Boulders are ok even if there is not much wall area. Very beginner friendly gym. My main complaints are the air quality, wall material and cleaning. There is only one old chalk eater in the entire gym, and on a busy day you can literally feel the chalk going in and out of your lungs. One of the side rooms is filled with alcohol/vinegar based cleaning fluids and smells really bad. Some wooden walls are coming off since they are not screwed in completely. Mats are coming apart and are always covered in chalk. I also have had some issues with customer service. I was trying to renew a membership, but since the prices are already very steep, they offer a small youth and student discount. I am in grade 12 at high school, but am 18 years old, so they told me I could get neither of the discounts because I was a few months over 18, and the student discount only goes for university students. This is the first time I have had such inflexible customer service, especially at a gym. Whenever I invest in sports purchases, I feel like the seller understands me as I am part of the same community, but coyote is a business and you can expect to be treated as a source of money before a fellow climber. Edit: my brother and I have been kicked out of the gym as a result of leaving this review.

Extremely unsavory attitude towards minors, would not recommend this gym to anyone 19 and under.

Awesome! When i visited it was super quiet which was great! The staff were super friendly, lots of awesome climbs in the multiple different rooms they have

New management has some bad policies. Used to be great.

Pretty meh, rude managment and employees, the community there is full of great people but i cant rate higher because of my experience. Some weird stink coming from some corner room. Some holds looked unsecure, pretty pricey for what you get really

Climbing gyms these days either tend toward a boutique or blue collar feel. Coyote falls in the latter of the two categories. The route setting is pretty good, but the warehouse feel, lack of climate control and identical pricing to it's competition makes it a slightly less appealing option. The thing it does seem to have going for it is a pretty comprehensive progression of instructional courses for youth and adult alike. With more boutique gyms entering the market and priced competitively, it remains to be seen how Coyote will respond and remain competitive with it's offerings.

One of the most unwelcoming experience I have ever had at any gym. We went there for some info hoping to turn it into getting some kind of membership if things went well. Well, they sat us on the couch so that they could answer our queries later but no one even gave a single look towards us for 30 minutes straight, even after the rush of incoming climbers for the session was already over almost 10-15 minutes after they asked us to wait. We thought of leaving right after 30 minutes but instead went over to the counter to ask them some trivial stuff and do a small talk just out of courtesy so that it doesn't seem rude from our end. Even the answers and looks from the people at the customer service counter felt cold and unwelcoming. We could see that they were not really interested in either taking us in or in general, beginners. I don't know if it's this gym or all climbing gyms in Ottawa are the same but we have lost our appetite at this moment to join any in this city. Our goal was to get fitter, improve our upper body strength and do it with some fun through climbing. Now I have purchased a home Pull-up/Dip station - more cost effective, convenient and something that's not unwelcoming or unfriendly.

Not worth going to this gym, no one seemed to care about etiquette, doesn't help the staff just seemed so unhelpful and basically just ignored me when I tried to buy a pass after telling me to wait. After waiting for what felt like 20 minutes, I just left. No one bothered to check in on me. Price is also high for no rentals, would never return. Altitude across the border or a drive out to Kanata is better and cheaper.

They never pick up! Can't get to anyone to get help on my daughter's course the management here is terrible.

It is a good place in Ottawa if you want to learn top roping. For bouldering and overall experience, I am not so sure. Unless you are an experienced and fit above average climber, you won’t feel in your zone here. There are some extremely easy beginner routes (B/0), but a void in the 1-3 zone. It’s a mostly masculine environment. Definitely not family friendly, as they often play music that is inappropriate for public places. Lots of staff members and patrons here take rock climbing seriously, perhaps way too seriously. My son took a recreational youth class here and didn’t enjoy it as the instructor was too strict. Overall, the place lacks the zen vibe that is typical of rock climbing gyms. This gym is not for everyone.

