This post is part of a blog series reviewing all the bouldering gyms in Singapore targeted at new climbers and foreign visitors. Check out the origin article here:

Project Send Review

At a glance

Environment: 5/5 - By far one of the cleanest and most well-maintained gyms in Singapore with almost any QoL amenities you can think of including well-made coffee and pastries. There’s even nice views from the gym’s windows. Only nitpick if you force it is there’s no onsite toilets, but the mall toilets are just next to the gym.

Social experience: 5/5 - Very friendly environment, maybe even more so than BM at times. There’s stuff like bean bags and nicely designed off-mattress areas that make the place cosy and conducive for friendly interactions. Gym staff here are also relatively friendlier than other gyms.

Training experience: 5/5 - For me — a V4/5 climber — this gym is perfect for training dynamic moves. There’s a good mix of static and dynamic routes but IMO this gym does really well in setting routes with complex dynamic moves but at lower grades and lower commitment levels. There’s also a well equipped gym at the comp wall area.

Around the area: 5/5 - Many watering holes and restaurants nearby. There’s also the makansutra food court which serves decent food, and there’s always Suntec City and Marina Square within 15 minutes walking distance for more affordable food and entertainment.

In point form

1. Well-maintained and cosy gym featuring routes with accessible dynamic movements

2. Onsite showers, changing rooms, washing area. Mall toilets are just outside the gym.

3. Very very decent cafe food and drinks available on-site (so you can’t bring your own food in — if you do, you’ll have to eat it in the al-fresco area)

4. Crowd levels are good most of the time, doesn’t ever get too crowded

5. Good mix of tourists and locals compared to other gyms

6. Mostly climbers are at the beginner to intermediate levels

7. Mostly slab, straight, and inclined walls. Only a small overhang section

8. Walls are low and safe with routes that can span up to 3 faces

9. Good mix of beginner to advanced routes with (seemingly) a focus on dynamic movements at accessible grades

10. Grades here are slightly soft for the equivalent V grade, but what are grades anyway?

11. Endurance wall and hangboards are available

12. 7-11 downstairs at level 1 which has Betagro chicken breasts for pre-sesh protein

13. Lots of good food and entertainment within a 15 minute walking distance, some notable places where I’ve personally gone to after climbs for food: Makansutra Gluttons Bay (temporarily closed tho), Marina Square food court and MacDonalds

Logistics

1. Grades: Colour-based, starts at pink (VB/0) with the first noticeable difficulty jump at red (V3/4), then green (V5/6), and then brown (V7/8). Grades go up to black (V9+). Slightly soft for the V-grade equivalent as of Q42024

2. Shoe rentals and socks sales available

3. Download the Project Send app to sign the waiver, pass purchase is available over the counter

4. Check for after-work classes which run from 7:30-8:30ish on weekdays and can result in some closed-off areas

5. If you’re using someone’s multipass, message the staff on Instagram first, you’ll need your friend’s phone number.

6. Parking is expensive around the area during work hours, avoid driving if you can. Marina Square has cheap parking on weekends and after 5PM.

7. Nearest MRTs: Esplanade (orange line), Promenade (blue/orange line)

8. Route resets are slightly unpredictable but generally half the gym gets reset every month. They’ll announce it on Instagram with beta sneak peeks.

9. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

• Link to Google Maps

• Link to place on Instagram

• Company website link

• Boulder Movement Instagram

Personal Story

Came to this gym only about a year into climbing because of their previous pass prices which used to be $24 at multi-pass rates (it’s now $18). Took lots of convincing before my climbing buddies were willing to try this gym 😅

The location and availability of an on-site cafe was what first attracted me here since I could arrive in the afternoon before public transport gets crowded, complete my work at the cafe with a cuppa, and then start climbing immediately after work ends.

Climbs here have always been enjoyable and have been the kind that can help me get out of my head and into my body. After a few months of coming here, I now recognise that it’s because of the focus on dynamic moves where you just have to trust your body knows what to do instead of deciding what to logically do on the wall.

Personally, I love how the gym’s also designed with areas for chilling with friends. There’s beanbags around to just sit and chat, and there’s also a spacious sitting area near the back of the gym with a nice view of the postcard Singapore skyline.

Climbers here tend to be friendly (but I mean, how do you not get in a good mood with how nice this gym is?) but also of beginner-to-intermediate levels. You won’t find much beta here for the more advanced routes — which can be a nice thing if you enjoy figuring out routes for yourself.

This gym is one that I think I’ll always have passes for. Helps that this part of Singapore is one of my favourites too.

One of the things you might want to checkout before coming here tho is whether there’s any classes or company events which can result in closed-off spaces. They’ll usually announce these on their Instagram prior.

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram. Also, always keen to meet new people, ping me for a climb if you want!

