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Header image courtesy of Attic V (via Facebook)
Originally published by Jen Paolini. Last updated by Ashley Siu.
Get your regular dose of exercise and activity at these indoor climbing and bouldering gyms in Hong Kong, which are suitable for climbers of all levels and will have you enthusiastically scaling walls like Spider-Man! Just remember to sign the safety waivers first and hop onto an introductory course to learn the basics of bouldering before you start testing out your climbing skills on the holds.
Hong Kong Climbing Park is one of the largest indoor climbing gym, with facilities that include lead climbing and bouldering zones for climbers of all levels and a training area. Instructors are available to teach beginner through intermediate classes as well as training courses, and new routes are laid out on a frequent basis to keep your climbs interesting.
You can also put on your best American ninja warrior impression and take a stab at the Ninja Warrior zone, where you can test out your upper body strength and grapple, hook, and swing through 10 different stages and challenging obstacle courses. Conveniently, there’s a dining area inside Hong Kong Climbing Park for you to fuel up with a hot meal and catch your breath after your intense day out!
Hong Kong Climbing Park, Level 2, Belair Garden Shopping Arcade Phase 2, 52 Tai Chung Kiu Road, Sha Tin
Ask anyone in Hong Kong who boulders regularly and they’ll almost definitely point you towards Verm City. Equipped with a Clip N’ Climb zone, designed as both an amusement park and bouldering facility, as well as a fully-fledged climbing gym with over 18,000 square feet of wall-to-wall climbing, Verm City is a veritable playground for all ages, as well as the perfect place to get a fun workout in. Use the designated training zones to build up your finger strength, or try to beat the high score at their augmented wall that uses interactive technology to save your climb!
They also offer top roping and sport climbing as well for those rainy Hong Kong days that are sure to come this summer. You can even host your next birthday party at Verm City, where the team will help you customise how you want to spend your special day, whether you prefer more climbing activities or a longer stay in the party room. All-day passes for regular climbing sessions are available starting from $280 for rock climbing, with memberships starting at $450 per month. Classes start at $280 per lesson. For your first foray into indoor climbing, there’s no better place to do it than at Verm City.
Verm City, 4/F, Kodak House 1, 321 Java Road, Quarry Bay | (+852) 2560 8128
Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have a few climbs under your belt, Attic V is a great place to challenge yourself to bouldering adventures. While the climbing walls at Attic V aren’t as high as some other climbing gyms in town, they regularly update the available climbing routes, so even frequent boulderers will be regularly challenged. Prominent colour coding on the walls makes it easier for climbers to assess the route’s difficulty level as well, and there are introductory courses available for newcomers. Communal chalk bags are scattered throughout the gym for all to use, so you don’t need to prepare any equipment for your climb.
With bouldering walls offering over 100 routes, a training area with different systems and machines, toilet and changing rooms, and rental services for climbing shoes. If you need a bit of downtime from scampering across the wall, Attic V is also equipped with a shared lounge area where you can connect with fellow climbers or send off a few quick emails between climbs. All-day passes start from $150 for adults and membership programmes start from $600 for 10 visits.
Attic V, Shop E, Derrick Industrial Building, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 3101 2918
With convenient locations on both Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, there’s no excuse not to try your hand (or fingers) at bouldering at Just Climb. It’s one of the more spacious indoor climbing gyms in Hong Kong and has been providing climbing lessons, events, and facilities for almost 10 years now. Aside from free climbing and bouldering routes, private classes, and training sessions, Just Climb also offers stone wall engineering and custom climbing wall design services for all sizes of institutions, including schools, training centres, private clubs, and hotels, as well as climbing competition coordination services!
All-day passes start from $278 for adults, with additional charges for climbing shoes rental, and classes start from $398 per person with an all-day climbing pass included. Monthly passes start from $998 for unlimited visits. Bring the little ones here for a fun day out, or make it a group hang-out on the weekends with pals!
If you’re looking for a spot to host your next team building, look no further than GoNature, a multi-coloured playground for kids and adults alike. From bouldering and lead climbing to abseiling, GoNature offers a range of climbing routes and courses for all purposes, including regular visits, birthday parties, social gatherings, and corperate training. They even hold an annual bouldering competition geared towards primary and secondary school students!
