Build your own climbing wall: a rocking DIY time for kids

Planning and background knowledge for the DIY climbing wall

You’ve decided to build a DIY climbing or bouldering wall? Then you probably have a few questions that go beyond how to actually build one. You will find all of the answers here.

Climbing or bouldering – what’s the difference?

Climbing and bouldering are considered two different sports by those in the know. They differ primarily in terms of the height up to which you climb and, depending on this, the type of protection and the potential danger.

Bouldering sees adults free climb up to a height of around 4 m, and by ‘free’ we mean climbing without the security of by a rope. This mostly happens on artificial indoor or outdoor bouldering walls. There are fewer limits on the height to which you can climb. You can go up to 30 m or more, no matter whether you’re outdoors or indoors. That’s why safety equipment, including ropes, hooks, a helmet and so on, is essential when climbing.

For our purposes, we haven’t taken the different definitions too seriously, as we simply wanted to provide both climbing and bouldering fans with ideas and inspiration. When it comes down to it, both sports are concerned with the same physical activity, that is, vertical movement.

Climbing wall for indoors or outdoors – what differences do I need to consider when planning?

You have to consider different details depending on whether you want to build an outdoor climbing wall or dream of having a DIY bouldering wall in your basement. While the construction process is similar in both cases, the materials you choose need to suit the location and purpose.

For instance, all of the boards, beams, holds and steps you use should be 100% weatherproof if you’re building a climbing wall in your garden. You should only use corrosion-resistant materials for the climbing holds, screws and drive-in nuts in particular.

On the other side of the coin, you have more flexibility in your choice of materials when building an indoor climbing wall. Limited indoor space in particular often poses a challenging when building an indoor version.

How big should the DIY climbing or bouldering wall be?

The answer to this question also depends, of course, on who the wall is intended for and for what purposes. Do you just want to build a low bouldering wall or are you planning to build an entire climbing course? Is your climbing wall going to be mainly for the kids to play on – like the one in our step-by-step guide – or do you intend to use it to practice your climbing skills? The size, height and materials you use can vary greatly depending on what you have in mind.

Do you want to build a climbing or bouldering wall for kids or for adults?

This is just as important as the location and size of the wall, and it has a significant impact on the design.

If you are planning a larger outdoor climbing wall to practice on, for example, you will most likely need a substructure to ensure it stands safely and securely. But you should make sure you have sufficient safety precautions in place and definitely lay out bouldering mats even for smaller projects, for instance, if you want to build a playhouse made of pallets and add a smaller climbing wall for kids.

If you want to build your own DIY climbing or bouldering wall for adults – regardless of whether outdoors or indoors, it should have an area of at least six square metres so that you can comfortably climb on it. For safety reasons, it’s not advisable to build a wall more than three metres high if kids are going to climb on it.

Also do some research into child-friendly holds and spacing. You can use industrially manufactured holds, homemade wooden holds or climbing wall stones that are attached to an existing hole pattern or holes that you’ve drilled yourself.

Which materials are suitable for building a climbing wall?

When it comes to the material, you have a choice between special climbing wall boards that can be purchased ready-made or glued multi-layer boards. Whichever board you choose, it should be at least 18 mm thick. If you don’t want to mount your climbing wall directly on another wall, then you should also build a suitable substructure. Make sure to factor in aspects such as inclination, height and attachment options if you go down this route.

Of course, anything that you want to mount directly on to an existing wall needs to be done so correctly – and that includes a climbing wall. Check out our video tutorial on attaching things to the wall. Take a look at another of our step-by-step guides to find out the best way to drill holes into a concrete wall.

The following materials are often used to build climbing or bouldering walls:

What regulations apply to building a climbing wall?

All climbing or bouldering walls in public use are subject to EN 12572. This standard defines wall heights, sizes, fall space and impact area, as well as the placement of holds, materials, routes and safety precautions. These regulations do not necessarily apply to a climbing wall for private use. Nevertheless, they can serve as a guide for building your own climbing wall in order to reduce the risk of accidents and to be able to climb properly and safely.

Do I need a permit to build a climbing or bouldering wall?

You don’t need a permit in Germany if you want to build a climbing wall in your garden or home for private use only. However, this does not apply if load-bearing walls are affected or special safety measures are required due to the size of your DIY climbing wall. In any case, you should research the applicable regulations and standards that apply where you live before you start building.

Ready-made parts vs. DIY parts

Ready-made parts boast the major advantage that the materials, sizes and hole patterns have already been optimised for use later down the line. For example, holes in industrially manufactured climbing walls are often 15–25 cm apart, meaning they can be used for a wide range of different things. However, they are quite expensive.

If your budget is limited or you have very specific ideas about how you want to build your climbing wall – maybe even using recycled materials as we did in our step-by-step guide – then building your own is a good option. However, follow any existing standards and hole spacing of industrial climbing boards so that you can easily adapt your wall should you need to.

How far apart are the holes typically and how do they affect the difficulty of the climbing wall?

As we mentioned earlier, the holes in climbing walls are typically 15–25 cm apart, or up to 50 holes per square metre. This means that you can move and rearrange holds whenever you like. The difficulty of the routes will vary depending on the distances, hold sizes, material and inclination of the wall chosen.

Climbing or bouldering gyms have colour-coded routes. For example, if you follow the green route, it means that you can only use the green holds on the wall.

How can I prevent injuries when climbing?

Climbing requires skill and strength. That’s why doing a proper warm-up before you climb and stretching afterwards is essential. Moreover, if you have little or no climbing experience, you should be cautious and only take on new challenges when you’re ready. Be careful with each test of strength. It’s also important to have bouldering mats and sufficient safety equipment, depending on whether you’re climbing or bouldering. You must have a belay partner when climbing higher walls.

The best thing to do is to go to a climbing or bouldering gym and get instruction from qualified staff, or take a beginner’s course if you don’t have any experience yet. It’s also great fun to do with the kids!

How often should I maintain and care for the climbing wall?

A climbing wall has to withstand great loads. That’s why it’s important to use high-quality materials when you build it. The more often and intensively you use your climbing wall, the more often you should check the screws, beams and boards for possible damage. An outdoor wooden climbing wall in particular should be maintained and cared for at regular intervals to ensure it remains safe when you’re climbing. Make sure you check the wall before each time you use it. Pay extra attention to your safety (belay) equipment if you’re going to climb a high wall.

Can I contact experts to help me plan my climbing wall?

You can find countless hints and tips for building climbing and bouldering walls online. Even a look at the EN 12572 standard can help and guide you. We also recommend seeking individual advice on which materials are particularly suitable, for example, in a DIY store or specialist wood shop. Alternatively, you can use ready-made components such as climbing wall boards and holds.

You can, of course, also call in the experts, which we recommend doing for safety reasons, especially if you’re building a large climbing wall. There are companies that specialise in building of climbing and bouldering walls. Carpenters can also provide information regarding the load-bearing capacity and best way to install materials.

Costs: build your own climbing wall:

How expensive your climbing or bouldering wall will be in the end depends on the material, design, size and equipment you choose.

Here’s an example calculation for a climbing wall with ready-made components:

You can pay up to €1,000 for a 15-square-metre climbing or bouldering wall. A single board (1.24 x 1.24 m) costs around €150 depending on the material and colour. Then there are the climbing holds, which cost between €25 and €200 per hold.

You’ll need more time if you choose to build your climbing wall completely by yourself, that is, without using ready-made parts, but it’ll be cheaper. You may even be able to make use of second-hand materials, provided they’re in pristine condition, of course. The model from our step-by-step guide is based on second-hand garden benches and should only be used by children.