The Hive Bouldering Gym

Dope!
Great climbs, very challenging but manageable for most intermediate climbers.

Also has the benefit of a great adjoined gym.

Again west coast route setters- they are top tier and pros so the wall’s can be intimidating for newer climbers

Had a pleasant time.
It was my first time climbing experience, so I signed up for a Introduction course.
The instructor, Brandon, was very friendly and knowledgeable.

The place appears usually crowded with locals, and you can only book ahead to access the gym, so I recommend book ahead using online portal.

The staff is friendly, professional and the overall atmosphere of this place is great. Good variety of bouldering climbing routes at different difficulty levels (some are even suitable for kids which is great). A bit pricey but forgivable due to all the other pro's.

Decent size gym, great staff. Let down by the liquid chalk only policy, which has had a significant effect on the texture of the holds. Everything feels smooth and slipper

Ridiculously expensive ($30.98 for a 2hr session!), very small cramped space that's overcrowded, and terrible holds. The holds are so slippy, I don't know if it's because they're so old but they're completely frictionless. They feel as though someone filed them down, which isn't helped by the fact you can only use liquid chalk. Ashame because some of the climbs are really creative and fun.

Even with the booking system this gym is way too crowded for the layout. Had multiple people walk under when I was climbing, and there’s few areas to safely rest (and they are quite crowded).

Being forced to use liquid chalk is also a bad policy IMO. The gym air was not noticeably better than any other gym I’ve been to, and liquid chalk wrecks the hands (I’ve never lost so much skin in a session) and seems to me worse for climbing.

The crash mats are uneven and in need of replacing.

2 hour blocks are quite limiting.

No “top” markers mean some climbs are hard to discern (multiple holds at the same height / traverses especially).

Needs more supervision - there were children sitting in the workout area blocking equipment and playing at the top of the walls.

Compared to what I remember of 2015-era Hive this was a big letdown.

Only liquid chalk can be used, and slippers are not allowed on the mat. The staff are not very friendly. I don’t understand why there are so many unreasonable rules. The water dispenser is also dirty.
These regulations are not clear when making the reservation. They will not be informed by the orientation until the payment is made.
Highly not recommended

+
Staff, introduction and ambience is absolutely good.

-
Just liquid chalk
The holds up to the medium level of difficulty are poor (absolutely shiny), they need to be cleaned (screwed) more regularly.
Weird booking system in which a time slot (pay once = climb for 2 hours) is purchased.

Individually!
I didn't like the style of the routes

Always very clean, staff is helpful and a section of the walls get reset every week to keep the problem fresh and interesting

Gets a little crowded due to it being a small gym. Other then that's the staff were friendly and the gym is great.

If there was an option to give negative, the experience was definitely worthy of a negative rating. Poor and misleading customer experience.

Booked a beginner session and called to reschedule, but was told it’s not possible over the phone though the enrolment email said to call the number to reschedule. The representative was misleading and said the only option I have is to cancel the session.
Called again, this time a supervisor picked up and said it is in fact possible over phone.
It seems the staff is either not trained well or doesn’t want to accept that they don’t know the process.

Get your staff trained well, pls don’t mislead customers and waste people’ time!

No loose chalk, LIQUID CHALK ONLY!

Fun gym with great setting, very busy & still requires you to pre-book your climb.

Entire climbing area is matted, so you'll be hanging out and waiting on the mats with people climbing in front & behind you so watch where you wait.

I love climbing at the Hive. But the pricing heavily favors those with enough money to buy a yearly pass. Even if you can afford a monthly auto renewal membership, there is a substantial fee that nearly negates the savings. All this does is reinforce the wealth gap. The wealthy pay substantially less for the same product. And of course the staff are not the ones seeing those profits, wages are low. But the staff is lovely, and bouldering is fun.

I haven't been since Covid, but it was a good gym.

It can get pretty crowded during peak hours though. And the air quality was awful with all the chaulk. I think with the liquid chaulk mandate that problem has been solved.

Cost is outrageous. Good boulder house in general. $150 for a membership. In Whistler it's $85 (much smaller, includes a gym). Canmore it was $56 (much bigger). Calgary $62 (same size). Toronto $75. Yet this company demands %100 more than any other place in Canada. Yikes it made a grown man cry. It most likely has pushed away people, that would otherwise have memberships. It pushed me away. Food for thought. Wet chalk only, can’t bring in your own dry chalk. People are not friendly either that work there…

A great place to try out! Everyone who works here is extremely nice and helpful. Welcoming to new people and experienced people.