The actual climbing at this gym is quite good, but management is incredibly unprofessional, making it a much less positive experience. At a simple request to be sent a copy of the membership I had signed, I was told no because "I don't feel like it". I don't think I have ever experienced a less professional response. When I insisted, they did send it, however the manager instantly became hostile. If you are looking to get a year long membership at Coyote, they do not have a cancellation policy, so bear that in mind before signing up. There is an option to freeze for a fee (due to injury, etc), however Altitude does have an actual cancelation policy, so if you think you may move/change your mind/not like sport etc I would probably recommend getting a membership there. That being said, if you're just looking for a gym to climb at every now and then, the setting is really good (I haven't been since pre-covid, but always really enjoyed the boulder problems, so I'm assuming it's the same now). The bouldering is creative, and there are usually a good number of options for every skill level. The top rope and lead isn't quite as good, there's only about 5 clips, so it's shorter climbs than you'd get at Altitude Gatineau. The mats are pretty hard, so if you have any lower body injuries, down climb as much as possible.

cool gym. lots of good climbs! however they are fun ruiners and would not allow dust chalk :( super lame of them but i forgive them ig

Aug 2019 edit: had a bday party and 2nd session for classes. Bday party was a gong show, but you get what you pay for, 2nd session was ok but disorganized. If classes are canceled you may or may not be notified. "Business" and "service" just aren't their thing. I have no comparison for rock climbing gyms so I'm guessing this is a rock climbing culture? I'm accustomed to places like Kali Andrews (a competitive dance studio) ie organized, smart business people, communicative, professional. Back to 3 stars. Jan 2019 edit: My daughter had her first class. She loved it. I watched one of her subsequent sessions. The instructor had great games that made the kids practice skills. My daughter got hurt (ripped skin) and they had her back climbing in 5 min! I had to add the 4th star. We happened to see the gym on google maps while I was looking for a dancewear store close by. The man at the desk was helpful. My daughter wanted lessons so I was asking general questions. We had a scheduling conflict so that didn't work out. He was patient and freely gave information. I decided to inquire further regarding group sessions for the second term by email, on a different day. The reason I'm only giving it 3 stars (for now) is because while I was emailing someone who worked there, I tried to set up private lessons, I was ready to book a slot for that sunday, and then I got no response. My email actually asked if they had Sunday available. Why would someone have a bunch of email correspondence giving information, but not "seal the deal"? It made me think that customers were not a priority. I'll update once we try out the gym. It's close to our home, my daughter still wants to rock climb, and unfortunately there isn't any other gym like it in our area.

The staff are friendly and helpful and the routes are interesting and varied. I've taken my nieces (ages 8 and 10) and they absolutely loved it! I'm not a big fan of the belays anchored to the floor though. The place can be alittle cramped in spots and the belay anchors can be in awkward spots.

Had an amazing time here. The gym is fabulous and the trainers are awesome. Great place to shed my fats and gain strength. These activities look simple but believe me requires core strength and stamina. One would definitely benefit by regularly visiting gym and climbing with bare hands. Also there are several other machines to warm you up.

Really nice place. Love the bouldering walls. The staff are very friendly and try and make sure that you have the best experience. Also I really liked the fact that the atmosphere was so friendly. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and family. Although it is a bit hard to get there considering that it's in an old warehouse and you have to go around back, but once yo get there its great. 10 out of 10 would definitely go back.

I rock climb there every week

Excellent beginner’s instruction, good variety of difficulty levels.

Absolutely favorite place, great gym and people

Decent rock climbing gym. I have not visited other gyms in Ottawa yet but I was impressed. Pricing is OK and we were given a free lesson on how to use their pulley system. The guys working there were a bit awkward and nervous but other than that the customer service was great.

This has been a great climbing gym for my daughter, she has been going regularly for the past 3 years.

Good place to bring your kids to have fun and exercise

Great place for bouldering and top rop!

Visits: 10+ Cost: Reasonable This is a good gym. It's arguably the best gym south of the river in Ottawa now that VR's gone. But it's also not great at a number of things. The walls are really not turned over fast enough. It is not uncommon to see routes that have been on the walls for over a month. A few years back (5?) they added an extra climbing area that felt really underwhelming, and the lead climbing at the gym always left a lot to be desired. In addition, they've started distilling liquor next door (or possibly in the same unit? It's hard to tell) and so it's quite smelly when you're climbing. That being said, this review will probably need to be revised in a year or so because it has so much potential to overtake Altitude as the best gym in the area (RIP VR). They've started resurfacing their holds and there's been much more of a concerted effort to turn over old climbs. I'm hoping for the best here.

I'm new to bouldering and found this place amazing. Really easy to spot basic climbs and the colored type system is pretty accurate as it gradually gets more difficult with each color. Highly recommended this place for all skilled climbers and beginners!

