Central Rock Gym

Address:	74 Acton St, Watertown, MA 02472, USA
Phone:	+1 617-744-0081
Site:	centralrockgym.com
Rating:	4.7
Working:	10AM–11PM 6AM–11PM 6AM–11PM 6AM–11PM 10AM–11PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 15

Kevin Bonham

Friendly atmosphere, and a good range of features and grades. Somewhat in-between the just-back-from-the-crag grunge of Metrorock (dont get me wrong - I love that feel) and the only-climb-on-plastic hipster vibe of Brooklyn Boulders, Central Rock feels like a place that casual climbers can feel totally at home in, but has plenty to offer the hard-core rock jocks. All of the tracked routes are based on the color of the holds rather than tape, and the grades feel about standard for New England, though they stick with +/- grades even past 5.9 (no letter grades). I havent gone often enough to have a sense for how often they change the routes, but the routes are fun and a good mix of thought-provoking and strength-challenging. I also havent done any bouldering or leading, but theyve got plenty of dedicated space for both. I have a yearly membership at Metrorock, but Ill still pay for Central Rock every now and again for the variety and change of pace, and its well worth it. If you live nearby or dont have a strong allegiance to MR, you could do far worse.

Russell Elmes

Out of all of the gyms in the greater Boston area CRG Watertown is by far my favorite. Its the newest one so it remains the cleanest, and it has a very open atmosphere. As far as the climbing goes the setting is generally great, but its exceptional on the massive overhung lead wall that sports about 15 routes (maybe more?). Top roping and bouldering are both high quality here, but nothing extraordinary. One drawback of CRG is the lack of featured lead climbing, such as arches, ceilings, etc. with the exception of the large overhung wall. They do have a cool bouldering ramp in the back thats perfect for practicing extremely overhung routes though. The staff here are friendly and the manager is almost always around to help out and answer questions.

Tyler Quesnel

Nice sized gym for prices that are fairly reasonable. If youre not an avid climber, the staff seems to be welcoming and people are friendly to help you get off your feet. If youre an experienced climber, this gym has lots of wall space; tall, overhung lead walls; ample top rope and bouldering; and cardio and strength fitness equipment. Membership includes access to several other gyms in the area and numerous fitness classes (yoga, spin, core...). The setting of routes is pretty good and done without frequency, on a schedule. The place is kept pretty clean and they always seem to be making improvements. Ive been to a lot of climbing gyms around the country and these gyms are some of the best all around.

Joseph Michela

This has been my climbing gym since they opened in 2013 or 2014. The monthly rate has competitive with other gyms in the area and getting access to all the CRG gyms with one membership is nice but a feature I dont use much. The facility itself is huge! The lead wall is just enormous. Routes change every three to four months so theres always something new to try. Routes are evenly spread from beginner to advanced (5.6 to 5.13). The most advanced routes are on the lead wall. The staff have always been friendly. Classes for belaying and lead climbing are thorough.

Mark Johnson

All you need to do is see this facility and you will be sold. When you first walk in you dont really grasp how large this gym is until you see the enormous lead wall and the upstairs climbing area. I would say this is the best climbing gym I have ever been to because of the mere size and layout. I personally go to the Cambridge location when I am climbing on my own and I come to Watertown when I climb with friends. At both locations they are constantly changing the routes throughout the week. I highly recommend Watertown for climbers both new and experienced.

Tyler Jowaisas

Welcoming, helpful staff. We were new to climbing, and Kevin, the manager, was very helpful in helping to pick out equipment. I never felt like I was being sold to. He really gave straight forward advice on reasonably priced equipment. One of my favorite things is that the staff really knows the place inside and out. They can always answer questions about routes and are always ready to talk about recent climbs. Its nice to get to know the people that work there through climbing. Keep up the good work!

Jessica Jones

What a great place! Everyone is so friendly and theres such a great vibe here. I took an intro to belay class and joined right after since the gym was so great. Unlimited yoga 6 days a week plus all you can climb and free weights/light cardio available - its a steal for $79/month. I was worried about finding a climbing partner since no one I know climbs but I joined a single climber sign up sheet and already have 3 climbing partners within 24 hours! Looking forward to staying here a long time.

Victoria MacMilan

I love this gym. I was at Work out World for a few months and it just seemed like work. At Central Rock, I can work out and actually enjoy doing it. They have cardio and strength equipment and all sorts of classes. I love coming here almost every day. The staff is awesome and the facility is massive! There are so many routes. Im always thinking about it when Im not there. Im so happy this place opened up right down the street from my house. Good bye, Work out World!

Bill Shubert

The good stuff: Large, with nice high ceilings for long routes. Big steeply overhung lead climb area. Long "training" roof for a good roof workout. Decent weight room too. The bad stuff: Route grades are ridiculously inconsistent - the other day my partner and I both failed on a 5.9 and a 5.10, then we breezed up a 5.11. No autobelays, no cracks. Overall, its not perfect, but its the best TR & lead climbing gym that Ive found near Boston.

Amy Cooper

Awesome gym! Great atmosphere! So much room and a very diverse variety of routes to climb! I feel like you could climb there every day for a month and still not begin to tough all the routes! They have longer routes and shorter routes, harder routes and easier routes! Perfect for everyone from the casual boulderer to the hardcore lead climber!

Jennifer Legaspi

The climbs were challenging and enjoyable. There were a decent amount of classics on the wall. The gym was a bit warm, but I know how hard it is to air condition a building like that. For people unfamiliar with the walls, most of the bouldering is at least slightly overhung, but the ropes climbs have a wide variety of wall angles including slab.

Zachary Pope

Gym has clean bathrooms and floors. Does a great belay and climber safety check. Thats the extent though. The walls are dirty, the holds are slimy from grease and chalk. Everything needs a good cleaning when it comes to the wall. The HVAC is under sized as it smells something terrible.

John Drotar

I love this place. Ive been coming a couple time a week for the last year and I cant seem to get here enough! they have a great selection of walls for everyone from advanced climbers and complete beginners and I love the way the color coordinate routes.

gabe donnini

Dozens of bouldering and top roping routes of varying degrees of ability. Includes a workout studio / weightlifting area. Somewhat expensive to go to on an ad-hoc basis, but reasonably affordable monthly membership.

Andreea Olea

Totally in love with this place! A LOT of fun routes, great facilities, great atmosphere, cant say enough good things about it! Definitely planning on spending lots and lots of evenings climbing here.