Climbing gym · Oakland, United States
Pacific Pipe grades, explained
Pacific Pipe opened in West Oakland in 2021 and is Touchstone's largest gym, with a 55,000 sq ft building. The home page lists 46,000 sq ft of climbing terrain (33,000 sq ft roped, 13,000 sq ft bouldering) and a 55-foot lead wall. It has multi-level bouldering with a top-out section, crack features, training boards, a 15 m speed wall, a weight room and saunas.
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-scale | Font |
|---|---|
| VB | 3 |
| V0 | 4B–4B+ |
| V1 | 5A–5B |
| V2 | 5B–5C |
| V3 | 5C+–6A+ |
| V4 | 6A+–6B+ |
| V5 | 6C–6C+ |
| V6 | 6C+–7A |
| V7 | 7A+–7B |
| V8 | 7B–7B+ |
| V9 | 7C |
| V10 | 7C+ |
| V11 | 8A |
| V12 | 8A+ |
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:
| YDS | French |
|---|---|
| 5.6 | 4a–4b |
| 5.7 | 4b–4c |
| 5.8 | 4c+–5a+ |
| 5.9 | 5b–5c |
| 5.10 | 5c–6b+ |
| 5.11 | 6b+–7a+ |
| 5.12 | 7a+–7c |
| 5.13 | 7c+–8b |
| 5.14 | 8b+–9a |
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 Pacific Pipe
- Address
- 2140 Mandela Parkway, Oakland, CA 94607, 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 $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 siteDay 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 - Opening hours
Members-only hours on Saturday and Sunday, 9:00-10:00, before the gym opens to everyone.Hours on the gym's siteMon 07:00–22:00 Tue 07:00–23:00 Wed 07:00–22:00 Thu 07:00–23:00 Fri 07:00–22:00 Sat–Sun 10:00–19:00 - First visit
- What to know before your first visit
- Phone
- +1 510-903-6722
Hours and prices from the gym's own website, checked 3 October 2026. They change, so check before you go.
Is this page accurate and helpful?
Other Touchstone Climbing gyms
- Great Western Power Co.Oakland · Bouldering · Ropes
- Berkeley IronworksBerkeley · Bouldering · Ropes
- The OaksBerkeley · Bouldering
- Verdigo BouldersBurbank · Bouldering
- Diablo Rock GymConcord · Bouldering · Ropes
- Cliffs of IdCulver City · Bouldering · Ropes
More gyms in United States
- Bouldering Project SpringdaleAustin · Bouldering
- Bouldering Project WestgateAustin · Bouldering
- The Spot BoulderBoulder · Bouldering
- The Spot DenverDenver · Bouldering
Sources
- Touchstone: Pacific Pipe home (address, hours, phone, stats)
- Touchstone: About Pacific Pipe
- Touchstone Climbing: Routesetting Approach
- 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 Pacific Pipe.