New Gym Makes Watertown a Center for Indoor Rock Climbing

Watertown has become the hub of the rock climbing community in the Boston area with the opening of the Central Rock Gym.

The facility that opened in May at 74 Acton St. in Watertown features one of the largest climbing walls on the East Coast, said Central Rock Gym's General Manager Kevin Pickren. Only walls in Atlanta and Rockville, Md., are larger, he said.

“The wall is taller and wider than anything outside Atlanta and Maryland,” Pickren said.

This is the third Central Rock Gym – with Worcester and Hadley locations – and Pickren expects people to come from north, south and west of Boston to come to the Watertown gym.

The new facility also provides a good venue for rock climbing competitions. The Ring of Fire competition will be held in Watertown in the spring of 2014, and it already hosted a youth competition just days after opening, Pickren said.

Walking into the gym feels like walking into a rocky canyon, but with small bright, multicolored rocks sticking out. Those are the holds used by climbers to scale the walls. Some are climbed with a rope going straight up, others are scaled with no ropes and the big wall curves inward, leaving climbers hanging down as the move along the rock face.

Fast Growing Sport

Climbing is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., Pickren said, who said it appeals to people of all ages.

“There is interest from kids who are looking for an alternative to soccer and football and hockey,” Pickren said. “Climbing is cool because it has community atmosphere but it is an individual sport.”

Many gravitate to climbing because it provides a full body workout, Pickren said.

“It works the core, legs and upper body,” Pickren said. “It works everything at the same time.”

Central Rock has classes for beginners, and walls set up for those who have never done it before. Some walls are as easy as climbing a ladder, while others are for experience climbers.

More Than Climbing

The facility offers more than climbing. It has equipment for cardio and strength training and will run 20 classes a week in yoga, Pilates, spinning and Zumba. All classes are included in the membership price, Pickren said.

Summer camps for children are also available.

Central Rock Gym is open Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.