym is usually crowded. Not to the point where you can’t get your climbing in, but is you want to work in the cave, you’ll have be waiting your turn. This goes for pretty much any part of the gym except the 5.10+ walls.
I’ve been working on bouldering more than top-​roping here, so that’s where my focus is. I really wish there were more corner bouldering areas here. I like getting to work on my grip strength with the challenging routes they have here, but I really miss being able to work my way up a corner when bouldering. Pretty much all of the bouldering is along one long wall, with some overhang. There is a room upstairs with a more severe overhang, and a couple off side walls, but these aren’t always taken advantage of for corner climbs.
I have liked the top roping areas. They have really cool contours and corner areas in the walls here, so that balances out the bouldering, but I don’t get to top rope as much. There is an area with a steep slope, which is interesting and provides a change of pace.
They have some kind of challenge course, but I don’t know when they bust it out, but I’d be interested to check it out when it does finally get used.
The cost is fair and a three-​month membership is a decent deal, and if you go for the year, you save much more.

Great gym. Setting is top-​notch, staff is nice, routes are reset pretty frequently. Yes, the gym is definitely older and less decked-​out than some of the bigger gyms in MA and NY, but it’s still worth checking out.
There are two rooms with toproping, including one pretty overhung wall (30−35°). Most of the walls have bolts and/​or quickdraws, so leading is always an option.
Although there is not that much space devoted to bouldering, the gym really utilizes the space that they do have. There is also a newly redone bouldering cave (50−60°).
The only negative (depending on how you look at it) is that a lot of the holds are older and don’t have much texture. Personally, I think this helps with grip strength and endurance, if you are looking to improve your climbing, although it may be a turn-​off for newer climbers.