I've been too many climbing gyms in my life. As a passionate climber who cares about community it is clear that the atmosphere and setting style at Coyote is sadly a dying breed. Sure - the gym has its issues, but unlike other local gyms (besides the Wakefield gym) their staff is approachable and attentive to customers. Now that I'm living in another city and can appreciate what I'm missing , I would encourage anyone interested in quality experiences to take advantage of this gem.

I've been here about 10 or so times since I moved to Ottawa. I definitely do recommend going here, especially if you're an experienced climber. It's a good gym with a great variety of climbs and of walls/angles, including a good slab section (which I find is lacking in some other gyms I've been to). The walls are relatively short though - for bouldering it's fine, but for most of the top rope/lead, it's not always ideal. Overall, this gym has a very classic or "old-school" vibe, especially in the style of holds and routes set, which I prefer. The reset schedule is decent and there are usually at least a few new climbs every week or so. The pricing is similar to other gyms in the area as well. Beware though: it can get very, very crowded during peak hours (5-7pm ish on weekdays). If you go closer to when they open, I find it's relatively empty and the climbing experience is a lot more enjoyable. From my experience, the staff aren't necessarily the most welcoming, but I haven't had any overtly negative run-ins with anyone working there. I will say, some of the replies from the company to the critical/negative reviews come off as petty and unprofessional. I wouldn't say that this translates into the actual experience at the gym, but it's worth noting. There is also a lack of enforcing safety rules, especially with bouldering. I've seen people (mostly kids) climbing right beside or underneath each other, running around on the mats, etc. But I've never seen staff come over to stop it when something like that happens. I know it's hard to stay on top of every little thing, but these cases present pretty major safety risks, and are very disruptive to other climbers.

We are not familiar with the area, but we made sure to bring our climbing gear in order to explore the climbing gyms in the vicinity. Prior to our visit, we took the initiative to contact the staff, who proved to be incredibly helpful and accommodating. Upon our arrival, their assistance and pleasant demeanor persisted. It was noteworthy that this particular gym had the ropes for belaying fastened to the ground, as opposed to the conventional practice of attaching them to the carabiner on one's harness. This required a slight adjustment on our part. Overall, we were delighted by the unique design of the walls, which were color-coordinated according to their respective levels of difficulty. The gym boasted an extensive selection of top rope walls, catering to climbers of various skill levels. Additionally, it was evident that bouldering was a prominent feature at this establishment, as they offered a wide range of options for boulder enthusiasts. We were pleasantly surprised by the remarkable cleanliness of the gym, as it is not often that one witnesses climbing gym staff engaging in extensive cleaning efforts. The staff at this facility not only maintained a high standard of cleanliness but also demonstrated exceptional professionalism. Considering the fact that the pricing was lower than what we are accustomed to at our regular gym, we found it to be quite reasonable and fair. We sincerely hope to have the opportunity to visit this gym again in the future.

I’ve been a member for a few months now. The dope boulders, and the supportive community of climbers are what sold me into getting a family membership. The staff have been super supportive of my 8 year old as well, which means a lot to us. 6/5 stars.

Climbing!!!!!!

I’ve been climbing there for a long time and I love it! There are great boulders that are reset often!!! It’s a super positive environment too!

palms sweaty arms are heavy

Great little climbing and Bouldering gym with lots of routes for all skill levels and a small gym. Social distancing measures are in effect, the gym books time in 2 hour increments then does a half hour of cleaning between blocks. Staff is very helpful, only liquid chalk is used(its provided) and sanitizer is located all over the gym to use between routes.

Coyote is my favorite rock gym I've been to by far. The vibes of the place are epic and the top rope walls are great. All the staff I've met so far are super nice and willing to answer any questions you have. I totally recommend this gym if you wanna have some fun times.

A great place to get fit. With a great group of people that frequent the place often

Started going there one month ago. The environment is very chill (if you leave before 5pm - when lots of kids floods in) and the staffs are friendly. I have taken the intro plus lesson before buying the membership, and the experience was great. Could be a good start if you are new to climbing. Or otherwise you can take a free short intro lesson for safety procedures only.