If you find holds too abrasive on your skin at other gyms, Vancouver Hive is a good place to check out. Just watch out for other climbers on the wall esp.in the corners when it's crowded. For those interested in moonboard and campus boards, you will love this place.

This place is unlike other climbing gyms! Whereas the owners care more about money then they do about their climbers. After being charged more then any other gym in the province, I was forced to buy liquid chalk (I guess they can’t afford a vacuum), and climb in a building with no air conditioning. It’s too bad the grades aren’t clear either as it’s tough to tell the progression.
They really take advantage of the climbing community as they’re the only gym in the area.

I'm not a climber by any means but this gym made me feel like I was part of the climbing community. The staff was friendly and everyone at the gym was so easy to talk to. I always got tips from other climbers on how to complete a route. Their rating system is unique in its own way with the hex system. Overall, highly recommend trying at least once. If you are a student, the first Monday of every month is half off. You can easily book your spot online and pay in person.

$27 for a day pass is expensive for what you get. The gym was smaller than expected but the routes are set pretty well. Glad I went but no urge to return. Very limited space so they have some unideal rules (no stuff, even water bottles, on the mats; liquid chalk only).

Love climbing here every sunday and periodically during the week. Can get a bit cramped depending on the day/time but always a great selection of rotating boulder problems.

Talk en poudre interdite et plutôt mauvaise ventilation, il faut très chaud quand il fait chaud dehors et qu'il y a beaucoup de monde

The staff was friendly and problems were fine, but the amount of people that were allowed to be in the small space was unacceptably dangerous.

I assumed because we had to book a time slot that they would limit the number of people actively in the gym at any time, but there's not enough space to stand and ensure that climbers have enough space to fall safely without hitting anyone. It appears as though nobody enforced capacity for the safety of everyone inside.

Multiple locations for the love of climbing. I feel comfortable here, & happy to have made friends here. Attention to injuries are handled well & swiftly. Inclusivity for guests is a focus. It's cleaner now with liquid chalk only. I disliked the price increase*
Safety measures were offered for the walk to the gym in the dark of winter. Sometimes free stuff when lost & found overflows. Staff are friendly and helpful.:)

I guess it's fine, but the annoyances of Hive gyms in general are amplified by the small space.
The setting is very low density, so there's only a handful of routes at each grade. I ran out of things upto my ability (a 3/4, I guess, in Hivegrades) quite quickly, so got a bit bored, repeated a couple etc.
The setting is fine. Like, just fine.
The cost is astronomical (seriously, in the UK it'd be equivalent to maybe $16 max, even in London.yeah, I get it, different country, city lease costs etc, it's still too much)
The workout equipment seems unnecessary. If I'm paying to climb, I want to climb, not play on a rowing machine. It's a waste of space. Do one thing well.
That said, the staff were really friendly and helpful and everyone in the gym seemed nice. The walls are interesting and well built, but could maybe do with a little refresh with some new grippy paint.
I'm glad I visited on my welcome week pass, as I'd feel sold short if I'd paid full price. On balance I don't think I'll be going back to this particular Hive.

The Hive is fine, but it’s not great.
I went to the Hive a couple times back when I used to live in van about 5 years ago. I had since gotten into climbing regularly after I moved to Edmonton. I decided to try coming to the Hive when visiting Vancouver again.

Route setting is pretty good, not the best of gyms I’d been to but it’s above average. There are quite few routes at each grade though. I ran out of routes to try at my level in one visit, whereas at gyms in Edmonton I never get through even half of them. Of course space is more limited, but still, it’s exacerbated by the fact that Hive grades are quite broad (encompassing 3 grades each vs the V scale) and new routes were not graded. I understand not being able to assign a specific v scale grade for a while, but assigning the broad Hive grades should be doable upon setting. Overall though I think the route setters do well with the circumstances and appreciated the friendliness of the staff

Cleanliness and condition weren’t great. I think it was worse than I remember. Holds aren’t grippy and neither is the wall. Grip issue is exacerbated by only being able to use liquid chalk, but that’s a preference/cleanliness matter so I won’t hold it against them.

