Bouldering gym · Hartwell
Remember climbing trees?
Topout is that, indoors. Three hundred climbs on padded walls in the old bus depot, no ropes, no experience, no harness. Rent shoes, start on yellow, and see how high you get.
Open today until 11 pm
Your first visit
Climb this one with us.
Scroll to send it. Seven moves from the mats to the top.
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1
Sign the waiver at home
Two minutes on your phone, once. Under 18? A parent or guardian signs. Where's the waiver?
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2
Rent shoes and chalk
Climbing shoes $6, chalk is free. Wear stretchy clothes. Socks optional, shoes are snug on purpose.
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3
Watch the five-minute intro
Someone from the desk walks you round: how the colors work, where to rest, how to fall.
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4
Start on yellow
Use only the holds of one color. Both hands on the start holds (the ones with tape), feet anywhere on that color.
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5
Climb down when you can
Down-climb or drop from low. Land on both feet, bend your knees, roll back. The mats are thick; the floor is never close.
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6
Rest more than you climb
Three minutes between tries is normal. Watch others, swap ideas. Bouldering is weirdly social.
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7
Top out
Both hands on the top hold, under control. That's a send. Ring the bell on your way out if it was your first.
Read the wall
Every color is a difficulty.
We set in a circuit of six colors. Pick a color to see how it feels and how many problems are up right now.
VB–V0
64 problems up now
Yellow: your first day
Big holds, like ladder rungs. If you can climb a ladder, you can top most yellows on your first visit.
Find them on the Slab, the Kids' Cave and the Depot wall
How busy is it?
Come when the mats are empty.
Typical crowds by hour, from the door counter over the last few months. Weekday mornings and late evenings are the quiet times.
Right now, usually
Quiet
About 15 climbers
A mock-up of the live counter. Setting days close one wall: Tuesdays the Depot wall, Thursdays the Cave.
Passes & memberships
Pay by the day, or climb all month.
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Day pass
$22
Climb all day, come and go.
- Kids under 13: $16
- Shoes $6, chalk free
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Ten-punch
$190
Ten visits, shareable, never expire.
- $19 a visit
- Bring a friend on it
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Most climbers
Monthly
$79/mo
Unlimited climbing, yoga and the training room.
- Students $65
- Freeze any month
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Yearly
$790
Two months free, plus four guest passes.
- About $66 a month
- Shoe rental included
Which one should I get?
Best value
Ten-punch
$76 a month · $19 a visit
Kids & parties
Small climbers, big walls.
Weekly clubs with the same coach all term, and birthday parties on the Kids' Cave with a host who runs the whole thing.
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Ages 5–7
Little Crimpers
Saturdays 9:00 am, 45 minutes. Games on the low walls, falling practice, and a sticker for every color topped.
$120 a term · 8 weeks
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Ages 8–12
Wall Rats
Mondays and Wednesdays 4:30 pm, 75 minutes. Technique, problem reading and a monthly mini-comp.
$150 a term · 8 weeks
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Ages 13–17
Teen Crew
Fridays 5:30 pm, 90 minutes. Harder climbing, setting their own problems, and a crew to climb with.
$165 a term · 8 weeks
Birthday on the wall
Two hours: 75 minutes of climbing with a host, then the party room for cake (yours) and lemonade (ours). Shoe rental included.
- Up to 12 kids, ages 5 and up
- $295, then $18 for each extra climber
- Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am, 1 pm or 4 pm
The gym
Six walls, one big room.
- 300
- problems on the walls at any time
- 15 ft
- tallest wall, above 18 inches of padding
- 40
- new problems a week, one wall at a time
- 1
- café with a view of the overhang
Plus a training room with hangboards and a spray wall, a yoga room (classes included in memberships), showers and a lot of chalk.
Visit
1200 Depot Row.
Open every day
- Monday – Friday
- 6:00 am – 11:00 pm
- Saturday & Sunday
- 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
In the old Hartwell bus depot, behind the farmers' market lot. Free parking, bike racks inside, the 7 and 22 buses stop at the gate.
The waiver
Everyone who climbs signs it once, online, before their first visit. It takes two minutes and saves you a queue at the desk. Climbers under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign.
Sign the waiver onlineOn the live site this opens the gym's online waiver in a new tab. This is a sample, so it stays here.
Questions
Before you chalk up.
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people's first visit is their first time climbing. The intro takes five minutes and the yellow problems are built for day one.
What's bouldering, exactly?
Climbing short walls, about 15 feet at most, without ropes or harnesses, above thick mats. Each "problem" is a set of holds of one color, from the taped start to the top.
How old do kids have to be?
Kids of any age can climb in the Kids' Cave with a parent watching. On the main walls, under-14s need an adult with them; 14 to 17 can climb alone once a parent has signed the waiver.
Can I come by myself?
Yes, and plenty do. You don't need a partner to boulder, and it's hard to spend an evening here without someone offering a tip on your problem.
Do I need to book?
No, just come in. Groups of eight or more, please call ahead so we can have shoes ready. Parties and clubs are booked in advance.