This post is part of a blog series reviewing all the bouldering gyms in Singapore targeted at new climbers and foreign visitors. Check out the origin article here:

Boulder Movement (BM) Rochor Review

At a glance

Environment: 4/5 - As clean as BM gyms get despite the larger area. Full set of QoL amenities except there’s no on-site toilet (use the mall’s which is a short walk away).

Social experience: 5/5 - This gym rivals BM Downtown as a place where visitors tend to socialise. Fun routes with decent off-mat areas allows for conversations to happen spontaneously without worrying anyone’s going to fall on you. Also since it’s in a tourist-accessible location, you’ll frequently see people from overseas here for a climb.

Training experience: 4/5 - While this gym’s main selling point is that it’s fun (IMO at least), it still provides enough to come for a decent training session. Cave routes here are almost always sandbagged and good for power endurance training, and the slab section is somewhat infamous amongst BM-goers for the presence of at least one (accessible) no-hands slab route. Also, endurance wall and kilter board are here to let you max out.

Around the area: 4/5 - Depending on where you come from, Little India may seem scary, but really it’s very safe. There’s lots of awesome authentic Indian cuisine walking in the direction to Farrer Park if you’re adventurous (NGL can be intimidating to walk into some of the stalls there), and towards the Bendemeer side you’ll find Dim Sum restaurants start to pop up. It’s also a short 10 minutes walk to Bugis.

In point form

1. The BM gym to go to if one of your aims is to have fun with friends/socialise.

2. Onsite showers, changing rooms, washing area, and water-cooler available.

3. Sofa area + bar tables area available for chilling

4. Not a dungeon - there’s windows with sunlight during sunlight hours

5. Decent crowd levels even at maximum capacity, it’s one of the bigger BM gyms

6. Demographics are mostly local with a few tourists most of the time.

7. All types of walls available: slab, straight, inclined, overhang, cave

8. Walls are mid-level, no highballers except for the cave area which is slightly higher than the other walls and can be scary to fall from if your route reaches the top of that wall

9. Routes are relatively more straightforward here compared to other outlets (doesn’t mean easier) and usually have feed-good big moves (I’m not advanced-enough a climber to put that in technical terms)

10. Grading here is slightly softer than normal except for the cave area - that whole wall is usually sandbagged.

11. Climbing-specific training quipment like a kilter board, endurance wall, and hangboards are available

12. Nice cosy mezzanine level to hang out at for non-commercial routes training

13. 7-11 within a 5 minute walking distance which has Betagro chicken breasts for pre-sesh protein

14. Lots of good food within a 15 minute walking distance, some notable places where I’ve personally gone to after climbs: Sarigama Bar & Bistro (North Indian cuisine), Swee Choon (Dim Sum), Keisuke Ramen (Japanese). There’s also the original Selegie Road beancurd stall towards Dhoby Gaut side.

Logistics

1. Grades: 1-8 petals, with 1s being V0/V1, 2s being V1/2 till 8 which is V7+

2. Shoe rentals and socks sales available

3. Download the Boulder Movement app and sign the waiver, pass purchase is also through the app only

4. One of the few gyms which is crowd-controlled, you’ll need to book a slot, likely in advance to be able to get in, two slots are avaialble each day, 11 AM - 4:30PM, and 5:30PM - 10PM.

5. If you’re using someone’s multipass, get them to link you in their app via email, they will have to book the slot for you

6. Parking is expensive here, avoid driving if you can. There’s a public carpark just behind Bugis+ but it’s usually full near/during peak hours.

7. Nearest MRTs: Rochor (Blue Line), Little India (Purple/Blue Line)

8. Checkout BM’s website/Instagram for routesetting schedule

9. Checkout BM’s Google Maps place for opening hours

10. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

• Link to Google Maps

• Link to place on Instagram

• Company website link

• Boulder Movement Instagram

Personal Story

This is the BM gym which I didn’t visit until my 6th month into my BM membership. No idea why but my climbing companions and I kept rotating between only Downtown and Taiseng.

Eventually came here anyway and found the rumours that this outlet was BM’s most fun to be true. There’s also the feel-good element when grades are slightly softer than usual and when the gym doesn’t feel congested even at maximum capacity.

My first V4/5 flash happened at this wall above and it was at a time when I wasn’t sending V4s regularly yet. Many routes are on the softer side, but don’t underestimate the cave (which sadly I forgot to take pictures of on my last visit because someone had a bad fall there and it just didn’t seem right to take pictures)

There’s also a nice mezzanine level where there’s an endurance wall together with a unique spray wall. This endurance wall is harder than the Taiseng outlet’s IMO although I haven’t trained here that much. Only got up to move 15/16 the last time I tried (I could complete Taiseng’s circuit once then IIRC)

Overall, highly recommended if you’re visiting Singapore and itching for a climb. There’s the Indian Heritage Center in the building just next door which I found surprisingly good, and also while the streets of Little India may seem dangerous if you’re from a predominantly fair-skinned places, it’s fairly safe and is one of the places where the street culture is noticeably different from other places in Singapore. If you prefer a more curated experience tho, Tekka market and the Little India Arcade have some historical value while still being exposed to the general culture around the area.