Great spot for a workout with a buddy, what i enjoy the most is the full body workout received by the rock climbing. Every part of your body is being put to the test, making this quite challenging but just as rewarding.

love this place! tons of different options for both bouldering and top rope, and routes for all difficulty levels. lots of space means it never feels crowded, and setting is changed frequently enough to keep it fresh!

Climb rocks, make sad head voice go quiet

Me and my two buddys bought 3 day passes plus a climbing harness for each person for $60. We took lessons on how to use the harness (including in the $60) the instructor was amazing and was really patient with us. The climbing experience was awesome.

Lots of interesting problems, including bouldering, lead and top rope. Gets pretty busy at times, but has a good energy. Welcoming to everyone (though if it's your very first time I recommend going with a friend who's climbed before.)

Very cool gym. They have lots of variety if you prefer slab or overhang/cave style climbing. They also have a moon board which is pretty cool. Lots of lead climbing routes. It is liquid chalk only which I’m not a huge fan of but it’s the trend with a lot of gyms so I understand.

Amazing first experience here, Mate my instructor was fantastic at showing me what to do and at encouraging me when climbing, showed me several stretches that would help me before and after climbing. All in all, amazing experience and will definitely continue going there in the future. Thanks a lot Coyote Gym!

Best place in town if you want to get into outdoor climbing. I bring my kids to Altitude Kanata and Coyote and they both excel at different areas. Coyote give you practice belaying and lead climbing. Their ground floor bouldering areas give you the option to climb over the top giving kids a greater sense of accomplishment since they end up on top of the bouldering area and climb down. It makes the bouldering area more attractive and entertaining for kids/teens. They also dont charge for parents to supervise/belay their kids which Altitude charges ~$10 for, and climbing shoes are optional reducing your cost another $6/climber although I highly recommend climbing with proper shoes. Altitude excels in that it has the augmented reality climbing area where kids can play video games while on a climbing wall, have 3 ninja warrior courses and auto belays for their climbing area so parents can be more hands off while kids keep themselves entertained. Definitely try both since they are very different experiences and most kids I introduce into climbing love the experience.

Really amazing community ran climbing gym. I used to go to the gym in Kanata but I think coyote is going to be my go to gym from now on. Very open environment with a focus on climbing and having fun in a social atmosphere while also giving you plenty of options to choose from. There's belaying walls, a literal cave, small beginner walls and an upstairs with a good selection too

Great gym, lots of various and unique problems. It's often incredibly crowded though but that might get better once the gym in Orleans (Altitude) opens.

Great gym. Lots of variety for different levels and/or styles of climbers. Enjoyed a night of bouldering with a group of women. Some had never climbed before and some were climbers and we all had a great time. Good price. Fun way to spend a Saturday evening. Wasn’t busy at all!

This is a great place to train and try climbing for the first time. It's also a great place to bring your family and friends including kids. There's a minor inconvenience caused usually by the system used to find memberships I believe. It once took around 20 minutes of waiting for them find our account and 10 session pass. It is definitely worth getting the membership here if you plan on going regularly (once a week or more) as it's cheaper than the session pack. The people, staff, and environment here is very friendly.

Best rock climbing gym in Ottawa! Centrally located and friendly for all skill levels.

They have been taking the proper precautions during the pandemic. Puts me at ease knowing everyone has clean hands.

I've been coming to Coyote since 2019, holding both punch pass and membership. I've also gone to all the other gyms in Ottawa, Gatineau and Wakefield several times (including the recently opened Orleans Altitude). What keeps bringing me back to Coyote is the quality and variety of setting styles that I find lacking at the other gyms as well as the community. Regulars here are friendly, supportive and happy to strike up conversation if you're working on the same problem. It's not the most modern or clean gym, but I think it is the best in terms of value. I never get bored or feel like I've seen the same setting for months on end. The cherry on top is their fair pricing and great music!

Brought my son for his birthday with 3 of his friends and they had a blast. The staff was great and friendly. Although It wod be nice to be able to clip onto the ropes instead of making a knot every time.

Brought a child in on a rainy day to have some fun. After an hour they were done because their hands were hurting. For $25 they got access to the walls, shoe rental, and liquid chalk for their hands. The lesson on how to belay was excellent and clear despite the child growing impatient while I received the lesson as they glossed over how important it is to get that right 😃. The gym smelled like a sweaty gym and despite some large groups or school trips it didn't feel overly crowded.

