Grand River Rocks was founded by Josh Tuffin, Christoff Le Roux, Mike Cieplak, and Scott Hamill. Good friends and seasoned climbers long before the idea of opening a climbing gym was ever even imagined, the four owners built much of the gym with their own hands. In August 2011, the doors of Grand River Rocks opened, and Kitchener-Waterloo officially had a gym entirely devoted to rock climbing.
In November 2013, our gym expanded! We took over the unit next door, and we now have much more to offer! We have a small workout gym for members (with a treadmill, elliptical, weights, and rowing machine), a viewing deck, fun walls for kids, another boulder, and many more top-rope and lead routes.
In December 2019, we decided to bring climbing to Waterloo with a brand new bouldering-only facility!
In June 2024, we moved our Kitchener location to a bigger, newer building on Victoria St.
The 14,000 square foot facility located at 50 Borden Ave was the home and beginning for many KW climbers from August 2011 to June 2024. The curved wood-panelled ceilings and the concrete walls helped to maintain the charm of this old industrial building.
The facility located at 264 Victoria St N opened its doors in June 2024. The massive space has dedicated party rooms, ample space in the changerooms, a large yoga studio, a roomy workout area, and, of course, lots of climbing!