Also recommended for local beginners looking for a fun session!

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram. Also, always keen to meet new people, ping me for a climb if you want!

This post is part of a blog series reviewing all the bouldering gyms in Singapore targeted at new climbers and foreign visitors. Check out the origin article here:

Boulder Movement (BM) Bugis Review

At a glance

Environment: 3/5 - In the grander scheme of things, this gym is clean; but not as clean as the other BM gyms and also there’s occasional ceiling leaks here resulting in puddled chalk. Gets unbearably (IMO) crowded during peak hours made worse by having few dedicated off-mat areas. Toilets are also off-site but there’s on-site water coolers, showers, changing rooms, and the usual (for BM) power plugs. No proper seat/table tho

Social experience: 3/5 - Unlike other BMs, you might not get to socialise as much here during peak hours if that’s what you like about climbing. Felt like everyone’s just moving around avoiding other climbers’ fall zones and also most people come here with their own groups and the tend to stick to them.

Training experience: 4/5 - One of the more “fun” gyms with more accessible higher-grade routes. Highest walls amongst all the BM outlets which means a different style of routesetting given the height capacity. A unique and very fun traverse wall is also available and there’s also the moonboard which is above my paygrade.

Around the area: 5/5 - This gym is located in Bugis, and you can’t go wrong in Bugis. Lots of food from street snacks (Bugis Street) to restos (Bugis+ and Bugis Junction) to shopping malls, to famous ramen (Keisuke), to watering holes. This place has it all for both pre and post climb activities.

In point form

1. The highballer edition BM outlet with fun routes. Located in a popular shopping mall with lots of food and entertainment options around

2. Mostly slightly inclined and straight walls. Two small overhang sections available. No slab wall

3. One overhang section wall is usually entirely wildcard-graded (fun wall imo)

4. Routesetting seems to favour dynamic and coordination movements, routes tend to be more upwards moving as compared to sideways at other gyms with lower walls

5. There’s usually one super-interesting comp-style wildcard problem on the center island wall

6. Traverse wall available with about 5-6 routes that can also be done in reverse to make 10-12 routes. This wall was previously a toprope high wall (if you were reading Google Maps reviews and thought it’s still there,)

7. Moonboard area available

8. No gym equipment available at this gym

9. Demographics tends to be on the younger side, usually a few groups of new climbers to be careful about

10. Feels dangerous when it gets crowded because of a combination of higher-than-usual walls and lack of dedicated no-mat areas

11. Really good food both cheap and expensive around the area, lots of entertainment and sightseeing options as well

12. Recommended for tourists since it’s also near touristy areas

13. Not recommended for beginners especially those with a fear of heights

Logistics

1. Grades: 1-8 petals, with 1s being V0/V1, 2s being V1/2 till 8 which is V7+

2. Shoe rentals and socks sales available

3. Download the Boulder Movement app and sign the waiver, pass purchase is also through the app only

4. One of the few gyms which is crowd-controlled, you’ll need to book a slot, likely in advance to be able to get in, two slots are avaialble each day, 11 AM - 4:30PM, and 5:30PM - 10PM.

5. If you’re using someone’s multipass, get them to link you in their app via email, they will have to book the slot for you

6. Parking is expensive here, avoid driving if you can. There’s a public carpark just behind Bugis+ but it’s usually full near/during peak hours.

7. Nearest MRTs: Bugis (Green/Blue Line)

8. Checkout BM’s website/Instagram for routesetting schedule

9. Checkout BM’s Google Maps place for opening hours

10. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

• Link to Google Maps

• Link to place on Instagram

• Company website link

• Boulder Movement Instagram

Personal Story

My first visit to BM Bugis was terrifying.

I was used to the lower walls of BM Downtown and didn’t have a problem falling from those heights. But BM Bugis was something else.

The height here is similar to BFF Bendemeer’s main walls which isn’t very friendly to beginners IMO. In anyways, that fear was normalised after climbing more and on my latest visit, I found this gym to be one of the more fun BM gyms.

Once I gained more distinctions in routesetting style, I noticed that routes here at the V3/4 and above levels are more cryptic (interesting) and enjoyable. Also if you’re the kind to chase grades, difficulty gradings are slightly softer here given the increased level of commitment needed for the dynamic/coordination moves which sometimes happen at the top

One thing that still holds me back from coming here more often is the lack of dedicated rest places. You can see above that the entire floor is covered in mattress — which is nice for safety while climbing — but also a hazard when new climbers which this gym attracts sit in a fallzone.

The other is higher walls. Falls from high up can result in injuries (I’m 30+, I get pains easily 🙈). Coincidentally, my first semi-serious injury was from this gym where I fell badly after overestimating my span. Had hip and neck pains for about 2 weeks.

The best thing about this gym tho is the availability of food nearby. My personal staple is Keisuke Ramen which has free eggs for post-sesh protein, but you’ll need to leave way before this outlet closes to get there before they stop serving ramen.

