This is an older smaller place. It has really high walls and offers auto-belays. I would expect such a small place to be easy to clean, yet ALL OVER THE PLACE there is dirt, dust bunnies, hair, and pieces of the wall. Shouldn't be hard to pull out a vacuum once in a while. The auto-belays are not offering enough resistance when you ascend, as you are quickly released, feeling like you are flying down instead of slowly getting lowered (this I am comparing to other gyms with auto-belays). Some of the rocks felts a bit loose. If it is your first time, expect to spend 25min of you 60min time-slot on "safety training". That's almost half the time we paid for. It is possible it was longer than usual as our instructor was new. The mats for bouldering are old, torn, and could also use a wipe down. The booking system is far from good as well. If one person booked a time, that time is automatically removed from the system until a staff members calls you back to confirm your reservation (including # of ppl in your party). So you don't actually know if there is one spot or 10 spots left (which is an issue if you want to come as a group). Overall, staff were really nice (hence the 2 stars) but the place has seen better (and much cleaner) days.

As soon as you find this location you’re tempted to turn back. It’s at the end of a roadway with only a few houses around it and it looks very sketchy. Even after you walk in, you must travel through quite a few hallways in order to get to the reception area. This wouldn’t be so bad if you saw a single person to confirm that this indeed was the right place. However, once you do meet the staff you’ll find that they are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They’ll first ask you to sign a waiver, which is standard in almost all bouldering facilities. They will then give you your climbing shoes and go through all the safety instructions. It was quite a fun experience and I would definitely do it again. The facility is quite large in terms of height, but they do have more difficult and smaller rooms. I went bouldering here with the purchase of a Groupon for two, at a very good price, which included the shoe rental and a chalk bag. I do recommend using this or other deals if they are still available, as you will most likely get tired after an hour and a half (if you’re a beginner) and it would be a waste to get a day pass.

Really nice staff that will help beginners and are extremely welcoming. Definitely recommend this as a beginner gym and a nice place to visit

The location is nested in a side street of Newmarket, I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for the Groupon deal. The climb feels like being inside a cave, it’s a repurposed Mill Factory turned indoor rock climbing facility. They offer bouldering, auto belay and rope. I’m not a climber myself, but my 10 yr old daughter loves to climb. She liked this venue because the courses are more challenging than where we normally go, and the walls are high. All this possible because the shape of the mill. The building itself is aged and they only refurbished the minimum for rock climb; entrance not really inviting. There is a long and, what feels fairly steep, staircase to the upstairs sign-in reception. Each stair case step is shallow, and I wonder if it meets today’s building code as I walk up and down these stairs. Hold the hand rail when you use it ! The air is a bit stuffy and the floor mats may need a good vacuum soon. Points scored for : - the ‘cave-like’ feel, it’s cozy. - my daughter liked the challenging courses - not busy, so the day pass allows you to really enjoy the courses Lost points for : - uninviting entrance and old school steep stairs case to reach the sign-in desk - not good if you are sensitive to dusty/stale air

Pro tip: fill out the online waiver before you arrive to speed up the check in process. Also check out Groupon for some great deals. Great place with very tall climbs. There are many different areas including a bouldering wall and auto belay systems. There is a also a realistic crack for climbing. Staff are very friendly and ample parking in front

The place used to be great for a drop in, however, it's really sketchy and a money grab from the owner by eliminating the 1 hr pass with rentals which used to be around $28 incl tax. Now you are forced to pay $44 incl tax for a day pass with rentals. I know my child will not be using the facility more than an hr and essentially forcing you to pay extra. Essentially $44 for 1 hr is robbery!

Terrible experience with the Youth Class We were told to come in for a trial class (btw its not free its $30 - which is fine except...), we arrived at 4:25 did the waiver etc etc. My daughter stood there for an hour with no one instructing her. There weren't enough ropes for kids - there wasn't enough instructors. One instructor had one student climb up and down 3 or 4 times while my daughter just stood there waiting. At 5:35 I finally went to the front desk to complain and explain how this was a waste of my money (the class ends at 6pm my daughter got a harness on at 5:20) They finally took the one girl who kept going up and down off (instructor clearly knew this girl) and clipped my daughter in for a quick 1 min climb. She got unclipped and she stood to the side again - I had enough I took her harness off myself and we left. I emailed the owner and no one has responded back. I spoke with a few local mom friends (wish i did this earlier) and they said the same thing - ignored the kids. My daughter had a 2 min lesson, where I had to put her harness on and it cost $30. This is unacceptable - and to not email me back at all when you were SOO keen for me to come to your "trial' class is appalling. I would NEVER recommend this place.

Had a kids birthday party at Rock and Chalk. It was lots of fun and the staff was very kind to our very young group of climbers. I would recommend it if you've got an athletic group and likes to have fun and try something new! The party room was not as polished as youd expect but very appropriate considering it's above the climbing area and actually creates a cool atmosphere while you're celebrating and people are climbing up! It's not private so be aware of that. Would recommend! See you again soon Rock and Chalk!

My family has gone a few times over the years but my son recently got a membership and equipment from them. Good deal and never seems to be busy. Appreciate the members have a guest pass too.

My son (6) and I came for an hour climb, just walk in. It’s a great spot, lots of different routes/ difficulties, auto belay, rock faces, bouldering, fall mats etc. It was my sons first time indoor climbing so took him a bit to warm up to the idea but he had a great time. Staff are so patient, helpful and friendly We were the only ones there too so we were able to enjoy the whole space. Price is great for equipment rental and climbing too, look forward to coming back soon

Very friendly and accommodating staff. We showed up late and they were busy with the kids camp but still took time to do an orientation for us. The gym is rather small but the climbs are still pretty fun. Worth checking out if you are in the area!

Great place for children to learn to rock climb and get some exercise. Friendly and informative staff. Prices were great. Very safety oriented. Could have more auto retractable climbs for beginners.

Staff was polite and informative, excited to try it out with my family. Also seems reasonably priced.

It was our first time at this rock climbing venue and I have to say extra stars to the staff...super friendly and patient ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Made our Family day all the more delightful!

Went for a friends birthday ! We had a blast love the magnetic rope systems you can just hook on and climb! Also Dimitri was extremely pleasant to us will definitely be back 🫶😁

Best childhood memories here! So happy you’re still open. The new gyms are soulless profit machines. I for one enjoy when things seem like they’ve been enjoyed for a long time. Always had great experiences here even came during covid ish times.

Fun gym to check out if you're in the area! The best part of my visit was meeting Humphrey who helped my friends and I a lot during our climbing session. He took the time to do my belay test during a busy time in the gym with camp kids. He was incredibly helpful and really made our visit worth it. He even went out of his way to belay me for a climb and to help us work on specific routes. Had a really awesome time checking out this gym and big thanks to Humphrey for your help and support.

Super friendly staff that got us checked in, signed the waiver and ready to go. The walls were pretty tall so it's perfect for top rope climbing and bouldering.

A great place for bouldering and belaying. I’m more of a novice climber, and I most enjoy the autobelays. ORAC was where I discovered the activity and how much I love it! Since the start, I’ve always had great experiences with the workers, who are very friendly and helpful.