PART 2/2 (see "Joseph Walton's" review)
After the "AB" test, the employee asked that we be tested separately for lead. I'm not sure if that's just protocol for lead or if he forgot to do it for the toprope test, but either way, I left my girlfriend to take it and went to boulder.
After a couple minutes she came over and took off her harness. It was too fast for her to have finished, so I knew something was up. She told me that they had gotten through some of the test when he mentioned that something was off with her harness and asked if she could tell him what it was. She quickly answered that one of her leg loops had a twist in it, and that she could fix it. He responded that no, in fact, a twisted leg loop is an instant fail for the lead test. Mind you, she was wearing the harness the same way for the toprope test and nothing was said. He said we were allowed to climb top rope, but if I wanted to lead climb I would have to find someone else to do it with. I didn't take the lead test after she came over since I had no more interest in climbing on ropes at all.
We continued to boulder, but the whole mood was just off and felt strange. It felt like that specific employee didn't like us for some reason that we didn't know and couldn't fix. Maybe he was new, or just having a bad day, but from the moment we walked in the door the atmosphere was just off, as if we weren't wanted there. The same staff member, whenever anybody left the gym, always said goodbye, but when we left, not a word was spoken, even when my girlfriend cheerily said goodbye to him.
That being said, the bouldering was excellent; the walls were slightly higher than most bouldering walls I've been to, and the setting was very creative and enjoyable. We had a good time with some other climbers and it ended up being an okay day. I just wouldn't recommend it for anybody who likes lead or toprope, and I certainly wouldn't drive any distance for that purpose, since you might not even be allowed to.
Maybe I'll return sometime with one of my other climbing friends and see if it was just a one time thing, but for the foreseeable future, I'm planning on just climbing elsewhere.