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram. Also, always keen to meet new people, ping me for a climb if you want!

This post is part of a blog series reviewing all the bouldering gyms in Singapore targeted at new climbers and foreign visitors. Check out the origin article here:

Boulder Movement (BM) Tai Seng Review

At a glance

Environment: 5/5 - As clean as climbing gyms get (as with all BM outlets). Majority of the outlet is also a fish tank which means lots of sunlight from outside which is nice especially during daylight-hour climbs. Onsite toilets, changing rooms, and showers available and there are also tables with power outlets to get some work done. There’s also free parking as well at 18 Tai Seng after 5PM on weekdays.

Social experience: 5/5 - Like other BMs, the community is strong and vocal. Expect allezes. People coming here tend to have some climbing experience as well given it’s in a relatively heartland place compared to the other BM outlets. Seems like there’s also regulars here which helps in getting to know people if you become a regular yourself.

Training experience: 5/5 - For my level at least, the equipment here is more than enough. No board-climbing available but there’s a nice endurance wall with 3 levels of difficulty, the whole range of commercial walls, campus boards, hangboards, and climbing-specific gym equipment. Also just my opinion but routes here tend to be more technical — not necessarily “harder” tho — than the other BM outlets.

Around the area: 4/5 - Super wide variety of food to choose from from vegetarian (Leaf Corner), to the typical heartland mall restos (eg Gyudon/LJS/Malatanguo), to famous coffee places (Alchemist) to the whole BreadTalk-owned set of restos including DTF. Nothing much asides from food tho, this place is at the heart of an industrial estate.

In point form

1. Modern-feeling gym located at the edges of an industrial estate with natural sunlight during daylight-hours that feels good to climb at in the day

2. Conveniently located. It’s just above Tai Seng MRT (Orange line), and also the building has a Guardian to get tape from and a 7-11 that will bait you in pre-sesh with a protein snack selection (walk past it to get to Betagro chicken breasts :D)

3. Can get quite cold because they usually turn on both air-conditioning and fans

4. Routesetting style trends towards being more technical than other BMs but not necessarily harder physically

5. Features roughly equal servings of overhang, incline, straight, and slab walls

6. ~20(?) degree inclined endurance wall

7. Climbing-focused gym equipment available, up to around 40-50kg weight plates are available (IIRC)

8. Campus boards and decent selection of hangboards available

9. Tables and chairs and sofas with power points to chill at/get some work done at

10. Demographics are quite diverse, generally most climbers here aren’t experiencing their first climb and there are usually a group or two of good climbers

11. Noticed this gym also has more regulars than the other BM outlets, might be a good place to get to know climbers if you’re the kind that needs to see someone a few times before saying hi

12. Usually at it’s most crowded in the evenings after work, and the space is very bearable at it’s most crowded as compared to other gyms

13. Lots of good food nearby for pre/post workout snacks/meals

14. Free parking at the building after 5PM on weekdays if you’re driving

Logistics

1. Grades: 1-8 petals, with 1s being V0/V1, 2s being V1/2 till 8 which is V7+

2. Shoe rentals and socks sales available

3. Download the Boulder Movement app and sign the waiver, pass purchase is also through the app only

4. One of the few gyms which is crowd-controlled, you’ll need to book a slot, likely in advance to be able to get in, two slots are avaialble each day, 11 AM - 4:30PM, and 5:30PM - 10PM.

5. If you’re using someone’s multipass, get them to link you in their app via email, they will have to book the slot for you

6. Free parking at 18 Tai Seng (the building this gym is in) after 5 PM on weekdays

7. Nearest MRTs: Tai Seng (Orange Line)

8. Checkout BM’s website/Instagram for routesetting schedule

9. Checkout BM’s Google Maps place for opening hours

10. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

• Link to Google Maps

• Link to place on Instagram

• Company website link

• Boulder Movement Instagram

Personal Story

If you’d read the previous pieces, you’d know I was exclusive to BM during my first year climbing as an adult. BM Tai Seng was the second climbing gym I went to, mainly because it’s close to where I stay.

Tbh started coming here to get over my fear of higher bouldering walls after experiencing BFF once and not daring to do much there.

This gym is also where I sent my first V4 (or Flux 1 as it was previously known at BM) and IMO it’s mainly because there’s a noticeably higher focus on technical ability than raw strength/power here (compared to BM Downtown at least). Methinks it’s because the walls here are higher which gives the routes more space to breathe, allowing for more technical elements to be introduced.

This gym is one of my favourites to climb at during daylight hours because of the amount of sunlight coming in. Also helps that it’s on the first floor which gives me a sense of groundedness. Your mileage may vary.

This gym was also arguably where I built up quite a bit of climbing-specific strength. Since it’s near my house, I used to come here for quick lunchtime workouts to do rounds on the endurance wall and some antagonistic gym exercises so I don’t get injured. It’s usually empty during lunchtime, unlike BM Downtown.

