Aspire Climbing Whitby

Negative experience: This review is full transparency for future customers. I had a very interesting experience. Came with my friends ready to climb but one of the front desk employees accused me of not reading the waiver even though I filled it out online. I was asked to scan the QR code to fill the waiver out again with attitude. I’ve worked front desk at gyms and fitness centres and that’s the worst way to treat new customers. The Whitby location didn’t make me feel welcome and because of that I’m not willing to come back. It’s unfortunate that your front desk staff had a power surge and I’m sorry that I’m writing this review but this negative experience ruined my evening.

Fantastic experience: Buen lugar y buena atención

Fantastic experience: Great bouldering and top rope walls! Very friendly staff and a clean gym :)

Negative experience: I visited this place with my two late teenage siblings, and our experience was disappointing. We arrived with positive/excited energy, but the staff were unwelcoming, and the presenter seemed uninterested in engaging with us. I completed the waivers upon request but it was rejected after spending time finishing them. As their guardian, I was asked if I was their parent, which I confirmed I was not. When I questioned the need for legal documentation, the staff became aggressive. We tried to resolve the situation by calling our parent, but the manager (Bob) approached us with hostility, despite us already working to find a solution. This unprofessional behaviour made us uncomfortable, so we decided to leave. Completely unprofessional. One staff member was rude, directing us to a corner with clear irritation, despite our polite inquiries. Their claim that we were dishonest is unfounded, as I explicitly told them I was not the parent and did not have any legal forms that I carry. We simply asked about the legal documentation requirement, which should have been clarified during our earlier phone call. Or even said kindly from the start before having us complete all the documentation Based on similar feedback, it seems this issue is a pattern with their staff. We will take our business elsewhere and recommend others do the same.

Negative experience: I’m sorry I have to state the truth. Customer service was extremely unprofessional. Probably racist too. Especially Bob. Such rude people running a business for a place that is supposed to be fun for kids/adults. While the parents/legal guardians were signing the waivers the bob man came and attacked us saying we are “snaking around”. We all came with such good vibes and happy energy but they really put our mood down. I also noticed since I wear the scarf they were treating me quite differently than other people and definitely looked down upon us just cause how we look, super unprofessional. Never coming here again and don’t recommend for anyone else if you want to be treated like this.

Negative experience: I’m sorry I have to state the truth. Customer service was extremely unprofessional. Probably racist too. Especially Bob, the manager.

Negative experience: I’m sorry I have to state the truth. Customer service was extremely unprofessional. Probably racist too. Especially Bob.

Fantastic experience: Awesome climbing gym with lead, top rope, auto belays and bouldering as well as a ninja warrior course and training area. The facility is new and bright with fresh holds and equipment. The staff is super friendly. Fun routes for all levels of climbers. Highly recommend!

Positive experience: Good, clean, modern climbing gym with some interesting bouldering sets. Didn’t have a chance to try the roped climbs as they were resetting and we were too focused on bouldering. However, the auto-belays were a nice warm-up and had some interesting 5.10+ climbs. Only suggestion would be to add a system board such as kilter, tension, moon, or even a spray wall. Also, the training area could benefit from more equipment such as a campus board, crimp blocks, or more hang/finger boards. Will be back again to try some of the top rope or lead!

Fantastic experience: First time trying indoor climbing today and Aspire was excellent. The young lady who helped my girlfriend and I get started was very kind and helpful. Aspire has a really chill vibe and its a fun way to exercise , especially the bouldering. Great place , I highly recommend

Negative experience: Great facility. It’s unfortunate the staff is acting so unprofessional and rude. We took our kids hoping to have fun time but as we were signing the waiver and getting ready 2 of the staff members at the front, one of them being a manager I assume, made us feel very unwelcome and disrespected. They even suggested we go to Flying Squirrel. All this because my 6 year old touched the mannequin and she was yelled at by them for it. Both him and the girl beside him at the desk seemed very annoyed that we were there. They have 0 tolerance and patience when it comes to kids. My kids weren’t misbehaving or running around. They both go rock climbing in bowmanville and know the rules. Again, the place is great and fun but when the people working there are so negative and rude that ruins it.

Fantastic experience: My Kids and I had an excellent time here today. I have to give it to Ezra, he went above and beyond; kind, welcoming, curtious, respectful, accommodating, passionate, and most of all he was amazing with my kids!!! I really appreciated it all! Its sad to say that what should be normal practice, with social etiquettes, is so hard to find these days… But Ezra’s customer service was stellar and his knowledge of rock climbing when educating was phenomenal! Keep up the excellent work Ezra!

