Have Questions?
If you don’t see your question answered below, please contact us here! – Thank you!
Account & Membership Questions
Log in to Approach, where you can update your contact and billing address information. You cannot change membership statuses here. You must contact us via the form here to renew or cancel.
Log in to Approach. Navigate to your Approach profile by clicking the profile button in the top right corner. Once in your profile, locate “Billing Method” on the bottom left. From here, you can update your payment method.
Two reasons:
1. We change lives through our community. We can’t do that unless you have a full commitment and show up. Three months seems to be the magic number.
2. We keep costs low by keeping administrative details low. Not having to work on people cancelling and signing up all the time by requiring a commitment (essentially, a Cal Poly quarter is how we set it) reduces time needed to manage people’s accounts.
Have you noticed we don’t have initiation fees?
The Pad typically loses money in the summer because students go home and people cancel so they can climb outside or travel. When winter comes around, many people want to suspend their membership in December when they go home for the holidays, but we have not yet built our reserves up from the summer yet, and also it reduces the amount of administration required for short term suspensions. BTW, if you get hurt, we’ll suspend you, no questions asked.
Fill out this link to cancel/or suspend.
Have you noticed we don’t have initiation fees?
Membership suspensions can be requested via our Cancellations and Suspensions Request Form. Suspensions will be processed at the end of each month unless a specific request is made to suspend ASAP. When requesting a suspension, if you would like your suspension to start on a date other than the first of the next month, you are able to select it in the form. If you have an end date for your suspension, you can also note that in the form. If you are requesting to suspend ASAP, your membership fee will NOT be refunded for the unused days of that month.
Want to have access to ALL other Pad locations? Check out our Climb4Community membership, which was created so that folks who can’t afford a full membership are still able to access all the benefits that climbing has to offer.
How does it work? Members who are able to pay over their local gym’s membership price can set their price – as long as it’s at least $1 over. Any amount over the membership price goes straight back into the C4C fund to help those who need to pay a little less. The best perk of this membership – other than knowing that you are helping other climbers – is that it gains you 24/7 access to San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Henderson, and future Pad locations.
Click here for more on the perks of C4C and to apply.
Regular monthly EFT, annual, or partner memberships are valid for 24/7 access of your home gym.
We know it is exciting to check out another PadFam gym while traveling. For active members NOT signed up for C4C can access another Pad location one time only at no charge. Access to additional Pad locations and additional days may require a Day Pass.
We try to be really cool and not require paperwork or a month-out cancellation process, but the fact is, sometimes we’re not checking our email at midnight on the 30th – we’re out having a good time. Five days gives us enough time to handle cancellations while still having a life, and we don’t think it’s too much to ask that you plan that out in advance.
Fill out this link to cancel/or suspend.
Have you noticed we don’t have initiation fees?
If you are late cancelling, that’s on you.
If you bought a month membership, that’s also on you. Yes, we can check your entry log, but plenty of times people get in with friends and don’t scan in anyway.
The Pad is cool to people who take responsibility for themselves and follow the rules.
Have you noticed we don’t have initiation fees?
Friend, we’re pretty cool. No initiation or suspension fees . . . only five days ahead of time via form submission to cancel, we really want to make this not stressful for you.
BUT if you fail to follow our instructions and file a dispute, the bank charges US a fee. Then we have to go and prove that you didn’t follow instructions, call you, resolve it . . . it takes a lot of staff time, AND we still don’t get our money back when they charge that fee. So, that’s why.
Follow our easy rules. If we mess up, we fix it. If you mess up, that’s on you!
No, gift cards can’t be used to pay for monthly autodraw memberships. A credit card must be saved to your account in order to purchase a monthly recurring membership. Gift cards can be used for day passes, one month passes, annuals and any retail purchases within the gym.
Memberships:
- Annual Memberships: Refundable within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, memberships can be canceled early but are not eligible for prorated refunds.
- Monthly Memberships:
- The first month’s charge is nonrefundable if the gym has been used. If unused, it’s refundable within 30 days.
- Ongoing monthly charges are nonrefundable.
Day Passes:
- Nonrefundable after use unless an injury occurs in the gym.
- Pre-purchased passes are refundable within 30 days.
Retail:
- General Purchases: All sales are final, but exchanges or refunds may be offered within 30 days for unworn, sellable merchandise with a receipt.
- Manufacturing Issues: Items can be returned within 30 days and will be followed up with the manufacturer.
- Gift Cards: Refundable within 30 days.
Instructional Classes:
- Refunds require cancellation at least 24 hours before the class, with a 25% cancellation fee.
- Rescheduling must be done at least 24 hours in advance and incurs a $10 fee.
- Rescheduled classes cannot be canceled for refunds.
Policies
Because:
1 – They aren’t properly processed with a waivers and payment
2 – Non-members do not have the investment that members have in The Pad. It reduces our liability to keep non-members out of the gym during unsupervised hours.
