Cubao isn’t really known as a wall climbing destination. While it has recently become a mecca for hipsters who like to hang out in Cubao X, the area has yet to attain a rep for the more vertically inclined. But it should.
Unknown to a lot of people, there’s actually a Power Up climbing gym just a few minutes away from the Araneta Center. The gym is part of Centro Atletico which features an excellent badminton court, a TRX gym, and a snack bar.
I’d been going to this climbing gym years before it was taken over by Power Up. My girlfriend (now wife) used to live near the place and we’d often go climbing there. It was a pretty lonely place to climb back then because the gym did not attract a lot of climbers. Centro Atletico was really more known as a badminton destination, and wall climbing seemed to have been just an afterthought to make use of some extra space. But since Power Up took over the facility, climbing there has really boomed. On certain days, it can seem almost as busy as the gym in Tandang Sora.
The gym features several climbing walls, the tallest of which is over 40 feet high. One of the walls features an overhang that’s probably thirty feet high. There’s also a corner where climbers can practive bouldering. It’s staffed by some of the same guys who used to run Power Up Pasig so service is excellent. It’s also got that Power Up laid back vibe where everyone wants to help everyone else become better at climbing.
What I like best about the place though is at the end of a tiring climbing session, you can wash off all that sweat in the gym’s airconditioned shower room, which has heated showers!
The food at the restaurant is also pretty good. They have great steaks and sausages.
Getting to the Centro Atletico gym is a bit tricky though. On Edsa on the Southbound side, it’s on the next road on the right after P. Tuazon. It’s also the road before the Petron station. This short road leads to a gate at the end—that’s Centro Atletico. Check out this map if you’re a bit confused.
25 West Road Corner North Road,
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63(2)4127480
Business hours:
Weekdays 2pm to 10pm
Weekends 12 noon to 8pm
Entrance fee: 170 PHP.
Climbing Shoe rental: 40 PHP
Harness rental: 30 PHP
Chabs Esguerra
August 14, 2013 at 3:35 pmHi! Do they also charge for belayer? If yes, how much? Do they let you belay even if you are not an ‘accredited’ belayer like in TS?
outsideslacker
August 14, 2013 at 5:36 pmhi chabs, i haven’t visited power up centro atletico in a while so i’m not really sure. but in TS, a belayer can be hired for P100 per half hour. they’ve also changed the belay devices in TS from grigris to ATCs
Kent
September 27, 2014 at 12:39 pmIs it really need to have a belayer even i have a partner?
outsideslacker
September 27, 2014 at 10:53 pmif you have a partner who knows how to belay, tell the staff so they’ll let you climb without a belayer
nick
February 28, 2014 at 2:37 pmWow, meron palang wallclimbing sa likod namin. thank u outsideslacker! 🙂
jasper laguitao
September 24, 2015 at 3:24 pmMagkano ngayong 2015?
update with the price. interested kami ni boyfie
para maging fit
outsideslacker
October 2, 2015 at 10:44 amHi, nagtaas sila ng rates this year. For the latest rates check out Power Up’s FB page