The Lab Bouldering Studio (BCIT)

The Lab Bouldering Studio

The Lab is the British Columbia Institute of Technology's bouldering room, run by BCIT Recreation Services in the Recreation and Wellness Centre (building SE16) on the Burnaby campus. It opened in October 2023, replacing a climbing wall that dated from the late 1990s, and roughly tripled the climbing space to about 600 sq ft.

Climbing

The walls run from vertical to 45-degree overhangs, with boulder problems graded from VB for beginners to V10+, and the team aims to reset them every two to three weeks. It's a small space, capped at 15 climbers at a time, with no spectators.

• Everyone signs a waiver each calendar year and gets a safety orientation on their first visit.
• Climbing shoes are required: bring your own gear or rent a set on site. Only chalk balls or liquid chalk are allowed.
• Bags go in the cubbies or lockers provided, and the building has changing rooms with showers.

Access and prices

The Lab is open to BCIT students, staff and alumni and to members of the public, but it's for adults only: public climbers must be 18 or over. Climbing is drop-in during scheduled sessions, which in autumn 2026 run on weekday evenings, starting mid-afternoon on Wednesdays. A public day pass costs $16.22 and a 10-visit pass $146, with lower rates for BCIT students, staff and alumni. Capacity is limited, so BCIT suggests checking there's space before paying for campus parking.