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Climbing gym · Oakland, United States

Great Western Power Co. grades, explained

Great Western Power Company opened in 2007 in Uptown Oakland, in a former steam-generating plant at 520 20th Street. It has about 11,000 sq ft of climbing terrain shaped around the old building, with a 48-foot lead wall and 1,500 sq ft of bouldering, plus a gym space and yoga and fitness classes.

Gym websiteDirectionsDay pass $35 · hours and prices below

Bouldering grades

Each boulder problem is set in one hold colour and has a start tag with a single suggested V-grade. Touchstone uses this at every gym except Hyperion.

The gym grades in V-scale directly. Here is the range gyms usually set, in Font:

V-scaleFont
VB3
V04B–4B+
V15A–5B
V25B–5C
V35C+–6A+
V46A+–6B+
V56C–6C+
V66C+–7A
V77A+–7B
V87B–7B+
V97C
V107C+
V118A
V128A+

Look up any grade in V-scale

Rope climbing grades

Top-rope and lead routes are labelled with a Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) grade at the start of the route.

The gym grades in YDS directly. Here is the range gyms usually set, in French:

YDSFrench
5.64a–4b
5.74b–4c
5.84c+–5a+
5.95b–5c
5.105c–6b+
5.116b+–7a+
5.127a+–7c
5.137c+–8b
5.148b+–9a

Look up any grade in YDS

Touchstone Climbing grades the same way at all 17 of its gyms. All Touchstone Climbing gyms and grades

From the gym's own grading guide. Gyms reset and regrade often, and grades vary between setters, so treat this as a guide and check the boards when you visit.

Visiting Great Western Power Co.

Address
520 20th Street, Oakland, CA 94612, United StatesGoogle MapsApple MapsOpenStreetMap
Booking
Walk in: no booking neededOpen to the public with no appointment needed. Sign the waiver online before you arrive.
Prices
Day pass · adult$35
Day pass · child12 and under$30
Day pass · concessionAccess to Climbing rate; needs a current California EBT/Medi-Cal card and photo ID$15
Off-peak entry · adultWeekdays before 3 pm, excluding holidays$30
10-visit pass · adultGood at all Touchstone gyms; expires after 1 year; waives the membership initiation fee$300
Monthly · adult1-month pass, valid for 30 days from purchase$130
Shoe hire$4
Harness hire$2
Day pass $35, or $30 on weekdays before 3 pm (not on holidays). Ongoing membership is $120/month plus a $100 initiation fee, with discounts for students, seniors, teachers, military and juniors.All prices on the gym's site
Opening hours
Mon–Fri06:00–22:00
Sat–Sun09:00–16:00
Hours on the gym's site
First visit
What to know before your first visit
Phone
+1 510-452-2022
Photos
InstagramPhotos on Google Maps

Hours and prices from the gym's own website, checked 3 October 2026. They change, so check before you go.

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Convert any gradeAll gyms

Other Touchstone Climbing gyms

All 17 Touchstone Climbing gyms

More gyms in United States

All 2 climbing gyms in Oakland

Sources

  1. Touchstone: Great Western Power Co. home (address, hours, phone, stats)
  2. Touchstone: About Great Western Power Co.
  3. Touchstone Climbing: Routesetting Approach
  4. Touchstone blog: Sweat SF - everything you need to know about Mission Cliffs (2014-12-19)

Checked 3 October 2026. Gear Loop isn't affiliated with Great Western Power Co..