Stretched across a vast 6,000 square foot indoor gym with 300 climbing routes to choose from, you could easily spend a whole day exploring all sorts of climbing activities. Day passes for adults and monthly packages are available. Usual amenities like shoe rental and chalk bags are available on-site, and their retail shop offers climbing accessories like harnesses, ropes, fingerboards, climbing tape, and more.
GoNature, Unit C2, Wing Hing Industrial Building, 14 Hing Yip Street, Kwun Tong | (+852) 3563 7156
Following a recent renovation, The Player Climbing Gym is back in business and bigger and better than ever. Featuring over 5,000 square feet of climbing walls with a wide range of bouldering routes and challenges, as well as a four-metre-tall top-rope area, the climbs are suitable for both beginners and more experienced climbers.
Boulder problems range from grades V0 to V7 and more, and there are different zones marked as the Ninja Wall, the Technical Wall, and the Balance Wall for developing different skillsets. Climbers can also put in some training hours at the moon boards and fingerboards to increase their finger strength and muscle power. While you’re here, you can ask one of the instructors to help you practice your full crimp grip, one of the best rock climbing hand positions for holding onto small, narrow handholds.
Day passes for adults cost $288, with membership passes starting at $798. Climbers can also sign up for introductory lessons and intermediate, one-on-one programmes geared towards improving technique. Gear rental, private events, group classes, and corporate training packages are also available.
The Player Climbing Gym, Shop 6B1, Lai Chi Kok Bay Garden, 272 Lai King Hill Road, Mei Foo | (+852) 6380 0112
Hidden in plain sight, Keep Climbing Gym is located in the heart of Sheung Wan, offering island-side climbing enthusiasts a convenient after-hours spot to stretch their fingers. Although the gym is on the smaller side, routes are changed regularly to keep climbs varied, and you really can’t beat the central location when you’re on the hunt for a quick and energetic workout either during your lunch hour. All-day passes for adults can be for $180, with monthly and annual passes available. Discounts apply to students.
Keep Climbing Gym, Unit 6, 2/F, Wayson Commercial Building, 28 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan | (+852) 3619 7167
All right, we may have cheated a little with this entry since it’s technically outdoors, but one has to mention the highest rock climbing wall in Hong Kong at YMCA King’s Park Centenary Centre. The climbing wall at KPCC is not for the faint of heart; it measures 18 meters high and 16 metres wide, offering more than 300 square meters of climbing terrain and over 15 climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty. And it’s outdoors, of course, so be prepared to build up a healthy sweat.
Naturally, a wall of such stature comes with set rules and regulations, and there’s no bouldering to be done here—all climbers must wear harnesses to tackle the climb. Those who wish to best the KPCC wall must also successfully pass the YMCA’s Climbing Assessment first, where you’ll learn safety procedures for lead climbing and top roping. On the plus side, fees start from $145 for members and $155 for non-members during non-peak hours, and the cost for monthly passes starts from $510. Additional rental costs for harnesses and other equipment apply.
YMCA King’s Park Centenary Centre, 22 Gascoigne Road, Yau Ma Tei | (+852) 2782 6682
Although smaller and more compact than some of the gyms on this list, N Bouldering makes up for its size with aesthetics and its good use of floor-to-ceiling height. Soft greys and wooden fixtures greet the eyes upon entry, with the main climbing zone consisting of three walls with varying inclines. For those looking for a challenge, look no further than the gym’s attic, where a seven-metre-long overhang wall sits next to the training area. N Bouldering’s climbing routes are updated once every three weeks, keeping the experience fresh for newcomers and regulars alike. You can also look forward to the seasonal challenges and competitions.
N Bouldering, 24/F, Success Commercial Building, 245–251 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 6060 1257
Lesser-known than YMCA King’s Park’s outdoor climbing wall but equally fun, YMCA’s indoor climbing facility in Tsim Sha Tsui is an air-conditioned space perfect for top-ropers who wish to beat the heat. To qualify for a climbing pass that allows usage of the wall during opening hours, adult climbers must pass an individual assessment, but worry not! The assessment is preceded by an introductory course that teaches all the basics, including equipment names and instructions, safety demonstrations, and more. For young aspiring climbers, children and teenager sport climbing courses are also available.
After passing the assessment, you can purchase single entry tickets starting at $95, with discounts for YMCA members and students. There are also climbing shoes available for no additional costs. Just remember to bring a friend to act as your belayer while you reach new heights!