Don’t mess with this and ruin a good thing. One good lawsuit and this all goes away.
Children under 14 must be supervised at all times
The training area and workout equipment are for serious users only
The children’s area is not supervised by staff. Parents are responsible for the safety of their children, themselves, and those around them
No running
No standing under others climbing, unless you are spotting your child
Mats are for climbing fall catches only – not for play
One climber on a route at a time
There are no age restrictions on autobelays, but minors need to weigh at least 25 pounds and be supervised by an adult if under 14
If you are caught sneaking in a non-member during non-staffed hours, you will receive a warning the first time, a $120 fine the second time, and a ban from our facilities on the third instance. In addition, the non-member you bring in will be charged for a first-time or buddy pass, and you will all be asked to leave the gym immediately. If you do not pay the fine upfront, your 24/7 access card will be confiscated, and you will not be welcome in the gym until the fine is paid.
Members and visitors of our space are hereby informed that capturing photographs or recording videos of others without obtaining their explicit consent is strictly prohibited. Failure to adhere to this policy will lead to immediate banning from our premises.
In addition, by signing our waiver, you grant The Pad Climbing permission to use photographs or video recordings of me taken at the Gym for promotional or marketing purposes, without compensation or further approval.
To put this simply, you are welcome to record memories of yourself, your friends and your family. You ARE NOT welcome to snap pictures for ANY use of anyone you do not know, without their explicit consent.
Members who wish to film paid content, for which the individual is paid by a third party entity to promote a product that is not the gym or its services itself, in the gym must obtain written consent from The Pad by emailing service@thepadclimbing.org or submit this request form. The Pad reserves the right to refuse the use of their space for any reason.If no consent is reached and the member still uses The Pad’s facilities for their paid content
Member’s membership will be revoked
Member is banned until a $500 fee is paid
If non-member, individual is banned and will be invoiced up to $1500 for use of our space
If you post an image of a photo taken in our gym, there’s a chance we’ll really dig it and reach out to use it in future marketing and social materials. We will ALWAYS ask first. If you agree, you will be authorizing The Pad Climbing to repurpose your content in a limited capacity as part of The Pad Climbing’s promotional materials, including but not limited to social media posts, website features, and print marketing.
While we will make efforts to maintain the integrity of the content, we reserve the right to edit or modify the content for format or clarity without altering the context. You may not receive credit or compensation for the use of this content. While we may choose to provide acknowledgment, such as including your social media handle in alt text on our website or tagging you on social media, this is not guaranteed.
You have the right to revoke this consent at any time by contacting The Pad Climbing in writing. Upon receipt of a revocation request, The Pad Climbing will make reasonable efforts to cease using the content in future promotional materials but cannot guarantee removal from previously distributed materials.
The teaching of knots, lead climbing techniques, and belay techniques by non-staff members can only be done while all participants are on the ground.
If someone is close to passing a belay test, it is okay to briefly teach them what they did wrong and let them know they can retest tomorrow.
- The climber and belayer tie in and climb on top rope in addition to the climber bringing a lead rope to practice clipping the draws
- Participants must be TR certified to mock lead
- Mock lead belaying is not allowed in our facility.
- Must pass our Auto-belay test
- Must be 14 or older, or accompanied by an adult
- Must be no lighter than 25 pounds and no heavier than 330 lbs
- Staff members must show users how to use auto-belay the first time
If The Pad asks for information from a member who has been awarded a discounted membership (ie all types of partner memberships and C4C), and they do not respond to the request within the timeframe provided, they will be bumped to a regular, non-discounted, EFT membership on the first of the following month. Being awarded a discounted membership to The Pad is a privilege, and we reserve the right to remove this right from members who do not follow the Pad’s Policies and Procedures.
Cancellations made 7 days prior to the event are eligible for a refund of party charges, excluding the $50 deposit fee. All party deposits are nonrefundable. All cancellations made within 7 days of the event are nonrefundable.
In gym or online purchases are eligible for refund up to 12 months after purchase date.
The failure to adhere to The Pad’s Rules & Policies can result in up to a $1500 fine, membership suspension, or an outright ban to all of our facilities. All situations involving a break in policy by a member will be reviewed by our HQ team, and the member will be followed up with regarding The Pad’s response within five business days.
In-Gym Operations
We get to be minimally staffed because we are a membership organization. If you would like more access, join as a member!
Because:
1 – They aren’t properly processed with a waivers and payment
2 – Non-members do not have the investment that members have in The Pad. It reduces our liability to keep non-members out of the gym during unsupervised hours.
Don’t mess with this and ruin a good thing. One good lawsuit and this all goes away.
Want to have access to ALL other Pad locations? Check out our Climb4Community membership, which was created so that folks who can’t afford a full membership are still able to access all the benefits that climbing has to offer.
