Bouldering Project - U District

So glad for another climbing gym on the north side! Climbing is getting ever more popular and the gyms are pretty crowded during prime hours after work on weekdays. This is the fourth bouldering project in Seattle and very conveniently located near both bus and light rail. The gym is large, modern, and what you would expect from the new wave of gyms. There are two floors of climbing with the main floor having a small section of climbing and a workout area and the second floor holding much more climbing. A few things keep me from being able to give this place five stars. Namely the lack of training boards which I feel every serious climbing gym should have these days and the workout area feels very small and not well thought out. There was a pull up bar but it's been removed and there are only a few hang boards (and not even the popular ones) which are mounted quite high and require a stool for most people. There also doesn't seem to be much support for off the wall training with a lack of weights and belts for weighted hands, no rice buckets, and zero no hang devices. The plastic PVC pipes for warming up are also really short and don't offer much resistance the way the wood ones do at their other locations. The walls are also really close to each other and it can feel hazardous to climb or even stand between some of them when people are on them. Overall I think the gym is a fine addition and conveniently located for public transit but not a gym serious climbers looking to train will be able to frequent. Parking nearby is also very hard and I would not recommend driving.

I’m so excited for this to be near UW! Was a little bit hot inside but I love the old bank vault aesthetic and it is super large. They turned the bank vault into a sauna which is interesting. Edit: I have been going semi regularity and they have fixed their hvac system!

Really nice and new gym in a super accessible location! The lockers are on the bottom floor, along with private showers and bathroom stalls—there’s no traditional open locker room. There’s also a changing stall behind a separate door. Lockers are free to use—you just need to ask the front desk for a key. There are two levels of climbing—one on the entry level and another at the very top (up quite a few stairs!). It was pretty chill during the day but started getting busier in the late afternoon. Mostly college-age folks around, but everyone seemed friendly and respectful. I didn’t get to try the sauna since it was packed, but it looked nice. It’s a smaller gym. Good for beginners too.

Ill preface this by saying I love this gym, but three big things are keeping me from giving it 5 stars. 1) The sauna is lukewarm. SBP Poplar does it right with the temperature: nice and hot. The vault is cool aesthetically, but because it is so huge and not all the heat lamps are on, it stays just above mildly warm. A sauna session after climbing is my favorite part of Poplar's amenities. The same experience at U Dist is so lackluster that I dont bother using it. Please find a way to bump up the heat! 2) Water pressure at the fountains is terrible. It has been months from opening and it still takes forever to fill up your water bottle. Please actually fix this. It has been better for a little, then goes back to being the weakest little dribble. 3) Holy cow is $100/month expensive. I cant recommend it to friends because bouldering is so much fun ittle hook you, but the price tag is insane.

Excellent climbing facility that happens to come equipped with a sauna, a cold plunge, and multiple showers (all cleaned regularly). The classes at SBP UD have been stellar so far, some relaxing and some intense! The staff has been nothing but kind and informative.