Price is very high. 27 for a drop in for a small gym that needs to be refreshed just isn’t justifiable in my opinion

Great bouldering gym with lots of space and sufficient climbs. I thought the setting was good, with a reasonable variety between styles and grades. I did think some more climbs could be fit, but this might be because I'm used to denser setting.

There was a good workout area with lots of equipment that I enjoyed. If you have kids, there's a separate area for their climbing too.

Ridiculous prices. Now that they bought out Cliffhanger and created a monopoly, it won't get better. At least in the summer you can climb outdoors around Vancouver and not take part in this price gouging.

Best bouldering gym in Vancouver. Unfortunately, that's a well known fact, meaning you are sometimes dealing with a throng of other climbers. Edit: A COVID introduced booking system has agree alleviated crowding at this location.

Best bouldering within Vancouver. Weekly resets, small but functional fitness area, and super friendly and helpful staff!

Great bouldering gym in central Vancouver. Clean facilities and friendly staff. Many different routes and a good atmosphere.

Been coming here for 7+ years and it's been very consistent. Friendly staff and fellow climbers. Every week there's new problems so I never feel bored.ever

Love this place! I did the Intro to Bouldering class with a friend and will definitely be back for more. Our instructor, Daisy, was friendly and helpful and the receptionists were glad to help with finding the right shoe size. Highly recommend this class for anyone looking at getting into climbing, although it is quite strenuous on the arms! It was fairly busy and we were recommended to try out the other locations if we want to dodge the crowds.

Great gym with interesting routes
Could use a bit more workout equipment on the upper level (full squat rack/bench press and plates)

It’s a great bouldering gym! People are very friendly. Tough to get a spot during covid/booking system. Only area of improvement would be to have AC for summer/heat wave

It's a great place to do some workout. It can be more intense than what one would expect. The difficulty level is basically based on one's choice (decision and determination).

Cons - there were a few times where my bf told me that he saw some people coming out from the washroom without washing their hands. This really disgusts me.

I've been to their Poco, Surrey and North Van locations. Great place to climb and I like that their climbs are creative, challenging, and regularly change. Don't get injured though. You'll have to patiently wait until they finish their incident report before they even give you ice

Sketchy neighborhood that I'd avoid at night but otherwise excellent staff, nice climbing routes and pretty spacious for being close to downtown Vancouver.

One of the best bouldering spots if you are new to bouldering. Make sure you book early as spots fill up fast. Spots do open up for same day booking so you can keep an eye out as well. Thank you Julian and all the hive staff for a great experience. Good routes, great community, very safe and clean facility! IG: intotheboulderness

Cost is outrageous. Good boulder house in general. $150 for a membership. In Whistler it's $85 (much smaller, includes a gym). Canmore it was $56 (much bigger). Calgary $62 (same size). Toronto $75. Yet this company demands %100 more than any other place in Canada. Yikes it made a grown man cry. It most likely has pushed away people, that would otherwise have memberships. It pushed me away. Food for thought.

What a great place!
Only wish they have more booking spots: (
(I understand it's covid time but it's really nice place not to go if you love sports or try new things!)

Outstanding introduction to bouldering. Had a fantastic lesson with Rhianne, and will definitely be going back. The team is professional and very welcoming, and the price is just right. Worth a try!

The walls are nice, and they have a little top out section. Not as spacious as their other locations. Be aware of how ridiculously hot this place gets during summer months. Sweat adds a V grade.

Great route setting and friendly staff. Smaller than the other Hive locations, but this one is probably my favourite (maybe because this is the one where I got into climbing)!

I really enjoy my time here. Staff does a great job sanitizing and doing what they can to ensure social distancing measures are in place.

Staff had always been friendly and helpful.

For a small location they created a nice orderly way for people to come in and out safely.

Pros: they don't use the V grading system but it's reliable and routes are good
Cons: liquid chalk only
Expensive for the size of the gym

I highly recommending doing an intro course if you are new to bouldering! Very much worth the time and money - you get really helpful tips and then 2 weeks unlimited pass - very glad I did this:)

Been coming to this climbing gym for a while now. Super fun walls to climb plus the staff is friendly and awesome to talk to. Definitely would recommend this place to beginners and experienced climbers alike. Thanks for the great experience Julian and the rest of the hive staff!