How does it work? Members who are able to pay over their local gym’s membership price can set their price – as long as it’s at least $1 over. Any amount over the membership price goes straight back into the C4C fund to help those who need to pay a little less. The best perk of this membership – other than knowing that you are helping other climbers – is that it gains you 24/7 access to San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Henderson, and future Pad locations.
Click here for more on the perks of C4C and to apply.
Regular monthly EFT, annual, or partner memberships are valid for 24/7 access of your home gym.
We know it is exciting to check out another PadFam gym while traveling. For active members NOT signed up for C4C can access another Pad location one time only at no charge. Access to additional Pad locations and additional days may require a Day Pass.
Comp team kids will be climbing in roped areas during season, their practices will range from 4-7pm on weekdays.
- Belay and lead tests need to be taken as soon as you enter the gym. This is to ensure that you have really learned the knowledge, instead of quickly learning in the ropes room and them popping over to the front desk to take the test.
- No instruction from friends or employees is allowed – this is to ensure that you really retained the knowledge, instead of quickly learning in the ropes room and then heading to a test.
- Times for lead and belay tests are 11am-8:45pm. If you come in for a lead or belay test at 9pm or later, we won’t be able to complete your test. This is because our front desk staff has to start shutting the gym down at this time.
- Taking a belay test? Learn more and study for the test with our Belay Test Guide.
We will be asking you about:
- 3 safety checks for a harness:
- Snug and above hipbones
- Buckles are double backed
- No twists, harness oriented correctly
Be sure to check that carabiners are locked and/or knots are oriented cleanly.
For the actual technique, we want you to demonstrate:
- Rope tied in using a figure 8 with no more or less than 4-8 inches of tail
- Properly loaded belay device (we highly recommend a tube-style device)
At The Pad, we use the PBUS Belay Technique:
- Pull
- Brake
- Under
- Slide
We want to make sure you know your safety lingo! Be sure to know these climbing commands prior to climbing and during:
- On belay? Belay on.
- Climbing? Climb on.
- Take
- Slack
- Falling
- Lower
Why do you have to do it specifically like this?
- Because we created this environment and we are legally liable for it – if we don’t have set standards, then we can’t train our staff or enforce them
- Because this is the proven safest way to do things and demonstrate your mastery!
- We love big groups, but ask that for any groups of 8 or more to book in advance. This ensures we have paid staff on hand to supervise the experience
- We reserve the right to turn away groups of 8 or more who do not have an advance reservation.
- We cannot make special accommodations for large groups that arrive without advance notice, which may result in limited rental availability, staff not available for rope testing, etc.
- We reserve the right to boot people if disrespectful of our space, people, and policies
- We really want to work with you for your best experience and encourage an advance group reservation.
If you are caught sneaking in a non-member during non-staffed hours, you will receive a warning the first time, a $120 fine the second time, and a ban from our facilities on the third instance. In addition, the non-member you bring in will be charged for a first-time or buddy pass, and you will all be asked to leave the gym immediately. If you do not pay the fine upfront, your 24/7 access card will be confiscated, and you will not be welcome in the gym until the fine is paid.
Members who wish to film paid content, for which the individual is paid by a third party entity to promote a product that is not the gym or its services itself, in the gym must obtain written consent from The Pad by emailing service@thepadclimbing.org or fill out this request form. The Pad reserves the right to refuse the use of their space for any reason.If no consent is reached and the member still uses The Pad’s facilities for their paid content
Member’s membership will be revoked
Member is banned until a $500 fee is paid
If non-member, individual is banned and will be invoiced up to $1500 for use of our space
- The teaching of knots, lead climbing techniques, and belay techniques by non-staff members can only be done while all participants are on the ground.
- If someone is close to passing a belay test, it is okay to briefly teach them what they did wrong and let them know they can retest tomorrow.
- The climber and belayer tie in and climb on top rope in addition to the climber bringing a lead rope to practice clipping the draws
- Participants must be TR certified to mock lead
- Mock lead belaying is not allowed in our facility.
Cancellations made 7 days prior to the event are eligible for a refund of party charges, excluding the $50 deposit fee. All party deposits are nonrefundable. All cancellations made within 7 days of the event are nonrefundable.
In gym or online purchases are eligible for refund up to 12 months after purchase date.
The failure to adhere to The Pad’s Rules & Policies can result in up to a $1500 fine, membership suspension, or an outright ban to all of our facilities. All situations involving a break in policy by a member will be reviewed by our HQ team, and the member will be followed up with regarding The Pad’s response within five business days.
- Children under 14 must be supervised at all times
- The training area and workout equipment are for serious users only
- The children’s area is not supervised by staff. Parents are responsible for the safety of their children, themselves, and those around them
- No running
- No standing under others climbing, unless you are spotting your child
- Mats are for climbing fall catches only – not for play
- One climber on a route at a time
