All You Need to Know About Home Climbing Walls

Thinking about getting a climbing wall for your home? Here is some information about home climbing walls to get you started with what is available and things to consider. We are available and eager to talk with you more in depth. Please email or call us (800.473.7366) so that we can share more information and partner with you to help you bring rock climbing into your home!

What are the Options for a Home Climbing Wall?

You have a variety of options depending on the space you have. If you are looking to place a climbing wall in a basement or attic with lower ceiling heights, a Traverse Wall® aka Bouldering Wall would be your best option. This type of climbing wall can be built up to 10 feet high and the majority of your climbing would be horizontal, climbing from side to side. You can also add angles to increase the climbing challenge.

If your ceiling is over 12 feet high, consider a Vertical Climbing wall. This type of climbing wall is made for climbing up. It can be simple or elaborate. We offer a multitude of surface options, as well as built-in features like overhangs, roofs and slabs. We will work with you to design your dream climbing wall. Due to their height, Vertical Climbing Walls, require a belay system for safety. We offer traditional belay set ups which involve a belayer controlling the climber’s safety rope via an anchor at the top of the climbing wall. These Top Rope Walls also involve specific technique and communication between the climber and belayer that is covered in the included training. We also offer Auto Belay Systems where the climber simply clips in and the system automatically controls the safety rope. An on-site training would cover this system as well. You will also need safety surfacing and we have several options for this We take care of the installation with our vertical climbing walls and work closely with you to ensure it’s installed properly.  

Our freestanding EverActive® Jr is another great option for home climbing. Its adjustable, so perfect for varying ages and abilities. It's something the whole family can use. It’s 8 feet wide and 10 feet tall and installs in under 3 hours with two people (not including hand holds). The climbing angle can be changed from 10 to 60 degrees using the manual crank that can be placed on either side. It’s sold with or without flooring and with or without a hand hold package. No electricity is required.

Can a Climbing Wall Be Put in a Home Sport Court?

Yes! Climbing walls are perfect for home sport courts and you can install either a Traverse wall® or a Vertical Climbing Wall, depending on the age of the users and the amount of space you have. Learn more about one of our projects in this past blog post.

How Hard is it to Build My Own DIY Home Climbing Wall?

This really depends on how handy you are and how knowledgeable you are about rock climbing. Check out this past blog post that showcases three great do-it-yourself climbing walls: Our Favorite Home Climbing Walls

What is the Best Home Climbing Wall for Children?

If your children are ages 3-10, a Traverse Wall® is a great option because the height is lower, and the safety protocols are simpler than with a Vertical Climbing Wall. Additionally, we offer some very creative surfaces for that age group. Our Magna® Wall accepts magnets and our Discovery® Dry-Erase Climbing Wall enables climbers to write on the wall and also place magnets. Lots of learning and games can be done on these types of climbing walls.

If your children are pre-teen and up, and you have the space, a Vertical Climbing Wall would be a great addition to your home. This type of climbing wall will challenge them physically and also help to develop teamwork, communication, leadership and trust as they implement belay protocols.

I Am Building a New Home and My Architect Already Designed the Climbing Wall. Can We Use That, or Do We Have to Use Your Design?

We partner with outside architects all the time! We will need to evaluate the design to ensure that it is climbable and meets certain safety standards. Occasionally some tweaks need to be made and other times we can proceed with how the architect has designed the wall.

What if I Don’t Have Space Inside my Home for a Climbing Wall?

We can provide you with an outdoor climbing wall! Our Playground Wall™ is perfect for the backyard. It is eight feet high and freestanding, offering climbing on two sides! It’s available in gray or clear panels. The best part about the clear panels is that climbers can see other climbers climbing through the wall! Required landing surface is not included with this climbing wall and will need to be furnished by the homeowner.