With the increasing popularity of competitive and recreational rock climbing, more people are deciding where they should climb. I frequently climb at the four climbing gyms discussed in this article, all of which are located in the Portland area. I’ve been climbing competitively for 10 years on the Multnomah Athletic Club climbing team, and have climbed at many different gyms in the US and Europe, and want to share my thoughts about our local gyms.
The Circuit Southwest Location – 6050 S Macadam Ave
This is the oldest of the four Circuit gyms, and its age is visible, especially as they lack AC and only have bouldering walls with a weird slippery texture.
The Southwest Circuit gym has been increasing its selection of new holds, however still often set, meaning creating routes, with old holds. Old holds are usually smaller and have a polished texture due to many years of use. Newer holds are usually larger in size, which doesn’t mean they are any easier to hold onto, and have a grippier texture. Newer holds would allow for more fun and unique movements, rather tha.
The setting, meaning the design and construction of routes, is good, yet they lack a slab (a wall where the angle is less than 90°) set with hard routes. For a newer or less competitive climber, I think this isn’t a problem.
The main overhang always contains plenty of hard routes, which are often set well and fun to try. There is a small moon board, which is a small section of wall with light up holds that can be programmed into routes, and a training area that feels cramped and old, however, it can still get the job done. Overall, I would rate this gym a 6/10.
The Circuit Tigard Location – 16255 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd.
This is my favorite of the current Circuit locations. It has a larger bouldering area, yet its walls still have the same slippery texture as the gym in the Southwest.
The Tigard location has more new holds than at Southwest, and although they set with some old holds, it balances well.
I think their route setting is a little better than in Southwest, however, I still struggle to find hard enough slab problems here. They have a large Moon Board, Kilter Board—similar to a Moon Board but a different brand—and a medium-sized training area which I often find myself using. Similar to the Southwest location, however, they don’t have any AC so it can get hot during the summer. Annual memberships cost $700, however, they allow for access to all four Circuit locations. The day passes for all the locations are $20. Overall, I would rate this gym an 8/10.
Portland Rock Gym Beaverton Location – 10860 SW Barnes Rd
This is the newest of all the gyms in the Portland area. It opened its initial bouldering area in 2023. On November 16th, 2024, they completed their gym, adding an additional bouldering area, 55-foot tall rope walls and a speed climbing wall. Speed climbing is one of the three disciplines in climbing where climbers run up standardized parallel routes. The gym has all new holds and walls, with great ventilation, AC and heating.
They have excellent setting, with hard routes on slab, overhang and everything in between. They also have four training boards and a large and open workout area. The annual memberships are $1028 and also give access to the PRG location in Northeast. Day passes are $24, four dollars more than the Circuit gym’s. Overall I rate this gym a 9.5/10, deducting half a point due to the high cost.
Movement Climbing Gym – 1405 NW 14th Ave
Movement Climbing Gym has both bouldering and an expansive rope climbing area. Their rope route setting is great, however I feel that their bouldering sets have been getting worse. They have a pretty good hold selection, better than that of The Circuits but not as good as PRG’s.
Movement has a training area a bit smaller than that of PRGs and only has one Kilter Board. I find Movement generally more crowded than other gyms, which can fill up these resources easily. It also gives off commercialized vibes, which makes sense as there are around 30 Movement-owned gyms across the country, something I don’t like, because I prefer a more local feel. That being said, the $929 annual membership allows access to all these locations. The day passes are $22, still more expensive than the Circuits but less than PRG’s. I would rate this gym 7/10.
Overall, I like PRG the best, followed by the Tigard Circuit, then Movement, and finally the Southwest Circuit. That being said, no matter which gym I go to, I am always able to train hard and have fun. If you rock climb or want to get into it, it’s fun and important to climb at many different gyms, as everyone presents you with a unique experience.
