Anyone in Northern New Jersey Climb at...

North Jersey Climbing Gym? Im attending a beginners class there and hoping for the best! If this gym isnt suggested is there another one in the area that anyone could recommend? From the photos it looks like a pretty decent sized gym with walls and bouldering. Im totally new to climbing and really looking forward to getting started..
Thanks!

I'm assuming you mean New Jersey Rock Gym? (near Fairfield)

I like better the two Gravity Vault gyms at Upper Saddle River and Chatham (and both of their locations are more convenient for me -- especially USR on rt 17 for getting an intense indoor workout after climbing outdoors in NY state).

But the NJ Rock gym is surely plenty good enough to learn and improve and become a strong climber.

My complaint for doing my intense training workouts there is that the campus board at NJ Rock Gym is too steep for most climbers less than 5.12 -- while the campus board at Gravity Vault USR is a good steepness for training for developing climbers.
(Similarly the System board at NJ Rock Gym is steeper than the one at GV USR.)

Ken

+1 for Gravity Vault

Yes njrg. We have another rock gym near me in Randolph whoch is about 10 minites from my house but when I called to ask for any beginners crash course they didn't have much to go on. Although both upper saddle river and Chatham are both within the hour I will see how it goes at njrg and once I get a few climbs in I'll check out the other 2 gyms!

adrianna melody wrote:Yes njrg. We have another rock gym near me in Randolph whoch is about 10 minites from my house but when I called to ask for any beginners crash course they didn't have much to go on. Although both upper saddle river and Chatham are both within the hour I will see how it goes at njrg and once I get a few climbs in I'll check out the other 2 gyms!

Are you just learning how to belay and lower, or is it something more? Weird that they 'didn't have much to go on' if the former, because that's one of very few ways climbing gyms make money.

gavinsmith wrote: Are you just learning how to belay and lower, or is it something more? Weird that they 'didn't have much to go on' if the former, because that's one of very few ways climbing gyms make money.

Just learning to belay and lower..The person i spoke too didnt seem too sure!
But im super exciting to go to my first class this week..

anything i should know before i go?

Both NJRG and Gravity Vault are very nice facilities, either will be fine, but I would choose learning at NJRG because they will teach you to use a normal tube style belay device (ATC). Gravity vault uses Grigri's which are fixed to the ropes. Chances are if you get more into climbing and go outside or to other locations you'll be belaying with a tube-style device. Once you can use that, transitioning to a grigri is pretty simple.

Also, from where you're at, NJRG is an easier drive. I'm originally from Stanhope and that's the gym I always went to.

Larry S wrote:Also, from where you're at, NJRG is an easier drive. I'm originally from Stanhope and that's the gym I always went to.

Yes! Hopping right on 80 to 46 is no big deal(its like a 25 min drive). Starting with solid basics is something that i was really looking for so i could build upon that, and like you said moving outside with common equip i would be using outside (eventually) is important too.

I climb at NJRG all the time i find it to be one of the best gyms i have gone to in the area.

im there usually 3 times a week then outside on the weekend.

all of us regulars are all friendly so dont be afraid to introduce your self

reasons i like NJRG

-overhung lead wall
-lots of top roping and bouldering
-friendly staff
-friendly regulars
-lots of pads for crashing in to
-they teach you to belay on a ATC and not a Gri-Gri

you can tell its me if im wearing green shoes, harness and chalk bag

Zach Adamczyk wrote:I climb at NJRG all the time i find it to be one of the best gyms i have gone to in the area. im there usually 3 times a week then outside on the weekend. all of us regulars are all friendly so dont be afraid to introduce your self reasons i like NJRG -overhung lead wall -lots of top roping and bouldering -friendly staff -friendly regulars -lots of pads for crashing in to -they teach you to belay on a ATC and not a Gri-Gri you can tell its me if im wearing green shoes, harness and chalk bag

Awesome! Thats great to hear. Im pretty shy not going to lie and was pretty nervous how regulars were going to react to a newbie like me!ahah

Youll know its me because i have purple hair..pretty hard to miss

Anyone here still go to the NJRG? I am getting tired of bouldering and need to get on that wall! For whatever reason I cannot find a consistent partner to climb with 2-3 times a week.

Please let me know.

Alex

My fiance and i have just started gooing back to NJ rock gym regularly! (multiple times per week)