Grotto Climbing & Yoga - Miramar (G2)

I do like the other location more simply because they utilize the wall space better. Having an entire section of the gym dedicated to comp routes that are very hard (if that isn’t your style / you don’t know parkour) is kind of a turn off. OTHERWISE this place is really fun! You’ll really earn your points because you can’t smear on the wall at all haha. All joking aside it’s a modern facility with cool terrain. Give it a shot!

Overview: The BEST climbing gym in San Diego, welcoming community, great facilities —— Grotto changed my life. After my first visit, I fell in love with bouldering and signed up for a membership the very next day. The sense of community here is so strong - the people I’ve met here have become like a second family, and this gym feels like a home away from home. —— Facilities: This is exclusively a bouldering gym with a variety of sections, competition walls, a spray wall, and an adjustable MoonBoard. - Route setting schedule posted next to the water fountains and next to the fitness area - Each wall stays up for around 2 months and a different wall is reset every 2 weeks - Their mats are soft, a LOT softer than Mesa Rim - There’s dedicated holds to help you climb down marked by a red tape square - Also it’s faster to sign the waiver online before coming! —— Fitness Area: - Great for supplementing climbing, it would be even better if there were cable machines - Strength Training: Squat racks, benches, free weights, barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, resistance bands - Cardio Machines: Elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike, and rowing machine - Hang Board Area: A wide variety of holds for grip training Yoga: - Free for members - Different types of yoga from slow, rhythmic flows to strength-based power yoga - Classes are scheduled in the morning or evening depending on the day and location - Easy sign-up; check the schedule and reserve your spot online - Make sure you sign up at the correct location! (Miramar and not Mission Valley) Amenities: - Bathrooms with free tampons and hair ties - Two changing rooms - Water fountains with a refill station - Dog-friendly! Water bowls are located next to bathrooms - Plenty of cubbies for storage, including smaller ones near seating areas and a larger storage area. —— Membership Perks: - 1 free guest pass per month (usable anytime) - An additional guest pass on the last Friday of every month - Access to both G1 (Mission Valley) and G2 (Miramar) locations - Free yoga classes —— Pricing: - Regular Monthly: $98 (+ $100 initiation fee) - Discounted Monthly (Military, First Responder, Student): $93 (+ $100 initiation fee) - 10-Day Membership: $49 Prepaid Options: - 1 Month: $151 - 6 Months: $540 - 12 Months: $972 Pass Options: - Day Pass: $31 - 5 Punch Pass: $140 - 10 Punch Pass: $279 - 20 Punch Pass: $476 - 30 Punch Pass: $684 Extras Purchases: - Drinks, protein shakes, and bars available for purchase - Shoe rentals $7 - Chalk rentals $4 - Shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shoes, and chalk also for sale —— Seating and Workspace: - There’s plenty of seating around the gym— plastic garden chairs and wooden stumps with small cushions. - A large communal table with outlets; great for charging devices or getting some work done (music is always playing, so if you need concentration, bring your own headphones) Crowds and Parking: - Quiet Sessions: Visit in the mornings - Busier Times: After work hours (around 6 PM) - Extra Crowded Days: Mondays and Wednesdays (UCSD climbing club meets at 7 PM), and Thursdays (adult climbing class starts at 6:30 PM) - Parking can fill up quickly on busy days, but street parking is available nearby —— The staff are so genuinely nice and welcoming, they set Grotto apart from all the other gyms. —— Overall: Whether you want to try out climbing for the first time or you’re an experienced climber looking for a gym, I can’t recommend Grotto enough.

This is a great boulder-only gym. There’s a kilter board, decent sized gym area, some cardio equipment, spaces to sit. The setting took some time to get used to, but the problems are fun. It involves a lot of muscling… I went to Mesa Rim and someone asked why would you get a membership at Grotto when you could be a member at MR for about the same monthly rate with top rope and bouldering, but the bouldering at MR is kind of gross (the holds seem like they’ve been there forever), and the setting is more boring. So, Grotto is worth it if you’re into bouldering. My main qualm was their membership. I feel like all they care about is money, but at the same time, they have different promotions to lure people in. I joined with 1 month free, but there was another promotion I saw later for 3 months at $150. Then, I was a little annoyed that I could’ve done that if I’d waited. It’s hard to cancel, and they want you to cancel with 1 month’s notice, but then they won’t tell you if they received your request for up to 10 days. (You can Google this for more discussion).

Love this place... when I used to live in San Diego I'd visit all the time the routes were awesome and the walls are beautiful. I even designed my own home wall based off of the walls here.

My partner and I recently visited Grotto during our trip to San Diego. Pros: The staff at the front desk was awesome. They were very welcoming and generally peppy. The gym also really felt like it was working to cultivate that community that gyms thrive on. Very clean and diverse climbs. Cons: the day pass was very expensive for how small the gym was. It was almost $30. The workout area also wasn’t great. The treadmills kept stuttering when I tried to run and I felt like I was sort of in the middle of things. I’m really glad we checked it out, but we are going to keep exploring other gyms in the area.