welcome first timers

Absolutely, all first time High Point climbers begin their visit with a climbing orientation where our knowledgeable staff will cover everything you need to know to be able to boulder and autobelay climb. No reservations required! New climbers can also top rope as long as their belayer has passed our Belay Check. If you are interested in learning to belay, we highly recommend taking our Top Rope Belay Class where you will build the necessary skills to pass the Belay Check and climb in more areas of the gym. Everyone needs to sign our waiver.

Everyone entering the facility needs to sign a waiver. This includes both climbers and spectators. Don’t worry though, spectating is free! Waivers must be completed by parents or legal guardians for minors. Waivers can be completed online before you arrive here through this link, or at one of the tablets in the gym.

No, bouldering and autobelays can be climbed without a partner. Same goes for booking any Climbing Technique Clinics or Top Rope Belay Class. Lead Climbing Classes require there to be a 2 person minimum for the class to run. You can still book a class if you are solo, just give your local gym a call to check on availability. You will be able to join a class that already has more than 2 others already booked.

Bouldering is unroped climbing on short walls ranging from 10 - 18 ft high. All of our locations have expansive bouldering areas. An autobelay is a mechanical device that helps climbers descend from a taller climbing wall without a belayer. We teach everyone how to boulder and use autobelays in our climbing orientation during your first visit. No prior experience is needed!

Belaying is the act of managing a rope to protect a climber. The belayer is there to control the slack in the rope system, catch a climber if they fall, and lower them down when they’re finished climbing. It’s a crucial skill to learn and refine, and taught in our Top Rope Belay Class.

So you are ready to belay? That’s awesome! Before belaying in the gym you must pass a belay competency check where you demonstrate the required skills needed to belay on either top rope or lead belay. 

Here is what you need to know:

The minimum age for top rope belaying is 11.
The minimum age for lead belaying is 14.

As part of your Belay Check, you will be asked to:
1. Put on a harness and tie into the harness using a Figure Eight Follow Through Knot, with a minimum of 6 inches of tail. 
2. Set up “on belay” with any tube style belay device. If you don’t have one, you can borrow a rental for the belay check. You can go back to using your approved alternate device afterwards. Why do we do this? Because if you can belay on a tube style device, you can belay on all belay devices with proper technique. Assisted camming devices tend to create bad habits so we just want to make sure your technique is top notch before we turn you loose in the gym! 
3. Demonstrate pre-climbing checks including the harness, knot, belay device setup, and climbing commands.
4. Belay using a technique where your brake hand is maintained on the rope at all times, catch falls, and demonstrate proper lowering technique. 

For a Lead Climbing Belay Check, you will additionally be asked to:
1. Demonstrate proper clipping and falling techniques as the climber. 

Lead climbers are allowed to check off with any approved belay device on the market. And yes, you can skip the top rope belay check and go straight to the lead belay check.

Top rope belay checks can be done solo. Lead belay checks require a partner.

If you do not know how to belay or you feel you need a refresher, we highly recommend taking our Top Rope Belay Class. We will show you everything you need to know!

It depends on the type of climbing you plan on doing. Bouldering only requires climbing shoes. Autobelaying requires climbing shoes and a harness. If you want to top rope, you will also need belay devices and your own rope if you want to lead climb. Don’t have any of your own gear yet? No worries! We have daily rentals for everything you may need including shoes, harnesses, belay devices, lead ropes, and chalk.

Everyone is welcome! We have a variety of entrance options depending on your needs. We offer memberships, 7 visit punch passes, and day passes. Learn more on each location's pages.

Day passes include access for the entire day at the gym you purchased your pass. This also includes access to our free yoga classes or any other free events occurring that day. And yes, you can come and go all day as you please.

Please do! Members get 1 free guest pass per day to use on anyone that has not climbed at a High Point before.

Children 13 and younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times, but cannot use the weight or aerobic room,  or bouldering areas. There is no minimum age requirement for climbing in our kidzones. Autobelays do require a 30lbs minimum for lowering. Children starting at 11 can top rope belay under parent or legal guardian supervision after passing a belay check. When children turn 14 years of age they are allowed to belay without parent or legal guardian supervision after passing a belay check

Yes, we have dedicated kids climbing zones at our Downtown and Cleveland gyms!