Climbing gyms in Vegas, Mammoth, Bellingham

Thinking about moving and miss having a nearby gym. I don’t want to move back to SLC, but damn did they have nice gyms (Momentum).

Can anyone comment on the gym situation in Vegas. Mammoth, and Bellingham (my top 3 choices…finding jobs not an issue)?

I had a question asked on why those 3 places not having any common ground between them. Vegas for the local cragging and long routes with a cheap close airport, mammoth cuz I live on the W side of Yosemite and am sick of the road closures up and down the western Sierra so mammoth would have better access and still in the Sierra and I can’t stand Bishop, and Bellingham cuz I love the area and feels more like home. I’ve spent extensive time in just about every climbing town in the west so I know all the pros and cons….just not the climbing gym situation 

However if anyone has a better western Washington town to live in I’d be interested in your opinion.

Bellingham has Vital, a tiny modern bouldering gym. They reset routes frequently so it doesn't get stale but it's small enough that I've done 2/3rds of the routes in one session.

The closest rope lead gym is vertical World North, an hour away. The bham ymca has a tall toprope wall from the 90s that rarely gets reset. 

There's plans to build a rope gym but it's probably a few years out.

If you're looking for modern gyms in Vegas, you might want to keep looking elsewhere.

Not to poo-poo the gyms here, because they're run very well by a super devoted and friendly staff.  But anecdotally, Vegas has the highest home-board-to-resident-climber ratio than any other town I'm aware of.  The nearest "real" roped climbing gym is in St. George.  Although you can scratch that <25ft itch at a couple of the gyms closer.

Charlie S wrote:

If you're looking for modern gyms in Vegas, you might want to keep looking elsewhere.

Not to poo-poo the gyms here, because they're run very well by a super devoted and friendly staff.  But anecdotally, Vegas has the highest home-board-to-resident-climber ratio than any other town I'm aware of.  The nearest "real" roped climbing gym is in St. George.  Although you can scratch that <25ft itch at a couple of the gyms closer.

I loved R2C2 during the stint I lived in Vegas. Definitely not "modern" by any stretch - an old-school tape gym. But that isn't a bad thing, and a good old-school gym can offer things that a modern mega gym doesn't. Its not as impressive to look at, but it will make you strong.  Good friendly vibe also. I also really enjoyed it's weird layout - lots of little nooks to hide away in (as opposed to a big open modern gym). And it was designed by Tony Yaniro - that has to count for something?

I haven't climbed at Refuge, it opened after I left. How is it?

I guess it also depends on whether OP cares about roped climbing indoors, or is happy with mostly-bouldering gyms. In any case, if you're in Vegas you can sport climb outside year round to get your roped endurance fix, then spend your gym time on the boulders to keep up your power. This is a good approach.

There’s one gym in BHam that’s pretty good but small. There’s another in Burlington closer than the one mentioned up thread.

Mammoth has one small gym also.

Vegas has 4 gyms and they are all nothing special. Surprisingly small/short considering the metropolitan area we are in. The bouldering is best at “the pad” formerly Origin

I guess I just got spoiled by having Sender One in Southern California among all the others but I’ve been less than impressed by Vegas offerings.
it surprises me that we don’t have a huge mega gym (or multiple) like SoCal or SLC or Denver.

Vegas is best for the outdoor access and nearby access. Even the sierras are “close”

Thanks for the reply’s. Weird Vegas doesn’t have a modern gym

As has been said, Vegas doesn’t have all time gyms, but what’s there are definitely better than Mammoth (is there one?) and Bham. (I haven’t been to Vital in a long time, but can’t imagine it’s changed too much and wouldn’t be stoked if it was my daily driver). Refuge isn’t terrible.  It’s got a ton of volume/space and decent albeit kind of generic bouldering.  I’d probably call it modern, but who knows what that actually means. 

I would say “the pad” formerly origin is modern for sure. The lead walls are simply very short: only 4 lead bolts to the anchor and about 27 feet high. However, the bouldering is great and there’s a lot of it. Plus there are auto-belays. 

