Vertical Hold Poway

About Vertical Hold Poway

Vertical Hold Poway is a climbing gym in an industrial unit on Stowe Drive and one of Vertical Hold's three gyms around San Diego; the others are in San Diego and San Marcos. It was a Solid Rock Gym until the two local operators merged at the end of 2016, when all three Solid Rock gyms took the Vertical Hold name.

Climbing and training

The textured walls take top ropes, lead routes and auto-belays, with a lead cave and crack features. The bouldering includes a top-out boulder and a new boulder wall that opened in November 2024. Upstairs, a training area has a campus board, a steep training board and matting, and the gym also lists a pegboard, hangboards and strength-training boards, plus a fitness area with free weights, machines and TRX straps.

Visiting

• No booking is needed for bouldering or the auto-belays. To belay on the top ropes you need a Vertical Hold belay check; Grigri belay lessons run through the day and are free for members.
• Ages: all ages can climb, under-16s must be chaperoned and belayers must be at least 13.
• Classes: yoga on Monday and Wednesday evenings, free with a day pass or membership; clinics from Climbing Fundamentals to Boulder Beta sessions on harder grades and dynos; and Learn 2 Lead courses.
• Kids: the youth recreational team for ages 7 to 17 practises Monday to Thursday afternoons, and Camp Vertical runs in the summer and winter holidays.
• Parties and groups: birthday parties and team-building events include gear, belayers and an event space.

Day passes, week passes and memberships all cover the three Vertical Hold gyms.