The Stronghold was the first ropes gym to open Downtown, to the delight of Eastside climbers. It's housed in the former Pabst Blue Ribbon factory at the Brewery Arts Complex (you can't miss the parking lot, marked by a giant, Burning Man carousel horse), and is a truly no-frills experience. The walls aren't fancy, the setting is industrial and it gets mighty cold in the winter and steamy in the summer. But hardcore climbers don't mind, and the routes here are challenging and change often. There's a compact but impressive exercise loft, complete with a canvas-tented yoga space. The typical classes are on offer for both beginners and experts, as well as parties, demos and other fun events such as night climbing, during which the gym shutters the lights and lets members climb using headlamps only.
One-day adult pass $20; Shoe rental $4; Harness $3; Chalk $2
Monthly membership: $65 initiation fee, $79 per month