FAQs

Yes, you need a waiver! Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. We go to great lengths to make our facilities as safe as possible to ensure that patrons of the facility encounter as little risk as possible. That being said, we require a waiver from every visitor to the gym in order to stay in operation and for insurance purposes.

All customers under the age of 18 MUST have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. Grandparents, siblings, and teachers do not count.

You have a number of options!

1. For those ages 13+: You can take an Intro to Belay class to learn how to properly rope climb in the facility. This class typically takes 75 minutes and must be booked online. Once completed, you’ll have full access to the gym and the ability to rope climb with a partner, boulder, and use the auto belays. This class provides the best value for the facility!
2. Ages 5+: You can climb on our bouldering walls. Bouldering does not require ropes, instead it focuses on shorter walls (10 – 14 feet tall) with padding on the ground. Partners are not required for this style of climbing. Please watch the Bouldering Orientation and sign the attached form.
3. Ages 5+: Try our auto belays, which will allow you to climb a few of our tall walls without a partner! A short orientation is required before auto belay use, as well as a signed Auto Belay Orientation form.
4. Ages 5+: If you come on weekend days we have “Staff Belay” which is a program where our staff provide all the assistance to let you climb on ropes without taking the Intro to Belay class. This option is recommended for those climbing with kids under age 13.  Space is limited to 5 climbers per group so pre-registration is required.

We have bouldering, top-rope climbing, auto belays, and lead-climbing at our facilities.

• Bouldering is climbing on a low wall (10-14 feet) that uses large mats to fall on for protection instead of ropes and a belay system. All climbers are required to watch the Bouldering Orientation video and fill out the attached form.
• Top-rope climbing requires that climbers know how to belay and tie proper knots. It involves climbing while wearing a harness, attached to a rope which is wrapped around an anchor at the rope of the wall, with someone attached on the other end who is managing the rope correctly, in a way that does not permit you to fall to the ground. The person on the ground is known as the belayer.
  • Anyone who is belaying needs to take a belay test or a belay class. Click here for the Intro Belay class information and times. For the belay test you must be able to show competency in making the proper climbing knot and belay procedure without assistance from the staff.
• Auto Belays allow climbers while wearing a harness to clip in to an automatically retracting device, and to try climbing the taller walls 2o feet + without having a partner. When the climber lets go, the auto belay device lowers them to the ground. Auto belays are a great way to try the taller walls for kids under 13 or those without a partner for belaying.
• Lead climbing is a more advanced style of climbing that involves clipping your rope into gear on the wall, and in essence, placing your own protection as you climb up the wall. This type of climbing requires more advanced knowledge of the sport and that each climber be certified by the facility staff. Climbers must be top-rope belay certified before taking our Lead Climbing class.

Belaying is the process of managing the rope so that the person rope climbing does not fall to the ground when coming off the climbing wall. Belayers are also responsible for lowering the climber properly to the ground. We provide an approximately 75 minute instructional class on belaying throughout the week. For more information on this program see our belay class schedule.  Please be aware that you must be 13 years of age or older to belay at CRG facilities. Parents are encouraged to take the belay class to learn how to belay their younger children.

We have a limited number of auto belays. An auto belay orientation from a CRG staff member is required before using an auto-belay, as well as a signed Auto Belay Orientation form. Though they are convenient when climbers do not have a rope partner for the evening, we believe in the need for partnered climbing. This ensures two sets of eyes for all safety checks and helps maintain a socially engaging environment. The number of auto belays in the facility fluctuates, as they are required to be to be re-certified by the manufacturer every year, and the process can take months per auto belay.

If you are an experienced climber and know the PBUS belay method, then we have a simple test you can do to show you are competent with the process. If you do not know how to belay you will need to take a class. Please keep in mind that watching a YouTube video about belaying is an extremely unsafe substitute to taking a class and will likely result in failing the belay test. If you only want to boulder or use auto belays, no class is required.

There are several options for you to choose from and each one has a different price. Please visit our rates section for the gym you are visiting for more information, and look for our daily specials and memberships!

All Central Rock Gym facilities offer monthly memberships to the gym and are priced such that 4 or more trips to the gym on a monthly basis makes it beneficial to sign up.  Our membership policies are the best in the business too! There are no start-up fees, no cancellation fees, and the only commitment is pro-rated dues for the remainder of the month plus 1 full month of dues.

Check out the membership page under “Pricing” to see everything our memberships have to offer.

Absolutely! We have a section of our gym dedicated to child friendly climbing. These walls are shorter in height, making it easier to communicate between the climber and belayer, and making the climber feel more comfortable in a unique environment.

We also have numerous programs that are geared toward children including birthday parties, summer vacation programs, youth climbing teams, and lock-ins. For more information about our youth programs click on “Kids” on the navigation menu.

We generally suggest ages 5 and over for the average child. With children this young, parents/guardians are required to stay with them at all times. A few rules to remember for children especially- always walk in the facility, stay out of fall zones, be courteous of other climbers. Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that children follow the rules and guidance provided. Parents, please watch the Bouldering Orientation video with your children and fill out the attached for each climber.

Yes, pre-registration is required. Classes are popular and they can fill up fast.

We have an entire series of classes geared toward both novice and experienced climbers, including Intro Belay classes, Intro Technique Classes, Advanced Technique classes, Yoga classes, and Fitness classes.

Private sessions can be scheduled on a case by case basis with one of our instructors.  However, we recommend that members take advantage of the free Climbing Progression classes included in their membership before booking private instruction.

We have a full set of cardio machines and free weights available at the facility for members and day pass users. You must be 16 years old to use the equipment unless under the direct supervision of a staff member. We also offer other types of classes that you can participate in without climbing such as Yoga and Fitness classes.

Wear something that you are comfortable moving around in. We suggest flexible pants and something that is not too baggy. It is recommended that you wear shorts or pants that do not need a belt. Think: Phys Ed Class. If wearing shorts, longer shorts are recommended, as harnesses can cause shorts to ride up. We have all of the gear you need for climbing, so no need to worry about that part! Just make sure you bring socks to wear with our rental shoes.

If you are joining us for a birthday party please wear laced sneakers, as we do not give out rental shoes for parties.

The entrance to the Syracuse location faces Dupli Park Drive, with the parking lot at the end of Dupli Park Drive. A map is available on the front page of the site.

We have FREE WiFi at our facility and a nice comfy couch for chilling out and surfing the web.

We provide lockers at our facility for your convenience, with locks available for rent at the front desk. We recommend bringing your own lock when you come or simply using the open cubbies we provide in many different areas of our gym. We take no liability for lost/stolen items so it is recommended that all valuables (wallets/keys/computers) are either locked up or left in the car.

We unfortunately do not allow dogs or other pets at this time. Thanks for your understanding!