Rock Climbing is a fun activity that's also extremely taxing physically, making it perfect for a Garage Gym. In this tutorial, we show you how to make your own DIY Rock Climbing Wall for less than $100.
Wow, do I love do-it-yourself projects.
There are so many different things you can make, and often they can be made better and cheaper than what you would buy off the shelf.
One thing you can't really buy off the shelf is a rock climbing wall. Granted you could call up Walltopia and have them deliver massive walls, but that would also cost tens of thousands of dollars.
You could also buy something like a campus board from a company like Metolius that I actually use on the regular.
But when it comes to creating a wall for bouldering and the like in the comfort of your home, building it is without a doubt the best option. So, as I was scanning Reddit the other day, I came across a sweet tutorial that I thought I could improve upon.
So, I present to you...
Supplies
- 8' x 1' - 3/4" Birch Plywood. If you'd like to cover more area, simply purchase more wood.
- (107) T-Nuts. For more holds or a larger area, simply purchase more T-Nuts.
- Spare 3/4" plywood to be used as spacers
- Wood Screws for attaching board to wall
- Wood Glue - Titebond III is the best in our experience
- Climbing Holds
- Power Drill
- Clamps -Optional, but very helpful
Instructions
1. Using the power drill, drill holes in a diagonal pattern. For this project, holes were drilled with 2" between rows and 4" between columns and then offset to create the diagonal pattern.
For a larger sheet of plywood, just duplicate over the larger area. This amount of holes may seem excessive, but it does allow you to use just about any combination of climbing holds you could ever want.
2. Screw in T-Nuts. The T-Nuts allow the climbing holds to screw into the wall.
You want to make sure you put T-Nuts in every hole you plan on using so the layout of the holds can be changed whenever you'd like.
3. Glue plywood spacers to the back of the climbing board. using the wood screws, screw from the back of the spacer to create holes for you to use when screwing the board into the wall studs.
You may want to add more spacers based upon how far apart the studs on your home are separated. The spacers allow the bolts of the holds to stick out without digging into the wall.
4. Pick out your holds. Amazon actually has a lot of holds to choose from including packaged deals to individual holds.
5. Attach holds to board in whatever combination you desire.
6. Climb until your forearms come off.
Variations of this Climbing Board Tutorial.
This climbing board tutorial is endless in its possible size.
You can do a thin, yet long board like the one shown all the way to boards that cover your ENTIRE wall!
Here are some variations I've seen using the same methods shown in this tutorial:
Enjoyed making a climbing wall, but can't get enough? Check out our DIY Climbing Pegboard Guide here.
Further reading