Another thing I like about this gym is that protein is easily accessible in this area. There’s a 7-11 in the same building and lots of restos nearby like Malatangguo which is where I get my post-sesh protein from. Just pile on the meat and it’s a delicious high-protein post-workout snack.

Vegetarian food is also available across the main road at Leaf Corner and if you wanna chill with good coffee and friends, there’s also the fancy Alchemist Coffee in the heritage Khong Guan building on that same side of the road. Alternatively, if this gym didn’t tire you enough, there’s also Boulder Planet across the road.

Lastly, I drive, so this place is excellent for afterwork climbs because the building management has a “free parking after 5PM” scheme that was supposed to end in 2024 but it’s now been extended to 2025. By extrapolation, it’s likely this will continue since the mall’s still not very crowded after 5PM on weekdays.

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram. Also, always keen to meet new people, ping me for a climb if you want!

This post is part of a blog series reviewing all the bouldering gyms in Singapore targeted at new climbers and foreign visitors. Check out the origin article here:

Group Up Climbing Review

At a glance

Note that these are specifically for bouldering, Ground Up is a gym that’s catered towards toprope and lead climbs

Environment: 4/5 - Generally clean with onsite toilet, changing room, and showers. Not much QoL amenities and the water cooler is a centralised one for the building (a few minutes walk away from the gym). Child-friendly snacks and drinks are available for sale here and there’s also a nice gear shop featuring local brands

Social experience: 3/5 (as a working adult)- Usually full of team kids who will flash your project until about 7-8PM, other climbers here seem to be at the higher grades who are here to train more than socialise and it can be difficult to strike conversations unless you’re projecting V6s and above with them

Training experience: 5/5 - Only thing this gym lacks is a moonboard, but that’s beyond my paygrade anyway. Routes here trend towards old-school - crimpy, tanky, and static-able - but there’s also always a few newer flashier comp styles. IMO a gym to go if you’re serious about gitting gud

Around the area: 4/5 - There’s City Square Mall nearby in the day but nothing much is opened nearby after 9 PM. But if you’re willing to walk ~15 minutes, there’s a 24-hours Enchanted Cafe towards Whampoa side and the locally-famous food streets around Jalan Besar Stadium

In point form

• Old-school gym located at the second floor of Civil Service Club (CSC) @ Tessensohn Road that’s primary catered for top-rope and lead climbing

• Features a highly-underrated (IMO) bouldering section consisting of 2 floors, kilterboard + spray wall + endurance wall + kids routes on first floor, climbing-focused/calisthenics gym area and commercial bouldering routes on second

• Be prepared to sweat, air-conditioning may/may not be turned on on the second floor commercial routes section - part of the old-school experience :D

• Routes trend towards old-school and requires more finger strength than your typical beginner-friendly gyms in Singapore, V1s here can be V2/3 elsewhere just based on finger strength

• Routes here seem to be set with kids having a chance in mind, as a result, is friendly for strong female climbers who may not have span. Occasionally when they have events, some walls may also be set specifically for kids in mind (think box training?)

• Has a nice balance of straight wall, slab, incline, and overhang routes and they’re one of the gyms that know how to set interesting dihedral routes

• Gym equipment in the gym section is catered towards bodyweight/calisthenics/climbing workouts

• Demographics tend to be climbers in the V5++ range, and team kids + parents/coaches

• Really good food available nearby-ish (~15 minutes walk to the Jalan Besar Stadium area), but if you’re not the kind to walk…

• Bowling alley downstairs if your fingers need an extra push

• Roadside parking is available nearby or you can park at CSC

• Avoid early evenings to avoid falling on unsupervised kids

Logistics

1. Grades are communicated using the V scale - the only gym in Singapore (as of 2024 Q3) to do this explicitly

2. Shoe and harness rental available

3. Download the Gymmaster app to sign their waiver and purchase passes (can also be done over the counter)

4. Pass sharing is done via Instagram DM/phone calls using mobile number as a person’s identifier

5. Nearest MRTs: Farrer Park (Purple Line)

6. Routesetting happens every Monday afternoon (finishes ~7PM)

7. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

• Link to Google Maps

• Link to place on Instagram

• Company website link

• Ground Up Instagram

Personal story

Ground Up Climbing used to be ClimbAsia back in the day (yes I’m that old I guess 😅) and was one of the only places in Singapore with a bouldering gym that resembles the gyms of today.

Surprisingly, they’ve maintained the same way of monitoring access since then — a coloured wrist band — but the entire double-storey bouldering area has been renovated and is now air-conditioned and much more well equipped. Can’t imagine a climbing sesh without air-conditioning these days tbh

First started coming here because they had a birthday celebration pass discount in May where I bought their multipass offering. Ended up here for three interesting sessions.

