The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness

What The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness does

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness is a privately held, multi-location indoor rock climbing and fitness operator founded in 2013 by Mike Wolfert, headquartered in Long Island City (Queens), New York. The company operates five climbing facilities across the NYC metropolitan area — Long Island City, Gowanus (Brooklyn), Harlem (Manhattan), and Valhalla (Westchester) — plus Callowhill in Philadelphia, including a seasonal outdoor site at DUMBO in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Facilities offer top rope, lead climbing, and bouldering across large footprints, with the Gowanus location described as the largest indoor climbing space in NYC and Callowhill as the largest in Pennsylvania, supported by on-site fitness areas, yoga classes, retail gear shops, and instructional programs.

The company monetizes through a mix of recurring monthly/annual gym memberships, individual day passes and multi-visit packs, retail merchandise, classes and private coaching, youth programs and competitive teams, group events and birthday parties, and gift cards. Standard memberships start at approximately $91/month with day passes priced at $25 and 7-visit passes at $154. Supporting programs include the ClimbUp youth outreach initiative (serving ~250 students through 15+ non-profit and Title 1 school partnerships), the Kinship Climbing Collective (formerly Young Women Who Crush) for high school girls, adaptive climbing programs, and The Cliffs Outdoors trips to destinations like Joshua Tree, Red Rocks, and the Adirondacks. The company also partners with the Vertical Life app for digital climb logging.

The Cliffs pursues a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model emphasizing youth outreach, school partnerships, competitive teams, and a strong social media presence, with marketing spanning a company blog, location-specific Instagram and Facebook accounts, email newsletters, and earned media coverage from outlets including ABC News, TODAY, Thrillist, TimeOut NY, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Strategic partnerships with The North Face, Reel Rock, and various DEI-focused climbing organizations (Brothers of Climbing, Adaptive Climbing Group, Plastic Pollution Coalition) reinforce its positioning around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the climbing community.

Name

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness

Legal name

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness

Website

https://thecliffsclimbing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness is a privately held indoor rock climbing gym chain operating five facilities across the NYC metro area and Philadelphia, serving recreational climbers, youth programs, and competitive teams through memberships, day passes, classes, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indoor Climbing Gyms

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata) (THAAAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAAAB), Climbing & Via Ferrata Guiding / Instruction (THAAALAH)

Keywords

• Indoor rock climbing
• Climbing gym memberships
• Fitness facilities
• Climbing instruction
• Youth climbing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Queens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Gym Memberships: Monthly and annual gym memberships providing unlimited access to climbing facilities, fitness areas, yoga classes, and member benefits at all locations.
2. Day Passes and Visit Passes: Individual day passes and multi-visit passes for casual climbers and visitors.
3. Retail Sales: Sale of climbing gear, apparel, footwear, chalk, crash pads, ropes, helmets, and accessories at on-site retail shops.
4. Classes and Coaching: Fees for instructional climbing classes, private coaching, youth programs, camps, and competitive team training.
5. Group Events and Parties: Birthday party bookings, corporate events, and group climbing experiences.
6. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold at front desk and online in denominations from $5-$500.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness operates indoor rock climbing facilities across the NYC metro area and Philadelphia, offering top rope, lead climbing, and bouldering walls alongside fitness areas and gear retail. The company sells memberships, day passes, climbing classes, youth programs, adaptive climbing, and group event bookings, supported by on-site retail shops and the Vertical Life climb-tracking app.

