The Pad Climbing San Luis Obispo - San Luis Obispo, California

Zachary Johnson

Such a fun time, no matter the age! They have a wide range of skill level lines. They have a really cool free style area with tons of different practice angles and hold types. They have auto-belays for kids and adults. They even have some gym equipment so if you get a membership you can get a super well rounded workout in one place.

The atmosphere is really fun and chill. The Crew is super nice and helpful. It was our first time and they got us all set up and showed us the ropes! I definitely recommend for a family fun time, date night or to improve your rock climbing skills.

Cam Hatch

Great place for some indoor climbing. Super reasonable rates. Staff is rad. Ropes section is solid.

Kurt Madland

An otherwise 5-star climbing gym, but with 2-star ventilation on the roped side of the gym. I wish I could give this gym a 5-star review, but the roped side of the gym is borderline unusable for 1/3 of the year. On the bouldering side, multiple fans and a huge, open garage door allow for nice airflow and cooling year round. However, on the other side of a very narrow hallway, the roped side of the gym often has a level of humidity to rival the deep South.

I tried to discuss this with the front desk, and they mentioned there were fans in the bouldering area. This doesn't really help, because I would like some in the roped area, and I don't want to rob boulderers of their fans to do so. Emailing customer service got me the same unhelpful answer.

Ownership has the money to build new gyms simultaneously across the country, but apparently doesn't have the money to invest into their existing gyms and communities. How much does it cost to call a contractor and explore some options for improving ventilation... a few thousand? How much does it cost to build two new gyms... maybe a bit more?

Otherwise, phenomenal gym. The rates are affordable relative to other climbing gyms, and the gym offers various benefits for free that other gyms wouldn't ever offer. Free rentals, 24/7 access, etc. are honestly all absurd perks, which makes this gym still very much worth the money.

Michael Dorman

Fun spot to drop in when visiting SLO. The staff is super friendly, the routes are good, and the drop in fee is reasonable. There is a decent little gym as well. They have plenty of bouldering, top roping and lead climbing routes. The auto-belay options are a little more limited but still, you won’t get bored over a long weekend visit.

M D

I really love the idea of The Pad, but every experience I've had with them has been pretty poor.

Firstly, they never answer their phone. And when I took questions to email, I got redirected to multiple different dead ends (no response, wrong information, sent back to the original person that couldn't help) and after a few weeks I just gave up and didn't sign my kid up for the camp.

Second, when I stopped in for a visit to check out the facility for my kids, the desk people were rude. I understand that it's a lot of college students, but it really felt like a bunch of kids that were there to socialize and annoyed when they had to work, even with small asks.

Lastly and most significantly, when we did come back to try it out, the staff that helped suit up my kids was really unprofessional and dismissive. He definitely didn't mean to pinch my kid's skin when clipping the gear, but he did and when my child started crying, I saw him roll his eyes at another staff member and he told my kid 4x that he didn't actually pinch them (which of course made my kid cry harder and insist that yes, they did get pinched, and it hurt, and they didn't want him to try putting it on again). Another staff member stepped in and was much kinder, but it really threw me, especially as my kids are neurodivergent and I had read good things about The Pad for ND kids.

I won't try again. Such a bummer.

Chris Manuele

Stopped by The Pad to climb using a day pass. A bit on the pricier side, but we had a good time. Normally I spend most of my time bouldering, but here I used the top ropes predominately. There were a couple really fun routes. I did find the difficulty ratings questionable. The 5.9 rated routes we're pretty easy for me while the 5.10 rated routes were very difficult. From what I heard the routes aren't changed often, but can't say for sure. The bouldering area was bigger than I originally realized. Didn't spend much time there but found a few good routes. The pad was a bit firmer than I'm used to so falling wasn't as nice. They also have a nice kids area and a gym area.

Jacob Eurich

This is a must visit for anyone passing through. Fantastic gym layout and design, something for everyone, quality setting, and clean.

Background: I’m a V7-8 climber at most gyms and travel for work hitting gyms everywhere I go.

Check-in was easy. Staff were friendly and helpful. There was a nice warm-up area. I loved the separate spaces for children and training. Well done! Setting was good, consistent, and easy to follow. I particularly enjoyed the multiple auto-belays to burn-out on after bouldering. They had two 12s on auto, well done (most gyms don’t set hard routes on autos). The only thing I’d suggest is a few harder climbs (V6-8 with lower finishes/cruxes) for those that are not members and visiting/not used to the height.

I can’t wait for The Pad to move down to Santa Barbara. I was excited to check them out, in excitement!

This place is fantastic and I applaud the efforts to make this gym what it is. Thank you!

Thor Larsen

Just a great place to have fun and get a fantastic workout at the same time. The membership has grown, the vibe is great, the staff is awesome. Always someone of similar skill to meet up and climb with. With time it has only improved.