Coyote's a great gym, as all the other reviews will let you know. This is not the purpose of this review. The purpose of this review is to thank and praise the work Steph put into the Lead Climbing Course on 27/3/2023. Steph went above and beyond her requirements in order to deliver a training course tailored to the individual needs of the people taking the course. I struggle with learning without doing, and doing is difficult when it's about safety. Steph provided an adequate environment in which I was able to do the safety training without it being too formulaic, while also compounding on the knowledge being given throughout the course. By the end of the course, I knew how to belay, I knew how to lead climb, and more importantly: I knew where I needed to improve. Coyote has always been an excellent gym, but it's Steph's performance while instructing the course which made me leave this review. 5 Star Gym 5 Star Employees Go to Coyote.

Went for a climb and it was great! Fun atmosphere, very welcoming and clean. Shout out to Elle who gave an excellent belay tutorial and made sure we 100% knew what we were doing before she set us loose.

Great fun, lots of easy to hard challenges. Spacious and clean. Nice to be warm too during this cold winter. All the best

Terrific climbing in a very welcoming environment would recommend to both experienced and new climbers, when I showed up I used to climb alone, now I climb with friends I made here :)

Good, very busy, they could use a second cashier!

Get into climbing already. And buy some CRG merch why don't ya.

Good place. Could use more bouldering only options price wise.

(Translated by Google) I really like this place, it looks like a maze and you can find boulders anywhere! They are very varied and surely you have enough to have a good time, in addition to top rope. (Original) Me agrado mucho este lugar, parece un laberinto y ¡puedes encontrar boulders por donde quiera! Son muy variados y seguro que tienes suficientes para pasar un buen rato, además de top rope.

Great climbs and nice staff.

Love this place ❤️

So fun and super affordable for a session

My kids take rock climbing classes at Coyote and they always come home so happy and excited to tell me everything. The staff are all very helpful and friendly. My husband has a yearly membership as well and is very happy. Highly recommend Coyote!

Awesome old school climbing gym ! Everything you want is here : top tope, lead, bouldering and top-out bouldering. They even sell the best liquid chalk there is ! 10/10 will go again !

The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. The place works off of reservations now to control the amount of customers which is awesome. The place felt well ventilated. My only concern is they have no French waivers/documentation. We live in a bilingual city! I will be definitely be returning, I love this place!

Great climbing gym that offers a challenging range of lead and bouldering courses. We have used the children's after school courses and Summer camps and the kids just love it!

As always Coyote is such a cool place. The staff was courteous, and attentive to our 6 year old. She had a riot. Good job Coyote. They changed around the walls and bouldering so it's different from pre pandemic. Which was nice. Was super affordable. Keep up the good work guys.

This is a good little gym. It has a decent amount of bouldering problems which I really like and they have good deals during weekdays (might have only been for students, but I cannot remember).

This place is the best! Awesome routes, great staff, kid friendly.

(Translated by Google) This gym has so many climbing walls! : O Some takes are old, but the routes are varied and the experience is very interesting! (Original) Ce gym a tellement de murs de grimpe! :O Quelques prises sont vieilles, mais les voies sont variées et l'expérience est très intéressante!

Great spot to work on problems with creative route setting. Each problem here is fun in its own way. Problems stay up for about a three weeks after showing up and there’s enough real estate for a large selection of top-roping too. Haven’t tried the lead but I will be taking a lesson soon.

Epic

Great gym! Switched here after vertical closed down and the atmosphere is great, along with a sweet selection of boulders, TR, and lead. Different walls cycled every few weeks so there’s almost always something new to try.

Super cool problems. Staff is friendly. Simple and hard. Lots of variety. Great training

I went to this place with a few friends and we were all beginners. One of the staff members who was kind and patient taught us the basic safety tactics. While practicing, a woman who looked like the manager rudely told us that we failed the safety basics even though the person training us said we were doing well. This lady whose name I believe was Kiesha or kisha was so rude and didn't even give us a chance to properly enjoy our experience.

Great gym, super friendly staff, it was my first time rock climbing and the gym was very spacious and easy to navigate. They had a variety of difficulties for bouldering.

I had fun at the beginning. But one of the women staff named kisha started to yell at us disrespecting while we were learning how to use the rope and climb. We were three beginners trying to learn new thing and do fun activities. But this place is not worth for people to learn climbing especially with the rude staff Kisha.