The Oaks Climbing

What an amazing concept... but... How unfortunate to not have chalk and to have bad routes. They advertise all these routes, amount of walls to climb, but don't even provide the bare necessities. This means you have to pay for their shop, which is a scummy business practice. Then you go to climb, and it's not this mecca of bouldering but just an average gym that looks cool. Pacific Pipe has SO MUCH more to climb, has chalk, better equipment, and better everything... just avoid here and go there if you're visiting. This place will leave you wanting more. What this gym has going for it is a good community of nearby climbers. The routes are not that great, for an all bouldering gym ~ my expectations on route setting are high. The V5s are questionably V4s, and things feel just easier here than other gyms... even without Chalk. Route Setting: 2/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 (a little underused for the size) Staff: 2/5 (friendly, but unequipped) Gear/Rentals: 1/5 (some of the worst in the bay area) Overall, major let down. Mission Cliffs and Oaks are the biggest losers in the Touchstone portfolio.

I love The Oaks! It's a great facility -- bouldering, workout area, and, of course, the sauna!!! The staff at the front desk are the friendliest folks. A gem of a gym in North Berkeley! I have been with touchstone climbing since they started, and I love this new addition.

This is overall a great climbing gym. I’m giving a one-star regarding how children are supervised here. I think the gym has a responsibility to train non-climber parents how to safely supervise their children. But what I see here (and other touchstone locations as well) is that a lot of parents don’t understand the climbing etiquette and safety. They’ll let their children start a route intersecting with a climber on the wall. They’ll stand in the fall zone of another climbing with their children. They’ll stroll with their kids along the wall. I don’t think this is the parents’ fault. I think the gym never properly educate the them how to supervise. Parents should pass an exam like a belayer’s exam in order to qualify to supervise minors.

Love this gym. Great space, great bouldering routes, great staff, great events. The recent bouldering competition event was terrific. If staff see this, generally request more down-climb handles extending further down for kids’ confidence and to save the backs of older climbers! Correction:this has recently been perfected already! Hope to see a Kilter board and yoga classes in the future.

New gym! Part of the Touchstone climbing gyms. The unique design used a former movie theater so there are two floors of tall walls. They currently still setting more climbs and it looks like they are still building the back wall. Looking forward to climbing here more often!