Positive experience: Clean and spacious facility with friendly staff. However the bouldering and auto belay area is tiny. And the top rope/lead is very limited as well. Despite not having a lead/top rope cave they do have walls of lots of varying degrees of angles tho which is nice. Despite having ample room in both the fitness area (which consists oqf a couple standard hangboard a bench press and a couple chin up bars) as well as near the garage door they do not have a kilter or even moon board. They deffinitely need to add more climbing amenities to draw interest to this place. Its nice to visit once, but would not get a membership here. The grading is also very inconsistent. Would be nice if the hand hand moisturizer near the front desk too.

Fantastic experience: Great staff, great facility, great development programs for kids, great community. Been going for 2-years and never once have I had a negative experience. Inspiring place for young athletes

Positive experience: Staff are nice but I don't think the place is begginer friendly as I have tried other climbing places.

Fantastic experience: Unique way to get a great workout in. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. They offer top rope, auto belays, and bouldering. You can rent shoes and harnesses or bring your own.

Fantastic experience: Best gym for Bouldering I have visited so far out of 3 others.

Fantastic experience: I deleted my old review because it deserves an update. If you are looking for a place to learn to climb or continue your climbing, this place has everything you need for an indoor climbing gym. The owner and staff are involve and they are always finding way to improve the facility. The ninja course, the weights, the routes and the bouldering area are inviting. As a member for the past year together with my children, Aspire is a place where you can even hangout while your child or grandchild enjoy the climbing facility. They also have snacks or drinks in case it skip your mind that day.

Fantastic experience: Addicted to the game

Fantastic experience: I have never felt more welcome into a community then I do at Aspire. The space is clean, quality equipment and the staff is beyond exceptional. My love of climbing and my knowledge in climbing has been enhanced because of the group. Thank You Thank You

Negative experience: We used to come to this place often and we enjoyed our experience. It's a nice facility and it's a shame that some staff members act so unprofessional and rude. Yesterday I was at a service desk hopping to use my 10-ticket pass and I was told that there were no tickets left on it. I asked if we could buy family tickets then. There were two of my kids and one of their friends. I should mention, that we already had a similar situation as we brought our friend with us and we were offered to use family price for all our group, but yesterday when the staff member (tall and blond young man) figured out that one of us is not a family he started accuse me of lying on his face. He told it multiple times and he told that he wanted to have "a moment of confrontation with me now". I felt like he was having a bad day and he put it on me. He also told that he could see some notice on my profile that I was misleading already and now I am doing it again. This is ridiculous! I felt as if I was a criminal, not a customer. It probably was some misunderstanding but not misleading from my side. This is not how you treat your customers if you want to succeed in your business. I paid for a lot of quite expensive tickets but I doubt I will do it again. My kids told me that they enjoyed the activity, but after that incident, they wanted to find a new place and never come here again!

Fantastic experience: very friendly staff

Positive experience: Variety of climbing options even for the young ones. A must visit when looking for things to do in Whitby.

Fantastic experience: Great climbing gym, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Routes for beginners and experienced climbers. Bouldering, self-belays, top rope… recently expanded snacks and coffee bar is great.

Fantastic experience: My daughter had a lead comp here. The finals set up was quite tough. More like bouldering. Good to have a challenging event.

Fantastic experience: What a great experience! There was 7 auto belay walls to choose from, each of them with their own difficulties and enough challenge to stay enticed for the hour I booked! Jupiter Morgan/HeliosTheSun ⚡☀️

Fantastic experience: So much fun! Lots of space to move around! The walls are easy to very difficult and you can choose whatever you want! The bouldering section is great as well! Lots of paths to choose and never to crowded!

Fantastic experience: The team is great, everytime I go there I feel like they make an improvementto the gym and it's coming along nicely (hang out area, ninja course, cafe, etc) they change up the routes often enough to keep you challenged definitely recommend checking it out

Negative experience: The gym itself was very nice. Most of the staff were very polite and friendly except for what seemed to be the manager. During the explanation of the rules I had missed the part where he said you could not use shoes on the salmon ladder. My friend who frequently visits suggested I try the ladder so I harmlessly went to try. After a failed attempt a staff member with a beard came over and began to ridicule me since I forgot to take my shoes off. I politely apologized, kindly stating I didn’t know I couldn’t wear my shoes and that my friend, who again is an avid climber at the gym, said that it was fine if we tried it. To my surprise he began aggressively speaking to me repeatedly saying “does your friend work here.” He then began coming up close to me and trying to intimidate me. Mind you I was very polite and he went on a power trip. If it was not for me fearing that my friends would be kicked out if I reacted, I would’ve loved to put this man in his place, but instead I kept my cool and nodded my head. This was my worst ever customer service experience I’ve ever had. I do not know this man personally, but from my first impression he strikes me as a very miserable man who should not be in any sort of customer service setting. I hope he reads this so he can sort out his attitude towards future clients who come for an enjoyable experience. Asides from this the ladies who worked there were very kind and nice. Unfortunately, the extremely rude, miserable, and pathetic behaviour this man displayed ruined my experience, which asides from that would have been great.