YMCA Indoor Climbing Wall, 2/F, 41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2268 7062
A short walk away from the Jordan MTR station, Campus Climbing offers challenging routes that often involve sit starts, running-jump starts, and dyno moves, making it a popular gym for climbers wishing to build a bit of muscle. Despite this, be prepared to feel right at home with the gym’s uniquely supportive environment, where climbers are often cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd of onlookers.
First-time visitors of the gym can enjoy a complimentary introduction along with their day pass and shoe rental starting from $150. Old-timers and pass-holders will be glad to hear that the gym’s many routes are updated around once a month, so boredom is never an option! Besides the climbing wall and moon board, the gym also has a free seating area complete with beanbags and a shelf full of board games in case you need a rest.
Campus Climbing, 1/F, Jade Suites Podium, 600 Canton Road, Jordan | (+852) 9010 7250
Founded by retired bun-scrambling legend Angel Wong, this gym sits in a large space on the ground floor of Magnet Place. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing the street draw all eyes to the action within the gym. Urban Stone is popular among novice climbers and experts alike, with its many diverse routes covering both slab and dyno.
A day pass at Urban Stone is priced at $218 with student discounts available. This gym also has occasional flash discounts, such as its unique weekday night pass, which is perfect for night owls that enjoy a good sweat after the sun sets. Urban Stone is decked out with a children’s top-rope climbing area as well, where beginner and advanced climbing classes are held for young climbers.
Urban Stone Climbing Gym, G/F, Shop 2, Magnet Place Tower 2, 38–42 Kwai Fung Crescent, Kwai Fong | (+852) 5286 8992
If you’re a climber with a taste for moody aesthetics, Raccoon Bouldering and its signature dark-wood interior accented by blacks and whites is surely a visual treat for you. Looks aside, this gym is more than eye candy, with three walls in varying angles perfect for vertical, slab, and overhang climbs, respectively. Training facilities, including a moon board and campus board, are also available for those looking to build strength and power.
Day passes are priced at $220, with off-peak passes available for those who start the session before 3 pm. Week passes and other membership options are also available. For those who are new to bouldering, Raccoon Bouldering offers one-off induction courses with a focus on safety. Trial classes for kids are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well.
Raccoon Bouldering, Shop A & B, 200 Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom | (+852) 9610 3290
Kizuna (絆; bonds between people) forms the core of this climbing gym where people converge for a singular purpose: to climb together. This gym is known for its signature monochrome walls that contrast with colourful holds. The climbers that visit have diverse experience, so do not feel intimidated if it is your first time on the wall. Like many climbing gyms in the city, Kizuna Climbing offers a one-time introductory course that covers the basics of bouldering and a safety guide, as well as a day pass and shoe rental. Besides the usual daily and monthly passes, this gym also offers a parent-child combo pass for $400, making it an excellent place for parents with an energetic child.
Kizuna Climbing, Shop 120C & 120D, Ocean PopWalk, 28 Tong Chun Street, Tseung Kwan O | (+852) 5699 8884
Bouldering: Bouldering is a style of rock climbing that is done without a rope and so it’s usually limited to short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practised on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms.
Lead climbing: In lead climbing, one climber has to take the lead while others follow. The lead climber wears a harness attached to a climbing rope, which in turn is connected to the other climbers below the lead climber. While ascending the route, the lead climber connects the rope to protection equipment for safety in the event of a fall. One of the climbers below the lead climber acts as a belayer, who gives out rope while the lead climber ascends and also stops the rope when the lead climber falls or wants to rest.
Top-roping: Top-rope climbing (or top-roping) is a climbing style in which the climber is securely attached to a rope which passes up through an anchor system at the top of the climb, and down to a belayer at the foot of the climb. The belayer takes in slack rope throughout the climb so that if at any point the climber were to lose their hold, they would not fall more than a short distance.
Top-roping is often done on routes that cannot be lead climbed for one reason or another.
Born in Hong Kong, raised in Germany, and educated in the US, Jen is an award-winning creative with a background in illustration, communication design, art direction, and content creation. When she’s not getting lost in a good book, you’ll find her doing crosswords, eating dim sum, covering all sides of a “Hamilton” number, and taking naps.
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