A view of what the second floor is like:

On the last of these sessions I was even treated to no-tex holds (I believe they’re one of the first - if not the first - to have these holds on a boulder problem)

So around April, I gave up my membership with BM to go around exploring gyms. I wanted to see what else was out there and Ground Up caught my attention. Partially because it used to be ClimbAsia where I spent about two years climbing at in my youth.

Came here with the usual gang of people about three times so far and had quite a bit of fun training with the (relatively) old-school styles here. First floor was kinda out of bounds because most of us aren’t at board-climbing training level yet (did my first V0 board route here tho - and it felt like a V3 commercial route, humbling!), same with the spray wall.

This gym however is mainly catered for top-rope and lead climbers, and the bouldering environment kinda reflects that.

If you’re looking for a quiet gym to project by yourself or just to get in some hardcore training volume on old-school styles, this is the place to be. It’s generally quiet after 7:30PM and the team kids have gone home but be prepared to have your ego shot down before that as they jump around on V6s like they’re V1s.

I also really appreciate this gym as the only one that grades routes for what they are instead of assigning a gym-specific grading with some colour/arbitrary number value. For me, it’s a place where I can benchmark the level I’m climbing at.

Route grading here has also been quite consistent throughout all my visits here, but I think the setters might be too strong to accurately assess lower grades. Some V3s - especially on the overhang - feel like a V4 but only because it’s tanky, not because of technique - which probably isn’t noticeable if you’re like V10 strong or something.

Also noticed that the setting here is more friendly for female climbers as well because the setters keep kids in mind. Very few — if not no — routes here have betas that include “be tall/long”. Which some other gyms in Singapore seem to like having.

Since it’s relatively near my house compared to other gyms, will definitely be back whenever friends aren’t available for a sesh.

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram.

This post is part of a blog series that looks to review all the bouldering gyms in Singapore for new climbers and foreign visitors alike. Check out the origin article here:

Boulder Movement (BM) Downtown Review

At a glance

Environment: 5/5 - super clean, maxed-out QoL amenities with power plugs, phone tripods, free WiFi, a bar-table, a sofa, on-site showers/toilets/changing rooms, slightly dusty occasionally when the staff forgets to turn on the air purifier

Social experience: 5/5 - white-collar professionals in late twenties/early thirties, mostly beginners, much easier to talk to people here than other gyms

Training experience: 3/5 - lack of climbing-specific training equipment but makes up for it in terms of general gym equipment

Around the area: 4/5 - many 7-11s to get protein and snacks from, Lau Pat Sa for a hearty post-sesh meal, and many (overpriced) watering holes if that’s your kinda thing

In point form

• Cosy gym located in the basement of OUE Downtown Gallery

• Lower-than-normal walls that are friendly to beginners who might not know how to fall safely in every circumstance yet

• Routes are generally compressed with more lateral movement, results in slightly more tanky routes at higher grades

• Small overhang section, two slab sections, two ~15 degree incline walls

• Demographic tends to be mostly white-collar professionals in their late twenties to early thirties

• People coming here tend to be beginners, most are also friendly, and many are the kind who may strike up conversations

• General fitness gym equipment is available here

• Lacks climbing-specific gym setups like endurance wall/campus boards/kilterboards/spray wall

• Food is available around the area at any time of the day this gym is open, albeit a little pricier since it’s the CBD

• Avoid weekdays lunchtime + weekdays after 7PM if you dislike crowds, it’s a very chill place to hangout on weekends

• Highly recommended gym for beginner levels and cautious tourists

Logistics

1. Grades: 1-8 petals, with 1s being V0/V1, 2s being V1/2 till 8 which is V7+

2. Shoe rentals and socks sales available, no chalk rental but you can buy a chalk ball

3. Download the Boulder Movement app and sign the waiver, pass purchase is also through the app only

4. One of the few gyms which is crowd-controlled, you’ll need to book a slot, likely in advance to be able to get in

5. If you’re using someone’s multipass, get them to link you in their app via email and they will have to book the slot for you

6. Nearest MRTs: Shenton Way (Brown)/Tanjong Pagar (Green)/Downtown (Blue)

7. Checkout BM’s website/Instagram for routesetting schedule

8. Checkout BM’s Google Maps place for opening hours

9. Ask them questions via Instagram DM

Links

Link to Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xuZX4kDM6ck8cLBN6

Link to place on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/102039888294388/boulder-movement

Company website link: https://www.boulderm.com/

Boulder Movement Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bouldermovementsg/

Personal story

This was where my climbing journey as an adult started.

Spent at least 3 months here without shifting gym while I regained all my physical strength lost during the Dark COVID Ages of 2020-2022.

On overall, this is one the gyms that I’d highly recommend for newbies and visitors from abroad. Injuries don’t happen as much because of the low walls, so it’s safer especially if you don’t have travel insurance or don’t know how to boulder safely yet. Just gotta be careful of the additional mats they place on the original mat which can be tripped over easily.

Anyway, as I progressed up the grades, this gym began to lose its appeal over more well-equipped gyms and gyms with higher walls. Routesetting here admittedly gets monotonous after a few months because it lacks moves that force you to go up instead of sideways.

