• WHERE TO BUILD
  
  
• TOOLS NEEDED
  
  
• SUPPLIES NEEDED
  
  
• GETTING STARTED
  
  
• FIRST ANCHOR
  
  
• SECOND ANCHOR
  
  
• ANCHORS COMPLETE
  
  
• MAKING THE FRAME
  
  
• MARKING THE FRAME
  
  
• FRAME FINISHED
  
  
• MARKING PLYWOOD
  
  
• DRILL PLYWOOD
  
  
• VERTICAL OR OVERHANGING?
  
  
• MARKING SUPPORTS
  
  
• PRE-DRILL SUPPORTS
  
  
• FASTENING SUPPORTS
  
  
• HOW T-NUTS WORK
  
  
• INSTALLING T-NUTS
  
  

THIS CLIMBING WALL GUIDE IS PRESENTED AS A SAMPLE PLAN ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE RELIED UPON AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION REGARDING ROCK CLIMBING WALL PLANS.

THE WRITER OF THIS INDOOR CLIMBING WALL PLAN IS NOT AN ENGINEER, ARCHITECT, OR CARPENTER. THE KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED HEREIN IS BASED SOLELY UPON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

Bouldering and climbing walls are very heavy. Before you build a climbing wall you must be certain the structure that supports the wall is be strong enough to support the dead load (the weight of the climbing wall itself) and live loads (the climbers). The dead load alone will come to several hundred pounds. Live loads vary not only by the weight of the climbers, but also by the momentary forces caused by the climbing moves. These forces can be several times the weight of the climber. The support system, whether a pre-existing structure or one built specifically for the rock climbing wall, must be capable of supporting the maximum combined stresses. Consult an engineer, and be absolutely certain that your structure will support the loads that will be imposed on it.

Warning: Climbing and training for climbing is inherently dangerous and carries with it a significant risk of personal injury or death. The writer of this guide does not recommend that anyone participate in any activity described or referenced within this website (threeballclimbing.com) unless they first obtain qualified professional and personal instruction, are knowledgeable about the risks involved, and are willing to personally assume all responsibility associated with those risks.

The first thing to consider when building a climbing wall is the location. Where is the best place to build? Do you build indoor or outdoor, garage or living room, corner of the room or right in the middle?

INDOOR CLIMBING WALL, OR OUTDOOR CLIMBING WALL?

An indoor climbing wall can be used year-round and will always be a comfortable temperature. You won't have to worry about the wood weathering in the rain and sun. You don't have to worry about rusty bolts, or buying stainless steel bolts. You won't have to tighten each hold every day due to loosening caused by temperature changes. This can become a real hassle, especially if you have a lot of holds. No one wants to spend the first 30 minutes of their session tightening bolts. Holds bolted to an outdoor wall are more likely to spin if you do not tighten them before each session. Another consideration is painting or staining. You will need to paint or stain the outdoor wall to preserve it better.


This guide will provide sample plans to build a rock climbing wall of the indoor variety.

Next: Tools Needed