Fantastic experience: My kids have had a blast here climbing and using the ninja line. Waay more chill than the insanity of the nearby trampoline parks. I have to make a point to get the kids over here more often. It's obviously also geared towards adult climbers but have a neat ninja course and some walls that the kids can do. One of these days maybe I'll give it a try too

Fantastic experience: Great staff

Fantastic experience: I boulder at Aspire often. I recently did top rope training with Iuri and Enya, they are both great teachers!

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff and members! Great for beginners or advanced climbers

Fantastic experience: Great climbing gym. Has a bit of everything, AB, top, lead, Boulder and ninja course. Walls aren’t super high for top or lead but the setters definitely make up for that with their creative routes. Love the setting style of this gym. Staff super friendly.

Fantastic experience: My daughter did the day camp during the break as an introduction to rock climbing. She's 7.5 and loved it! It was in big part to her instructors, Yuri and Sierra, it was evident they were patient, had good energy, and were great at explaining things for her age group.

Positive experience: The ninja course and rock climbing obstacles were fun!

Negative experience: Expensive and slow wait time

Positive experience: Very big place. I was a little disappointed that there were only 6 climbing stations with 2 difficulties each, which had auto-belays for newbies like myself. Of those options, I really could only fully climb 4 of them because they were tough. So it was a little repetitive. That being said, there were other less tall free-climb options that we didn't really try. Great workout anyway; I was sore the next day. I would go climbing here again.

Fantastic experience: Great climbing gym, definitely the best in Durham. I became a member for bouldering here 3 weeks ago and it's been a blast. New set of problems every week so there's always a reason to come back. Workout area is also very nice to use. Amazing staff and atmosphere.

Fantastic experience: I could not finish the first stage but was refunded the full amount and the person explaining was nice.

Fantastic experience: Friendly and sexy staff. Loved the ninja playground. Lots of fun! It's exercising without knowing you're exercising! Will be back again, and again, and again. Love rock climbing!

Fantastic experience: Amazing facility and staff! Lots to do, great space to play and learn. The ninja warrior camp is a must try!!

Positive experience: This place has great potential. Only issue I have is how few routes they have on the bouldering wall. There's so much empty space on the walls. I've been to tonnes of gyms with cluttered walls and nobody seems to have a problem with that. Please provide more routes.

Fantastic experience: Tricky

Fantastic experience: We really enjoyed the big section of bouldering! They have shoes for rental. They give you a good introduction on how it works. Show you how to fall safely. I’m definitely coming back! It was so much fun.

Fantastic experience: Perfect!!!

Positive experience: I like it for my husband and myself, and I've brought many friends here now. Only complaint is the inflexibility of their passes. We have 3 kids and we buy passes for literally EVERYWHWERE but this is one place I can't. Should be allowing us to use punch passes freely for all 3 kids rather than making us buy for each separate kid. More flexibility would open it up to more families buying. I'd for sure buy passes and visit more often with the family

Fantastic experience: The variety in this gym is unparalleled and they update it regularly

Fantastic experience: ‍♀️

Positive experience: Maybe in the future try to integrate a capacity counter so people know if the competition you’re advertising off full out not, especially if tickets are available at the door. Thankful I tried to register, only after I couldn’ti called and they said they were full. Would’ve been frustrating too Drive 1.5 hours for tickets at the door and find out they’re full. Otherwise staff is pleasant, gym is clean and lots of fun

Fantastic experience: Don't know much about indoor climbing places but this was a great overall experience. The administrative setup of the online waiver and check in was a breeze as a first timer. Getting rental gear and an orientation was smooth as well. Climbing was challenging and rewarding. Would go again!

Fantastic experience: nephew and niece loved it! there was a place for my senior parents to sit and rest or watch them climb. not too busy on the Sunday we went. seemed like a clean facility.

Fantastic experience: Great place for a family visit! Loved their ninja course as well, not very big though. They rent all equipment and have auto-belay if you’re not a a regular climber. Loved that they had a little weight lifting area for 16 and older! Loved their membership option. Definitely going back! Visited with kids aged 6-11.