Great little bouldering gym, but make sure you go when it's not busy. Also kinda smells a bit funky. Better to check out their new location in Surrey which opened July 2019.also, it smells better.

Medium sized boulder gym with some interesting route setting. The style was a bit unsettling from what I'm used to, but that's not always a bad thing. Problems are set on a 'hex' scale that spans a range of the V-scale with overlap. Problems feel harder than grade rating. Really appreciate the safety culture and shirts on policy! Solid option for climbers that are visiting the city during the rainy season.

Fun experience and helpful people today at the Vancouver location. The price for a single drop in was quite expensive for the size of the gym and it’s too bad there isn’t an opportunity to try your first time free (or discounted) to see if you enjoy it before spending $32 all in for your first time.

The most over priced gym I've ever been to but it's the only option in Vancouver, also incredibly busy. Sometimes good setting though

New to the City, and was initially happy to find a climbing gym with clean facilities, good pads and nice routes. However, these qualities are quickly overshadowed by the overcrowdedness of the space during all 3 of my visits here.

The long waits between attempts, falling anxieties on people on high cruxes, large groups sitting around the fall area, and the amount of headphone passerby’s make for an uncomfortable and often dangerous environment to be in.

Also, not sure why there’s need to invent a new grading system to describe another—more universal—grading system. Not only is this redundant, it’s confusing because the grading cover a wider range.

Perhaps there was a day when this location was safer and more enjoyable to climb at. Sadly, that day seems to be over.

Hive in Van more crowded than North Van and smaller but still great routes. The new supervision rules seem a bit strict though. I want to climb with kids!

Changing my review because of "members only" hours. 5pm-9pm Tuesday-Thursdays is after work for a lot of people, most days of the week. Kinda feels like because you cant afford a membership, you cant climb.

I had seen great experiences here as well, so it's sad to see.

I'm conflicted - the route setting is great and I really love you guys and have been coming on and off for several years but its just TOO busy and I don't feel much is being done to mitigate it.

I try and avoid coming after work because it is an absolute zoo then - but lately when I've made the effort to come earlier has been just as packed.

There also seems to be a huge uptick in children coming - I absolutely do think climbing is a great activity for kids.but this is also a gym for adults to exercise in and having young kids running around jumping on every route and not getting (and they are young so I'm not blaming them) the etiquette it makes it so hard to enjoy my time there.
I've been to gyms in other cities that have areas just for children to work on - maybe you could open up a children's or second downtown location in one of the warehouses nearby?
Members only times help a bit, but its so hard to get any quality climbing in with an emphasis on all the new programs, bouldering leagues etc. (which again, I think are great ideas). Just jamming everyone in together at all times of the day is exhausting. There doesn't ever seem to be a non-hectic time to go anymore.

There needs to be something done to clear up the congestion - you clearly have a market for a bigger space, please do something about it. The other locations only make sense for residents of those areas, I live close to the DT location so it doesn't make any sense to trek out to North Van or Surrey.

Not worth going to this gym, constant people walking underneath you was the biggest problem, to busy and no one seamed to care about etiquette, doesn't help that the design in some areas is a bit to tight. Walls are old and insanely slippery, not worth trying to smear on at all.

Worth the drive out to go find a better gym. Price was also high for no rentals, would never return.

There are tons of boulder problems you can work on. So you will find it hard to run out of problems. It's very vibrant yet spacious enough to enjoy climbing without much waiting. It's a great place for regular climbers. However, it's not really kids friendly for those under 8 unless supervised at all times.

Good route setting and the staff are friendly but the layout isn't great, it's usually packed and the music is mostly wack.

Staff is nice but gym is really too crowdy. Sometimes I even feel unsafe to climb, I am scared to fall on someone. Not sure I will pay for the yearly membership again. That's really a pity!

They maintain the place quite well however I find the price is too high. It could just be Vancouver with its crazy prices but I’ve been to many cities in Canada and you could always go bouldering for under $20. There also seems to be poor ventilation for the amount of climbers, so prepare to sweat!

Always a good time at The Hive. Staff is pleasant, in particular Julian who is always in good spirits, friendly and helpful. If you're looking for a great workout, climbing at The Hive will work on muscles you didn't know you had!