The Knot - Climbing Gym - Gainesville, Florida

Juan A. M. B.

I have become a regular to the Knot since a couple of months ago. I love to come in the early morning and workout. My first day, Dani was the team member who took me in and helped me get started. Always he has a great smile, encourages me to have fun and complete my project (hard circuits at the gym). I get very happy when I see him at the entrance because we get to catch up. When I get to the gym, I always ask for a pair of shoes and chalk and last time that I went to the gym, Dani saw me parking and had my shoes and chalk ready even before I entered the gym. Great team member, culture and customer service that the Knot has. 10/10. Coming to this gym is totally worth it.

Ms. K.

Fun! Challenging! Unique! Deceptively good exercise for so many muscles. First, BIG KUDOS to The Knot’s awesome owners and staff! Why? I volunteer with the Big Brother/Big Sister organization which provided this mentor with the most awesome 10 year old on the planet to befriend and entertain with new experiences. One of the perks is a BBBS pair can enter free of charge with the BBBS Liason, who makes sure we are safe and informed. Kid friendly too! More than just climbing, there are weights and machine to use and bars and rope to use. There is a large tumbling mat, short cave walls and a large ramp that provide three levels of difficulty for easier, more horizontal climbs up to experienced folks. The challenging vertical climb also has multiple options for foot and hands - you can choose to make your challenge level whatever you feel like that day. It’s quite high and really exhilarating. *Rest assured you will be safe as you are harnessed, roped and held by a spotter* Here’s the best part for me personally; keep in mind that I am 63, and, though in decent shape, I don’t workout regularly. That said, I scaled that wall like I was horizontal and I did NOT choose the easiest route. Bottom line: Was I proud, exhilarated and out of breath, you bet, was this gym the most fun this lady and her mentee had in a long time, oh yeah ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Hil

I love this gym and my love has only grown for it since I started my membership 7 months ago. I didn't see many detailed reviews from consistent members so I am highlighting what they're doing right. I climb about 3-4 times a week and I've been climbing for about 9 months - V4. 5.11 max.

- The best rope setting I've climbed in a gym. It's hard to find a gym with good bouldering and rope setting. It feels like many gyms just mindlessly throw up holds on the wall for rope routes. It doesn't feel like there's any flow or feel of an intended beta. Harder routes at these kinds of gyms would just entail smaller holds, not necessarily technical or thoughtful move patterns. The knot does have shorter rope walls so that also probably helps with creating quality setting. It's good to see a similar level of priority for setting good ropes and boulders.

- The variety of climbing walls. The tall comp wall, steep 30-degree wall, tunnel, cave, and slab wall. The knot makes great use of their small space. I don't usually see this level of variety at larger gyms.

- The community. The smaller size of the gym, the number of consistent climbers, and more give it this tight-knit feeling. While it can be annoying for visitors or casual climbers, I appreciate that it's members only. I always recognize climbers every time I go and it feels good to be surrounded by people that love to climb consistently. I know this will change when they expand, but I hope the feeling of community does not. Also, the fact that Gainesville is a college town adds to this feeling.

- The boulder setting! Always hard, fun, and interesting. Other chain gyms with good setting often have this commercial or generic feeling to their setting. The Knot stays creative and it's clear that setters are given the freedom to do what they want.
I would much prefer climbing at a gym that sets hard for the grade or more true to outdoor grading, than the opposite. I love that the setters are great climbers themselves and a lot of them are around my age. It's also cool to see them become better setters as I'm always checking who sets which boulder or route on the app.

Some things that can be improved. Nothing crazy but:

- Some walls/panels could be re-textured/replaced/better secured upstairs.
- Cleaning the holds more frequently. I didn't have a problem with this but this is some feedback from a friend.
- More thoughtful V0s-V2s. I thought a lot of the easier boulders at Vertical Ventures for example were super cool and interesting and not just jug ladders so I would like to see that at the Knot as well. Our V2s are usually pretty solid though.
- Alternative to the paper finish/start tags. They often fall off, and it's more wasteful in general. Would also like to see the boulder grades on the start tags so we don't have to look on the app (I would still like to use the app in conjunction). I don't like to have my phone on me when I climb, but I'm kind of forced to.

Traveler B.

The Knot may look small compared to other climbing gyms I have visited, but it is filled with a large range of bouldering and top-rope problems capable of challenging climbers of all skill levels. On each of my past five visits, I have found the staff to be welcoming, knowledgeable, and ready to assist. It is recently opened and still continuing to build out, so I expect it to get even better as more features are added. Currently, due to reduced occupancy, they are not offering day passes and are only open to members. But if you are interested in trying out climbing, find a friend who is a member because each member gets one guest pass per month. I highly recommend this place for both experienced climbers and anyone interested in learning a sport that requires as much problem solving as strength and endurance.

Ernesto F.

Fun for climbers of any age and experience. They have a variety of routes at various difficulties that change often enough to keep it interesting. Definitely a fun way to get a workout. Staff is SUPER nice and chill

Janet B.

Beginning class only teaches bouldering. No auto-belays. If you want to do wall climbing, you have to bring your own partner.

Bee

Friendly staff. We enjoy the different levels and variety of climbing walls. A great place to hang out and exercise with the family and doing something good together. Hubby wants me to give 5 stars. 😁

Kim K.

We had a great time bouldering and top-roping. Thanks to the helpful staff for getting us oriented and set up with gear. I hadn’t been since the facility changed owners.