Product overview

The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness is a multi-location indoor rock climbing and fitness company operating premier climbing facilities across the NYC metro area and Philadelphia. The core offering consists of indoor climbing facilities with walls, routes, and bouldering areas complemented by fitness spaces. Supporting programs include youth outreach through ClimbUp and Kinship Climbing Collective (formerly Young Women Who Crush), competitive youth teams, adaptive climbing programs, outdoor trips, community meetups, retail gear shops, and birthday party services. The company also partners with the Vertical Life app for digital climb tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ClimbUp: Youth outreach program providing free after-school climbing programs and memberships to low-income at-risk youth
• Young Women Who Crush (now Kinship Climbing Collective)
• The Cliffs Outdoors

Products and services

• Indoor Rock Climbing Facilities

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 students from diverse backgrounds served through youth outreach programs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Access FundcoreOthersThe Cliffs supports the Access Fund, an organization dedicated to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment. They contribute to bolt and anchor replacement efforts and advocate for public lands protection.
• American Alpine ClubminorOthersSupport for the American Alpine Club's mission to promote climbing education, research, and community.
• Plastic Pollution CoalitionminorOthersPartnership to reduce plastic pollution; The Cliffs removes disposable water bottles from drink coolers every April.
• Discover Outdoors FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support youth outreach programs including Young Women Who Crush, providing mentorship and free climbing access to inner-city girls in NYC.
• Brothers of ClimbingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting diversity in climbing and providing access to climbing for Black climbers and communities.
• Peak PotentialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization connecting youth of color to climbing experiences and outdoor opportunities.
• The North FaceflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered to host 'Walls are Meant for Climbing' event featuring pro-athlete clinics, panels, and a $1 million donation to Trust for Public Land. Major marketing and community event partnership.
• Vertical LifecoreTechnology or IntegrationClimbing gym app partnership allowing members to log climbs, give grade proposals, quality ratings, and leave comments. Digital integration enhancing member experience.
• Snow PeakminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor gear sponsor for Young Women Who Crush program, providing tents and camping essentials for outdoor trips.
• ClifminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Young Women Who Crush program, providing fuel and funds for youth climbing adventures.
• Reel RockcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to host NYC Reel Rock Film Tour, bringing climbing films and community events to members.
• SpiritsUp!minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhiladelphia-based organization that provided five full-ride scholarships to climbing camp for POC youth climbers at The Cliffs at Callowhill.
• Kinship Climbing CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree climbing and leadership development program (formerly Young Women Who Crush) for high school girls in NYC, providing opportunities for indoor and outdoor climbing adventures.
• Adaptive Climbing GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing adaptive climbing opportunities for people with disabilities at LIC and Valhalla locations.
• CRUXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimbing meetup group hosting events at LIC and Harlem locations, building inclusive climbing community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Movement Climbing: Multi-location indoor climbing gym operator that acquired The Cliffs' Valhalla location (now Movement Valhalla), directly competing in urban climbing facilities across multiple markets. Now the most direct peer given the documented asset transfer.
• Bouldering Project: Multi-location indoor climbing and bouldering operator with community-focus and youth programming, operating in several major US cities. Comparable membership model and community-driven GTM.
• Central Rock Gym: Regional indoor climbing gym chain operating multiple locations in the Northeast US, with similar membership, classes, and youth programming models.
• Brooklyn Boulders: Urban indoor climbing gym chain with NYC presence, competing for the same metropolitan climbers and community-led positioning. Overlaps directly with The Cliffs in NYC metro geography.
• Vertical World: Long-standing indoor climbing gym chain with multiple locations, offering memberships, classes, and youth teams comparable to The Cliffs' programming mix.

Emerging players

• Sender One Climbing: Indoor climbing gym operator with multiple locations, offering bouldering, roped climbing, fitness, and youth programs comparable to The Cliffs' full-service gym model.
• Threshold Climbing: Indoor climbing gym operator with community-led growth and youth programming focus, comparable to The Cliffs' DEI and community positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Earth Treks / Planet Granite: Multi-market climbing and fitness operator (now part of Movement Climbing family), offering indoor climbing with broader fitness amenities comparable to The Cliffs' combined climbing + fitness positioning.
• Touchstone Climbing: Established indoor climbing gym chain in California with multiple locations, offering similar membership, classes, and fitness adjacency to The Cliffs.

Others

• The North Face: Outdoor apparel sponsor and event partner of The Cliffs. Comparable as an ecosystem participant and brand partner; not a direct competitor but a relevant reference for the climbing community sponsorship arena.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCliffsAtLongIslandCity
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecliffslic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness