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| - Of the four Toronto climbing gyms, Rock Oasis is my top choice. This is primarily due to location - I'm a short bike ride away. There's lots else to like (and a few things to dislike).
LOCATION: 5/5
Located at Carlaw/Gerrard, it's actually quite easy to get to if you live/work downtown. The Carlton/Gerrard streetcar drops you off right there, it's a relatively short walk (or bus ride) from Pape station, and it's a delightful downhill bike ride (good luck pedaling home though, after a three-hour session.) Free parking round back, and there's a car2Go lot near Broadview. Overall, it seems to be the easiest to get to if you live central/North Toronto
CROWDEDNESS: 2/5
Oasis can get really busy some nights, but there's lots of wall space to work with. You won't often wait for a wall, but you will often find yourself belaying shoulder-to-shoulder with someone else, or waiting on a route for someone to cross up ahead of you. It's a nice social atmosphere sometimes, though you may want goggles for all the beta you'll get sprayed at you.
SELECTION: 4/5
The routes change pretty often, and there's always a vast array of difficulties. Not to mention the self-belay wall has 12 extra routes. I love the self-belay wall, because it forces you to send it's routes cleanly, teaching you resting skills. Especially good for when your buddy is caught in traffic/lying about being caught in traffic while still at home getting ready. Lots of overhanging and straight walls, but no slabs.
ROUTES: 3/5
There's often a fair balance between routes which are challenging and interesting, and features moves that teach you balance and efficiency tricks...and finger training exercises. There was a 5.11 a few weeks ago that featured nothing but tiny little footholds and crimps the entire way up. Ugh. There's lots of variety though, and you can always skip ones you don't like and find something better. They had an incredible 5.10 overhang that was almost exclusively dyno moves, which was accessible and crazy fun for intermediates (if they used the dyno and skipped the last move) but was also crazy challenging if you instead skipped the dyno and moved with stable balance. Sadly gone now, I wish it had been a permanent fixture.
BOULDERING: 4/5
They used to have a pretty weak bouldering gym, but they just got a mega upgrade - new padded floor, new holds, and a vastly improved grading/separation system. I haven't explored it fully yet, but I did a couple routes last week and was very impressed.
UPDATE: I have since explored, and definitely the upgrades are pretty extensive. There are a lot of routes to explore, and it's really well spaced out. You never need to be in someone else's way.
PRICE: 5/5
At 15 bucks, it's the best in the city. The 10 pass ($135) doesn't expire in 6 months like everywhere else, which is logical and fantastic and thank you Rock Oasis for not being ridiculous.
STAFF: 3/5
There's a good mix of friendly, unfriendly, helpful, inexperienced, surly. Depends on the night.
GENERAL FACILITIES: 5/5
Great selection of gym equipment in the bouldering section, wi-fi, tons of change rooms, lockers (with free use of locks), washrooms, and a few private showers. I once got out of a shower only to realize I had forgotten to bring a towel. You didn't ask for a story, but if you've ever been in a post-shower, towel-less situation, I know you will sympathize with me when I say that your change of clothes do not make an adequate substitute, and great now you're still wet and you have two soggy t-shirts to deal with and it's cold outside and what a perfect time for that aforementioned uphill bike ride.
Note: This summer there was no A/C, but rather lots of humongous fans. There were some pretty unbearable days. Hopefully they're working on making it a little cooler in there.
MUSIC: 3/5
Sometimes 90s rock, sometimes Indie/Alternative...last time it was mostly weird dance/electro. Just once I'd like to hear them pump some classical - nothing will make your climb feel more majestic than some Mahler/Wagner. Oh wait, something will: Alan Silvestri's theme from Back to the Future.
UPDATE: The music has upgraded a little bit. I've noticed a lot of great modern tunes, both popular and a little obscure, so that's cool.
Overall, it's a solid gym, lots of choice - highly recommend!
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