Climbing gym · San Jose, United States
The Studio grades, explained
The Studio opened in 2012 in a converted single-screen movie theatre on South 1st Street in downtown San Jose. It has about 11,000 sq ft of climbing terrain, with a 40-foot lead wall and 3,000 sq ft of bouldering, plus fitness spaces, yoga classes and Touchstone's only co-ed sauna.
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 The Studio
- Address
- 396 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113, 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 $30, or $25 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 $30 Day pass · child12 and under $25 Day pass · concessionAccess to Climbing rate; needs a current California EBT/Medi-Cal card and photo ID $10 Off-peak entry · adultWeekdays before 3 pm, excluding holidays $25 10-visit pass · adultGood at all Touchstone gyms; expires after 1 year; waives the membership initiation fee $270 Monthly · adult1-month pass, valid for 30 days from purchase $130 Shoe hire $4 Harness hire $2 - Opening hours
Hours on the gym's siteMon–Fri 10:00–22:00 Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00 - First visit
- What to know before your first visit
- Phone
- +1 408-998-4000
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
- Berkeley IronworksBerkeley · Bouldering · Ropes
- The OaksBerkeley · Bouldering
- Verdigo BouldersBurbank · Bouldering
- Diablo Rock GymConcord · Bouldering · Ropes
- Cliffs of IdCulver City · Bouldering · Ropes
- MetalMarkFresno · Bouldering · Ropes
More gyms in United States
Sources
- Touchstone: The Studio home (address, hours, phone, stats)
- Touchstone: About The Studio
- 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 The Studio.