Indoor Climbing Centers

Climbing Wall Hotel fitness centers suck, and now that it’s starting to get colder outside jogging in the park doesn’t sound so great either. If you’re traveling with a colleague, you can go get your (on belay) belay on at an indoor climbing center. Climbing centers are cropping up all over the country. Most of the gyms offer memberships as well as day passes.

Day passes are around $15 - $20. That may or may not include gear rental, which may add an extra $10.00 to your total price.

Someone will need to pass the belay class, but that shouldn’t be any trouble at all. Any gym will offer different degrees of difficulty on the climbing walls, from beginner to advanced. Start low and work your way up. Some places even offer yoga classes and free high speed wireless.

I’ll never forget the words:

Climber: “On Belay”
Belayer: “Belay On”
Climber: “Climbing”
Belayer: “Climb On”

Don’t worry, if I could belay for a 185 pound man, anyone should be able to do it. You don’t use brute strength to hold the person in the air.

This is a fun alternative to the traditional business person activity of sitting for hours at the hotel bar and a good team-building exercise. To find a place in your local area, check out indoorclimbing.com.