Whether you're a seasoned rock climber or boulderer, capable of crushing the most technical routes, or a keen first timer ready to take on the rocks - this list is for you.
Ah, the sport of bouldering. Some may ask why one would choose to clamber up colourful walls when there’s literally hundreds of things to do in Melbourne, but the recent surge in popularity suggests many find appeal in navigating your way up a wall, with new bouldering gyms in Melbourne popping up all over the place. In fact, google trends shows us that search queries for “bouldering Melbourne” has seen a steady rise since 2016, with an obvious dip during COVID-19 lockdowns. So, it’s little wonder why many new establishments have braced the state recently. And for some slightly less verifiable data, anecdotally I’ve encountered at least 15 people in the past month who’ve somehow wormed bouldering into conversation (myself included).
As more and more gyms are established, choosing where to becomes dependent on personal preference over convenience. I’ve put together this small list to help you decide where your next (or first) bouldering endeavour will take place, so you don’t need to fret about doing any of the research yourself!
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The best bouldering gyms in Melbourne
Boulder Lab
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One of the biggest bouldering gyms in Melbourne (and also the place I started out at myself), Boulder Lab boasts an impressive 2200-square metres across its three locations in Brunswick, Clayton South and Ferntree Gully, making it one of Melbourne’s most popular bouldering spots. Some of the best perks for this establishment would be its membership spanning across the three gyms, giving you more opportunities to climb when you’re out of town. Boulder Lab also boast a greater number of routes to try out, so if you want to spice things up a bit, you can always make the trip to one of its other locations.
In terms of pricing, Boulder Lab offers adult day passes for just $22, with students getting in at $20 ($29 and $27 incl. shoes) – pretty standard when it comes to bouldering gyms in Melbourne. When it comes to memberships, Boulder Lab have quite a few options, with some offering flexibility in exchange for a more expensive fee, while others are cheaper overall, but require a heftier financial commitment straight up. Its most popular membership is the six month EFT, coming in at $29.50 per week, billed at $127.50 monthly. Check out more membership deals here.
BlocHaus
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Located down in Port Melbourne, BlocHaus mightn’t seem the most accessible option for those living in the outer suburbs, but that shouldn’t put people off from giving it a visit. This gym boasts sizable wall space, leaving you plenty of room to climb, even when if it tends to get fairly busy during the night. When there’s no space on the walls, BlocHaus has a great variety of training facilities to practice on. An eight metre padded slackline will test your balance, while more advanced climbers can set their own routes on the LED moonboard. For those needing a caffeine kick to get their climb on, BlocHaus has its own cafe, serving its ‘Haus Brew’ (yes, that’s what it’s called). Tack on a gym, this establishment caters to all needs. It also has its own merch store to cater to your wants, as well (though some might consider BlocHaus’ tees an absolute necessity to show off their love for this gym).
BlocHaus has some decent pricing options available. This gym is more suited to long term memberships rather than single day passes, as its membership options have no set up fees attached to them. However its day passes tend to be on the pricier side, though only by a couple of dollars. Check out more info here.
Rocket Climbing
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For those living out west, Rocket Climbing is one of the best bouldering gyms in Melbourne, hands down. It’s one of the two establishments on this list proudly boasting a straight five-star rating on google (at the date of publishing this article). Rocket Climbing has one of the best training facilities out there, with two Moonboards and a Kilter Board, despite the gym being smaller in size compared to others. Don’t fret though – the climbs are still high in quality and quantity. Plus, the smaller size means it’s one of the bouldering gyms in Melbourne with air conditioning, which is honestly an absolute must on a sweltering high 30s day. The gear shop here is quite nice too, providing plenty of gear to purchase.
A casual, one day entry at Rocket Climbing clocks in at $23 for adults, and $21 for concession ($30 and $28 with shoe rental). You can also grab yourself a once off two week trial for $49, which grants you unlimited climbing. Memberships here aren’t as varied as other gyms on this list, but you’ll get 15 percent off retail items, which is always a good bonus!
Urban Climb
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Urban Climb has two gyms in Melbourne – one in Collingwood, and since 2022, in Blackburn as well. While the Collingwood location is held dear to many inner-city boulderers (certainly for the Beat Magazine readers – this spot is just a short walk from the Tote!) it’s the new Blackburn location we’re all excited about. Eclipsing the size of our previous entries, the Blackburn gym is a cavernous beast boasting Olympic-scale facilities. We’re talking five storeys tall, 2800-square metres in size, over 200 routes to rack your brains over. Picture all three Boulder Lab gyms squished into one location, add considerably more headroom, and then some extra space around the sides. It’s also got lead climbing and top rope climbing too, if you don’t have a fear of heights.
Luckily, the cost doesn’t equate to the size of the gym at Urban Climb, with relatively small prices going on here. It’s got one of my favourite deals, which is the two weeks free access that comes automatically when you visit for the first time. It’s great for those trying to get into bouldering for the first time, because two weeks free will compel you to visit as much as you can – hopefully by the end, you’ve taken a liking to clambering up colourful walls. Memberships start from just $31 weekly, click here for more details.
La Roca
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Last gym on the list here is La Roca Boulders, located a short trip from the CBD down in Oakleigh South. Like many other gyms, La Roca also has an in-house barista cranking out coffees for exhausted boulderers. However, rather than the coffee being an afterthought, La Roca places special emphasis on using good quality beans from MAKER. Which, let’s face it, is pretty important for us Melburnians. Coffee aside, the gym’s setting is quite well thought out – the difficulty is incredibly varied, with different problems requiring different skill sets and techniques. You’ve got climbs which’ll be easy in premise, but require some gnarly finger-strength. It’s the little details like that which make La Roca attractive not only for newcomers, but for veteran boulderers too.
Like most gyms in Melbourne, an adult day pass at La Roca comes to $29 with shoe hire. It’s the upfront memberships however, that look most attractive. A 12 month membership rounds out to an extremely competitive $23.75 a week, if you’re willing to spend the $1235 upfront fee. If that’s too much, you can always choose the direct debit membership of $34 per week. But, you’ll miss out on perhaps the best perk of the upfront membership. If you pay upfront, you get 24/7 access to the gym’s annex, which includes a spray wall with three angles, treadmill, rowing machine, assault bike and a dedicated stretching area. La Roca has the title for the only bouldering gym in Melbourne with 24/7 access.