My climbs here have mostly been on weekdays and usually start at 5:30 PM when they open because it’s super-empty (they close from 4:30-5:30 PM for dinner break), and ends at 7:30-8PM when crowd levels peak and it’s almost impossible to get on any route. Since the walls are low and routes use some level of traverse, most routes intersect with another.

The few times that I’ve been here on weekends were super chill. There’s a bartable where I usually do some personal work at while resting in between problems. They have power points and free WiFi.

Climbs here also mostly begin with protein bars from a nearby 7-11 and end up at Lau Pat Sa which is a popular food desitnation for both locals and visitors. Food there is actually decent despite it being an internationally known food place and you can pay via the NTUC app for 10% discount off your meal.

Lastly, gotta say climbers here are diverse and friendly.

I’ve had conversations with a Japanese based in Singapore, a German who was in Singapore for a weekend, an Australian who just shifted to Singapore, and many other locals along the way. Allez culture is strong in this gym, but a drawback to me is the number of people new to climbing who haven’t gained an awareness of climbing etiquette/spidey senses. Results in long waiting times for a route, needing to say “excuse me” to climbers in my fall zone, or pausing on a route to wait for a new climber to finish theirs.

I still come here from time to time for the nostalgia and also to test how strong I’ve become, but if you’re climbing at any level above me (V5 or more) and climb for the challenge, this gym might not satisfy you. Highly recommended otherwise!

Cheers

Till the next review 😀

Got comments/feedback? You can DM me regarding gym bouldering in Singapore at @boulder.joernal on Instagram.

When I started out with bouldering a little over a year ago, I wished there were articles reviewing the different gyms in Singapore, what was good about each, which were beginner friendly, et cetera et cetera

After one year and recently doing a tour of Singapore gyms, I decided to write it myself for anyone else like me just starting out and not sure where to go. This was originally meant to be a vlog series but I tried videoing myself and speaking and just nope. So here you go, a blog series.

What mainly felt important to me:

1. What food can I have before a session?

2. What food can I have after a session?

3. How long does it take for me to get there?

4. What kind of walls does the gym have?

5. How difficult are the routes in the gym generally?

6. What’s the gym’s demographics?

7. How’s the quality of life amenities at the gym (eg. showers/lockers)?

8. How much does it cost/how do I register?

And that’s things which I’ll include in my reviews in this series.

For reference, I’m currently a male V4+ climber going onto V5 with ~175cm span. Also aged (circa thirty years old), and climbs peak hours not by choice. Been climbing consistently for about a year now and I generally climb for fun without any specific objective. Having fun is more important than climbing hard stuff although they’re not mutually exclusive things.

To set a target audience for myself, I’ll be focusing my writing to inform:

1. New local climbers

2. Foreign climbers who are new in Singapore

Also as a anti-disclaimer of sorts, nothing in this series will be sponsored posts. You can expect the truth and nothing but the truth, even if it’s ugly.

Changelog since first publish

1. 5th August 2024 - Added Climb Central Novena thanks to pings from @clareyflows and @theunclebeta, added a mention to the Climbjios Swappers group on Telegram for purchasing cheap passes, added newly written BM Downtown review

2. 8th August 2024 - Added Ground Up Climbing review

3. 14th August 2024 - Added BFF OTH gym (thank you @enenpull!) and published review on BM Tai Seng

4. 20th August 2024 - Published BM Bugis review

5. 29th August 2024 - Published BM Rochor review

6. 1st November 2024 - Published Project Send review

TL;DR of bouldering gyms in Singapore

Since this series is targeted at climbers new to Singapore’s climbing gym environment, here’s a quick summary/some notes about the Singapore climbing culture/gyms:

1. Every gym has their own special snowflake app. Majority use the MindBodySoul platform and you must register and sign their waiver online before visiting.

2. Gym entries range from $18-$30, all gyms have shoe rentals, only a few have chalk rental, gyms in the City Business District (CBD) area are generally fully featured with showers, changing rooms et cetera.

3. All gyms here have good basic necessities stuff like basins for washing arms, water refillers, and toilets.

4. Offpeak climbing is always recommended if possible. Most bouldering gyms get very crowded in the evening, majority of climbers here are of working adult age. Weekend mornings tend to be quiet as well.

5. Similar tripod culture as Korea (or so YouTube tells me), careful of blocking someone videoing their own climbs!

6. Route grading tends to be sandbagged compared to the western world. A colleague from the UK who climbs V3/4 there could only manage V2s here.

7. Gyms are gonna hate this but… Branded equipment prices tend to be about 1.5x what you’d pay if you ordered online. Some gyms carry local brands if you’re into supporting local businesses.

