California Climbing Collective opened Oct. 11 at 1264 Folsom St. in SoMa, between Eighth and Ninth streets. It's San Francisco's first new independent climbing gym in years. The San Francisco Standard reports that the last one, Benchmark Climbing on Van Ness, opened in 2021. Owners Summer Bombard and Radu Popescu are both coaches and routesetters. They signed the lease in summer 2023 and used the space to train their youth competition team before opening it to the public.
Hours and prices
The gym's website lists hours of 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It asks every climber to sign a waiver first. For now, entry is limited to members and punch-pass holders. The Standard reports memberships cost $79 a month and day passes, due next month, will be $25. The owners hope to expand hours in early December to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
No grades
Unlike most gyms, CCC doesn't post difficulty grades on its climbs. Climbers are encouraged to ask staff for suggestions instead. “People don't seem afraid of trying and failing at anything, which is kind of the whole point of not having grades,” Bombard told the Standard. Most problems are set competition-style. Bombard said the gym also has plenty of “funk and confusing climbs” that test problem-solving more than strength.
Inside
There's a spray wall for training by the entrance, and the bouldering walls reach about 16 feet. Upstairs is a workout and lounge area with weight racks, couches and a small workspace with Wi-Fi. The owners plan to add autobelays for solo endurance training, plus hangboards, a stretching area and cardio equipment. The Standard reported about 150 members, many of them newer climbers who live nearby. The gym is funded by the founders and Popescu's family rather than a national chain.
Ready to go outside? See our Castle Rock bouldering guide.