Family-friendly Indoor Climbing Venues in KL

Climb the walls at B-Hub Bouldering, a popular Petaling Jaya indoor bouldering gym. It has options for first-timers, fanatics and everyone in between. Route-setters map the problems for climbers, which change often and include a mix of vertical, overhang, and slab walls. B-Hub’s workshops on dyno, short for dynamic, are a hit; the instructors emphasize movements with momentum and power, with live demonstrations and hands-on practice. 

Beyond the climbing options, the gym has a workout area with a fingerboard, a squat rack, and weights; a co-working space (so you can boulder in between those pesky work calls); plus a café, House of Wheat for coffee, kombucha, pastries and more. Day passes start from RM24 for youths aged nine to 16-year-old on weekdays; RM28 for off-peak hours on weekdays; and RM38 for all other hours and on weekends. Ten-day passes are also available, as are monthly subscriptions for members. There are additional charges for chalk bag and shoes.

Swap the digital hang for an IRL hang at Beast Park, a cavernous 2,000 sqm indoor adventure and activity park. Soaring up to 15m — that’s five-storeys — about 980 sqm of its interior walls are outfitted with climbing holds catering to all abilities, styles and routes. Boulder problems and roped walls aside, train on bumps, hurdles and ropes to up endurance; the obstacle course includes rope swings, spin cycles, warped walls, jump tubes and bars. 

Bonus: there’s something for every kid to play like a beast, from boulder walls guided by light bulbs to fun caves and ninja courses. On-site, there’s a café and plenty of seats and spaces for guests to gather and socialise. There’s even a hanging light installation by Jun Ong. All-access 90-minute passes are RM29 on weekdays and RM39 on weekends.

Opened to the public in ’09, Putrajaya Challenge Park is touted as one of the largest indoor climbing complexes in Southeast Asia. It offers climbing facilities and services for all levels of climbers from amateur beginners to the more advanced; the trapezoidal climbing walls reach 20 meters in height with five zones ranging from beginner level to expert level. The level of difficulty is marked by colours; purple walls are more difficult than the white ones. 

Entrance fee is RM6 for adults and RM3 for children and students, but additional charges apply for harnesses, shoes, and other hardware. For children below the age of ten, there are children’s climbing boards and split rooms.

For something a little out of the ordinary, ESCAPE at Paradigm Mall will set you up with a challenge aptly-named Coco Climb: you climb a coconut tree with your bare hands and legs. If you’re trying this for the first time, you’ll be guided by a professional but don’t fret if you don’t get to the top, after all, only a handful do. Over at the Gecko Tower, thrillseekers scale a replica of a 1950s Old Malaya building facade like a sticky-footed gecko. For more climbing, the Monkey Business obstacle course involves tree-to-tree climbing and ropes for swinging… you know, do as monkeys do.

There’s more: the 35,000 sqft ESCAPE has over fifty attractions and rides for all ages and abilities such as aerobat, kart racing and zipline. Tickets are RM50+ for children aged four to twelve, and RM75+ for adults. Kids below three and adults over 61 enter for free.

Rocky BaseCamp was the first indoor wall climbing centre in Malaysia with two locations in AEON Shah Alam and AEON Tebrau City. The centre features a 15-meter indoor speed climbing wall so climbers can compete against each other – the fastest recorded time so far is 10 seconds! Other attractions include the Fun Climbing Wall, Boulder/Traverse; and Ninja Warrior Obstacles such as Salmon Ladder, Spider Wall, Traverse Monkey Bars and other challenging courses. Admission for rock climbing starts from RM23+ for kids (aged 4-14), RM33+ for adults (aged 15 and above).

BUMP Bouldering is the first premium indoor bouldering, fitness and lifestyle climbing centre in Malaysia. For newcomers and amateur climbers, it is advisable that you attend the Introduction to Bouldering class first to get a better idea of what the sport is all about. You will learn the basic bouldering safety, footwork for climbing as well as body positioning. There are also bouldering sessions for kids aged eight to 12 and these must be under parent supervision. Daily entry fee is RM42. During off-peak hours (weekdays before 5pm), entry is RM30. A second location has opened in Pavilion Bukit Jalil.

Camp5 Indoor Climbing has six locations in KL and Johor with the country’s tallest indoor wall located in the 1 Utama branch. Climbing walls here are suitable for all ages, skills and levels and there are classes, youth programmes, outdoor climbing options and basic courses that are ideal for families. The Basic Wall Course (RM150 per person) is a good way to start and is aimed at beginners or climbers looking to refresh their skills. Camp5 allows free entry to all kids under eight years-old so long as the parent meets the prerequisite skills for access.

MadMonkeyz Climbing Gym is a 2-floor gym featuring 2,000 square feet of bouldering walls and is equipped with thick crash pads that are safe for children to climb and fall on. They are the first indoor bouldering gym in Malaysia started by a group of climbers who were passionate about bouldering as a form of sport. The 1-day Pass is RM25 for adults, and RM12 for children below 12.

Tucked away in Subang Jaya, Boulder Ventures provides a small, cosy venue for rock climbing and bouldering. If you’re new to the scene, you and your family can opt for the Guided Pass where an instructor will guide you through the basics of top-roping. The Guided Pass is RM55 for adults and RM50 for those aged seven to 18. There is a Boulder Grading System where the boulders are colour coded according to the difficulty level. A day pass costs RM25 for adults and RM20 for youths.