Fantastic experience: Great space for kids and adults alike. Ninja course is small but challenging. Bouldering is great. Party room is small but would accommodate 10-12 kids. Friendly staff.

Negative experience: I don’t want to be rude but I am disappointed with the bouldering section due to the following reasons: 1. Most holds are old and cheap 2. Setting is boring 3. Difficulty is not consistent 4. No spray wall Again, this is only for the bouldering section, so this doesn’t represent the whole gym. On the up side, the staffs are helpful and the gym’s fairly clean.

Fantastic experience: Love this place. My son and I climb here mostly every week. I got him into it in January and he is killing it for being so young. The gym has plenty to offer with bouldering and top rope climbing walls. I have noticed over the last 2 weeks the top rope climbs are on a harder scale 5-7 and up, which is fine for me but harder to push the young ones. We took advantage of the 3 months pass until we will be going outdoors more. Overall, it's a fun place to go.

Fantastic experience: Had a great experience. Loved it. We had an awesome staff member assist us and show us the ropes

Fantastic experience: Super friendly staff that are very knowledgeable and ready to help/teach.

Fantastic experience: Really fun, and the fact that it's a day pass means more value for your admission!

Positive experience: I like that they have reduced day rates the last two hours they're open. The bouldering area is great but the gym could use a little more equipment. Kettlebells would be a nice addition.

Fantastic experience: Took my 7 year old daughter there and she loved it. Having the the variety is certainly a plus when bringing kids as she tried the standard climbing with auto belay, the bouldering and the ninja course. After trying all three she like the climbing with belay and ninja course the most so she spent a majority of the 3 hours between those two activities. The auto belay hook-up and dismount was easy enough for her to understand. The staff provided a quick orientation for each of the activities.

Fantastic experience: Great climbing, the ninja course could be better though. A little pricey for a family of 4, but still a great experience Overall.

Positive experience: Good setting, nice mix of bouldering and route climbing.

Positive experience: Your usual rock climbing gym. I believe they rearrange their bolder every two weeks. 7 auto belay course and maybe 14 top rope course. The obstacle course seems ok though I've never used it. Overall, place is new, clean and bright. Staff members are friendly and helpful. Their price is on the upper end of market rate but I believe it is worth it. Would be better if the walls are higher and if they offer more auto belay options.

Positive experience: Great place and friendly staff

Fantastic experience: Great gym. My only issue was the pieces on my last visit were loose on some of the boulders. Otherwise, the gym is nice and people are friendly. I visit on a daily rate every two weeks and looking forward to going again!

Positive experience: I called Aspire prior to bringing my kids in because I wanted to know whether it would be suitable for my 4 year old as well as my 3 year old. I spoke to a woman (I can’t remember her name) & she informed me that we could see how it went for 20 minutes first- if they would even enjoy it or take to it prior to committing to paying the full price which I greatly appreciated. However, fast forward to our actual visit.. Upon arriving we spoke to a gentleman working there at the time.. We explained the conversation we had with the employee over the phone & he informed me that it is not something that he could do. We would need to pay the full price upfront. We were already there, so I had no other choice since I had already spent my time bringing my kids there & they were already “looking forward” to climbing. Needless to say, our kids did NOT enjoy it as they were too afraid when it actually came down to trying it. After having spent $75-$80 for the both of them combined for the DAY pass (they barely even spent 20 minutes climbing) & the equipment rental (also used for less than 20 minutes) it definitely was not worth it for us. They were also too small to do the ninja course on their own so didn’t get to fully explore that either without help from us. Overall the facility is nice & clean. But I just didn’t appreciate how I feel like I was somewhat misled.. Just a PSA incase anyone else has thought about bringing their younger children. Update: I have been contacted by one of the owners. They did offer to make it up to me. They went above & beyond when they did not need to. Hence why I am adding another 2 stars. We will be back once our children are older!

Fantastic experience: Great for beginners

Fantastic experience: Amazing spot to learn how to climb! Also a great place to develop your skills on bouldering and top rope!

Fantastic experience: Strongly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Great family experience!

Fantastic experience: I love Aspire. Their ninja gym is decent but not the best. I love that they're always changing routes on the boulders that way frequent go-ers like me have something new to look forward to every so often! They also have new auto belays which are also great for solo climbers like me. + The staff is always friendly when I go! If you like free climbing then aspire is for you!!

Fantastic experience: Bouldering is a fun challenge for sure. I'll be back!

Fantastic experience: Best spot in Durham! Great sets and staff! Top notch!