8. Another one that gyms might not like but… You can purchase a passes at multipass prices or cheaper from the Climbjios Swappers group on Telegram (just do a global search for that name)

List of bouldering gyms in Singapore

With that, here’s the full list of climbing gyms that offer bouldering in Singapore. If there’s a link, it’ll link to the review, otherwise the review hasn’t been written. Subscribe to the Bouldering newsletter I just created or check back monthly if you’re interested!

If you want to save a map of all these to your Google Maps, one can be found here (made by yours truly)

Ark Bloc

• Seng Kang

BFF

• Bendemeer

• One Tampines Hub (might not ever go, heard it’s small)

• YO:HA

Boruda

• Labrador Park

Boulder+

• Aperia Mall

• Chevrons

Boulder Movement

Boulder Planet

• Sembawang

• Taiseng

Boulder World

• Paragon

Climba

• CBD

Climb Central

• Chua Chu Kang

• Funan Center

• Kallang Wave Mall

• Novena Velocity (might not ever go, heard it’s small)

Fit Bloc

• Depot Heights AKA FB 2.0

• Kent Ridge AKA FB 1.0

Ground Up

Kinetics

• Serangoon Road

Lighthouse Climbing

• Alexandra Road

Outpost Climbing

• Crawford Lane

Oyeyo Boulder Home

• Little India (might not ever go bc initiation fees 🥲)

Project Send

Z-Vertigo

• Bukit Timah

Cheers

Hope this helps someone and if you’d like to follow my adventures in bouldering, my story and progress is being documented on Instagram at @boulder.joernal.

Looking back, it was the hobby that brought me most of my physical prowesses in my youth.

I started climbing in my second year of junior college at the tender age of 17 and this lasted until I completed my National Service three years later. During my time in university, I found the joys of playing in a band in front of 100s of people and I focused all my time on that instead.

More than 10 years on and lots of strength lost over my young adult years, I’m working with an organisation located in a building with a fancy bouldering gym in its basement. Over a company dinner in April ‘23, a peer mentioned he recently got into climbing and we arranged a date to go climb together.

And the journey of pain began.

My whole body ached for two weeks after my first climb. I can’t even remember aching in my adolescence, it was usually the skin that tore first. Maybe I remember that more since it’s not fun washing your face with flappers on every finger.

Anyway, it was a scary reminder of how far I’ve fallen physical-strength-wise, likely accelerated by my hermit-phase when COVID took over the world.

I’m now about eight months back into climbing but still nowhere near as strong as I used to be. At this stage I’m actually wondering if a thirty year old body can ever reach the strength of a twenty year old. But y’know what they say age is just a number yadayada.

One thing that surprised me is that the body remembers even after all the years of inactivity.

Getting back on a climbing wall for the first time in >10 years felt extremely natural and I found that I still had all the moves in me. What I lacked though, was the strength to pull off those moves I had in my mind.

My highest grade sent in my youth was 7a which would translate to a V6. At this point in time after eight months, I’ve barely sent a few V4s. It was my goal to send a V4 before 2024, and I achieved it so yay I guess.

Now for 2024, my goal is to send at least one V5.

(If you’ve never climbed, grades are kinda exponential. going from V1 to V2 may take a few weeks with the right coach, V2 to V3 may take another 3-4 months, V4 and upwards usually takes about a year+ between grades and I’ve read it’s extremely easy to plateau from V4 onwards.)

So what needs to go into my achieving a V5? To me it’s lots more strength improvements so that I don’t have to struggle physically while having to plan and execute my next move on the wall.

Breaking it down to their raw physical equivalents, my goals for 2024 are:

1. Do 20 perfect form pull-ups. Currently I’m at about 10-15 depending on how recovered I am from my last climb. I want to hit 20 by the end of 2024 so that I have more endurance on hard problems.

2. Do a one-arm pull up each on both arms. Currently I can only manage a decent one-arm lock off on my right side. I can do a slow descent on my left but I can’t lock off in a contracted position yet. I want to achieve this mainly as an indicator that my strength has returned to where I was in my youth.

   

3. Do a front lever. While my core is a lot stronger than a year ago, it’s still nowhere strong enough for cave-ish routes. It’s difficult to plan and execute moves on the wall when I’m struggling to maintain tension for footwork.

   

4. 30s single-arm deadhang on pull-up bar. Currently at 15s for my right arm and 10s for my left. I want to have the confidence to reach for a hold with one hand only knowing I can use that as a stable position.

5. 30s two-arms deadhang on the Beastmaker 20mm edge. Currently I’m at 5s max when I’m fresh. I’ve noticed my form break when I’m on crimpy routes mainly because I’m focusing so hard on holding onto the crimp that I contract my arms resulting in unnecessary tension and an inability to use momentum for throws. Hoping this helps me with those smaller pesky holds

   

Excited to see where this journey of climbing again in my thirties brings me in 2024. A side-quest goal would be to go for an outdoor climb but I don’t know if I’ll ever attempt that because self-preservation has become more of a thing at 30 than at 20.

EDIT: Follow my climbing insta if you’re interested to keep up with my attempts on the wall!