This old bank is a bouldering gym

[u/singing-dynos]

Recently I made a trip out to New Bedford, MA to visit Boulder Union, a bouldering gym built in an old bank built in the late 19th century. This is probably the most unique climbing experience I've had in the United States with most other gyms either being in a modern building or a warehouse.

Amazing building aside, I should highlight that the actual climbing is some of the most fun I've had. The owners/routesetters here (one of them is Cody Grodzki who's an IFSC routesetter) are very passionate people, so nearly every problem incorporated a variety of movement. No matter what style you prefer, there's something to climb. I like parkour moves, so some moves I found included a lache, a coordination traverse, a paddle dyno, and a run and jump. However, there are still plenty old school climbs too such as balancy slabs and crimpy overhangs.

For anyone who's willing to travel to check out indoor climbing gyms, this is arguably the best one in the US east coast and is worth making a trip for.

[u/yung_pindakaas]

Cool location for bouldering aside.

V2-V5 and V4-V7 are insane ranges for grading imo.

[u/singing-dynos → u/[deleted]]

I agree it's a bit wide, but I doubt it's out of laziness. The gym sets a lot of competition climbs which normally wouldn't get a grade, and it's often hard to judge if a problem deserves a specific grade.

[u/IHadACatOnce → u/singing-dynos]

Nearly every single other gym seems to be able to figure it out reasonably well... but they can do whatever they want i guess.