Fantastic experience: Incredible climbing gym! The staff are so welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and always ensure everything is running smoothly. I love the environment as the regulars and staff are always encouraging and do motivate you to climb better! Jeremy is amazing and always has to much knowledge to share. We were lucky to take a lead course from him a few years ago and it was the best decision ever. I am so happy we got him as an instructor. Easily the best instructor for lead in Ontario. If you have the opportunity to take a course with him. DO IT! He is extremely detail oriented, ensures you are within your comfort zone and will go above and beyond to teach you everything you need to know. My baby brother loves this place as well. He was a little hesitant to get back into climbing, but after visiting and having a session he now regularly asks when we are going again! He LOVES the obstacle course and the ninja wall! Every time we go, he always tries them multiple times. This place is great because it always guarantees to tire him out of all his energy! We always grab some good food after and he is the happiest after that!

Fantastic experience: Congratulations for your gym opening. I had both my kids here for summer camp and they loved it. Recently picked up the 4 mth membership for the three of us and can't wait to climb again. I've been waiting 14 years for something like this to open here in Whitby. Right on!

Fantastic experience: Had a great time bouldering! Lots of fun routes, and a cool shape to their boulder area!

Fantastic experience: Friendly climbing gym for all abilities! I got a membership and really enjoy it!

Fantastic experience: Wonderful staff, great setters, well kept gym with lots of variety in boulders and top rope. Never a dull moment. Definitely stop by!

Fantastic experience: Awesome place! My wife and I have been going there for about three months and since we’ve started many of our friends have visited and then become members as well. The staff are very friendly, experienced, helpful and were very patient during the struggle of trying to fit shoes to buy. It’s hard to find shoes in Durham to try on but Aspire has a large (Evolv) demo collection and were knowledgeable and patient through the many size/model switches. Facility is very clean and they change some of the boulder problems and sport routes every week so the climbing never gets stale. It’s a welcoming environment for new climbers and pricing is very reasonable relative to other gyms. They also have lots of promotions that help. 5/5 would recommend

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff and a well maintained gym with plenty of variety for all skill levels.

Fantastic experience: Great vibe, lots of fun

Fantastic experience: I try to make a trip to Aspire whenever I’m in Whitby for a few days and always have a lot of fun. Nice bouldering problems here, especially with more setters who set a bigger variety of styles. Staff are always nice and friendly, and I haven’t encountered any “kids who run on the mats doing acrobatics in the fall zone as someone is bouldering above them” situations.

Fantastic experience: I've been bringing my family and regular climbing partner here regularly since opening day. The staff is always helpful and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Routes here are a bit stiffer than most other gyms by design. That is to say that a route of equal rating at another gym would be less challenging than at Aspire. This will make transitioning to outdoors smoother if you decide to do so. Routes are reset regularly so you're never bored and always have new challenges. This is hands down the best climbing gym in Durham and holds its own against the best gyms in Toronto.

Positive experience: A solid gym. I'd love the bouldering area to be bigger however

Fantastic experience: Amazing facility, great staff, and an all-round fun experience.

Fantastic experience: We went in so our son could try climbing and the Ninja course, and left with a 10-visit pass! From the incredibly knowledgeable staff, who were so great with our little guy, to the clean, airy facility where safety while having fun and learning are clearly important, we are so glad we found Aspire. Finally there is a place our guy can go where it’s 100 per cent okay for him to jump and climb to his hearts content!

Fantastic experience: Super friendly service, reasonable rates, great and pretty new facility.

Fantastic experience: Love this place.

Fantastic experience: Very fun place, the staff were very kind. Will go back in future.

Negative experience: Stop bothering me.

Fantastic experience: Nice

Fantastic experience: Amanda was exceptionally helpful and my 4yr old responded well to her. I am impressed with all the staff and the attention and care taken to ensure the safest possible experience. The climbing and bouldering were a lot of fun, as was the ninja course.

Fantastic experience: Really great spot, bouldering walls were a lot of fun. Had some great rock climbing and ninja style obstacle courses too.

Positive experience: Great place. Clean and staff arr friendly. Very big space.

Fantastic experience: Great routes. Staff are exceptionally well trained and very professional, very safety oriented. Clean and tidy very well kept.

Fantastic experience: Staff was great! Had a really good time!!

Fantastic experience: Great people, great facility. Fun for all experience levels and ages

Fantastic experience: Very nice climbs and beginner friendly.

Fantastic experience: Great activity with kids & family. We loved this place. Experienced novice & intermediate rated ones. Best part is you can try until you're tired. Expecting more visits in future.