If leading is a requirement, red rock climbing center has significantly more lead space.

In my experience with the Refuge, the bouldering routes there are good (no lead at all) but unfortunately the landing pads are very firm. It hurts to land there. I guess good training for outside..??

The only gym I haven’t visited here is Nevada Climbing Center. 

M L wrote:

However if anyone has a better western Washington town to live in I’d be interested in your opinion.

I always thought that the Burlington/Mt. Vernon area was kind of the sleeper best spot to live in Western WA, with North Bend maybe tied depending on your favorite climbing types. I get a sense there is housing available close to the dense downtowns and those cities are big enough to have everything you need on a weekly basis and probably easier to bike or walk around town for daily errands. There's a roped gym in Burlington, but not Bellingham which has gotten wildly more expensive and crowded, and if you live in the Skagit zone you are closer to Newhalem/Calendar Butte/Equinox/Index/Erie (I guess everything except the Canada crags). And Squamish is still a possible day trip as well.

If choosing between there and Bellingham, move to the Skagit and take the money you saved to buy an electric bike for going to Equinox or Split Rock and build a heatable insulated gear or yard shed with a moonboard to supplement the roped gyms. You'll probably still save a lot financially and you'll live closer to way more climbing. Newhalem and Index are both between 1:15 and 1:30 which to me feels much more casually day trippable than going almost 2hr each way (from B-ham).

blakeherrington wrote:

If choosing between there and Bellingham, move to the Skagit and take the money you saved to buy an electric bike for going to Equinox or Split Rock and build a heatable insulated gear or yard shed with a moonboard to supplement the roped gyms. You'll probably still save a lot financially and you'll live closer to way more climbing. Newhalem and Index are both between 1:15 and 1:30 which to me feels much more casually day trippable than going almost 2hr each way (from B-ham).

I 100% agree with blake, Bellingham is great but you can get most the benefits of Bellingham by not living in Bellingham. Something in Skagit is probably better. Most the biking I believe is between the two, Anacortes is a great place to SUP or Kayak or day trip, the ferries are closer to Burlington, I think it would be similar drive times to baker and the road from Burlington is super fun to drive! The only real upside I see to Bellingham is young people and proximity to Squamish. I would not ever day trip across the border tho. 

Also with this scenario you are in a much better position from a traffic perspective. Index to burlington is maybe 90 min on a weekend day where as us southern peeps it generally takes me about 2.5 hours to get home on a summer weekend to Renton. 

I also spent a whole winter in a non insulated shed and it really wasnt bad.

I might get lynched for this but all the Granite dome crags in North Western Washington are at least as good as some Index crags. There is also so much rock up there that could be developed. 

Princess Puppy Lovr wrote:

The only real upside I see to Bellingham is young people and proximity to Squamish. I would not ever day trip across the border tho. 

I used to day trip from Bellingham to Squamish all the time. Is it a shit show now?

M L wrote:

I used to day trip from Bellingham to Squamish all the time. Is it a shit show now?

I feel like the border can be a traumatic experience but maybe someone who is doing it more frequently more recently can comment. As a kid we did the drive to whistler all the time but as an adult I feel like I have had hour plus wait times even at the less popular crossings. I had four hours once...

Princess Puppy Lovr wrote:

I feel like the border can be a traumatic experience but maybe someone who is doing it more frequently more recently can comment. As a kid we did the drive to whistler all the time but as an adult I feel like I have had hour plus wait times even at the less popular crossings. I had four hours once...

Which crossing?

I generally used the Lynden crossing for weekend Squamish trips and rarely had it take more than 15 minutes. I think it took 30 minutes for me there once, but that was the worst I ever saw. These were usually late evening or early morning crossings. 

Peace Arch is a nightmare and should be avoided.

This info is all from 2009-2019 though. I haven't been to Canada since the COVID border shutdown. So I can't comment on the last few years.

JCM wrote:

Which crossing?

I generally used the Lynden crossing for weekend Squamish trips and rarely had it take more than 15 minutes. I think it took 30 minutes for me there once, but that was the worst I ever saw. These were usually late evening or early morning crossings. 

Peace Arch is a nightmare and should be avoided.

This info is all from 2009-2019 though. I haven't been to Canada since the COVID border shutdown. So I can't comment on the last few years.

Yeah I use Lyden normally, though I think right when the border reopened peace arch was the only one staffed. I have only been to Canada 3 times post covid. Maybe it has returned to normal but a two hour drive with 2 30 minute waits makes a 5 hour car commitment to go climbing. 

Princess Puppy Lovr wrote:

Yeah I use Lyden normally, though I think right when the border reopened peace arch was the only one staffed. I have only been to Canada 3 times post covid. Maybe it has returned to normal but a two hour drive with 2 30 minute waits makes a 5 hour car commitment to go climbing. 

That sounds like it would have been grim with Peace Arch as the only crossing open.

Generally agree though that Bham to Squamish is on the far outer edge of what seems like a reasonable day trip to me. Even if the border isn't usually too long a delay, it's an unwelcome source of variability. Plus Vancouver traffic is another wildcard.

I'd also agree with the suggestion from Blake and Trevor that the Skagit is a good spot. Mt Vernon is a nice small town. Good

I don't think the extra half hour from Mt Vernon to Squamish (2.5 hours, vs 2 hours from Bham) would make that big a difference in how often you make it to Squamish. But being a half hour closer to Index (1:15 vs 1:45) is a pretty notable difference in terms of it being an easy day trip.

One caveat is that the Skagit gym looks pretty small. Can't comment on how good it is. So returning to the gym question from OP, not sure how much value added a small gym would be.

I learned how to climb at nevada climbing center in Vegas. It’s a fantastic gym with very thought provoking routes and boulders, the guys setting them know what they’re doing. I moved to denver and found all the routes/problems here being soft as hell. I could barely climb v4 at NCC and I’m climbing v6 at movements around denver. That being said, it’s a very old school gym with taped climbs and not much else besides climbing walls (very tiny weight area/no showers etc). It’s very cheap for membership though and has a very good small nice community around. I can’t really speak on the other gyms around Vegas

Could always move to North Bend! 35 minutes to Edgeworks in bellevue and 40 minutes to SBP in Seattle (w/o traffic). Lots of climbing, trails and rain accessed right from town!

I know folks who live in Bham and still use the gym in Burlington. Vital is just not a good gym for training, you'd be better off with a home wall. Too crowded, too small, and gets reset too often. That being said, it is 24 hr access and if you can go super early or late it would totally work. 

Also I've done day trips to Squamish, the trick is to leave before 6 and return late as well. It's a full day, but worth it imo. Honestly I feel like the traffic on the 2 is worse than the border and Vancouver.

The B’ham I knew and loved 20 years ago sound like it pretty much has the same issues just less abandoned store fronts and more expressive, still loved the shit out of it.
I also lived in Summerland and worked at the gym on Charleston. Had no life but climbing my brains out. Probably wouldn’t live there more than 2-3 years most.
Mammoth has so much to offer but seems like an overpriced soulless  coke den at the same time. Bishop just similar but hotter. 

I’ll prob either do some short gigs and get Vegas and the East side out of my system for a few but NW Washington always felt like home. Course ones I’m my 20s now late 40s.

My prob now is 130-145min to Yosemite, rest of the  western Sierra a goddamn mess for how many years to come, and severe lack of partners, climbing community, gyms 

I should mention lived in SLC for 10 years 5 years ago. Best gyms ever. All you can eat style local rocks and climbing …lots of selection but not the best, the came the overcrowding and home inflation and godafwul smog…plus gave my last fuck about pleasing my Mormon coworkers delicate sensibilities  the the backcountry which I felt sucker anyway became a total shit show and could enjoy skiing at the resorts on glorious weekday powder dumps.