Rock Climbing in Bali
This is a post written out of a pure desire to find good quality information on rock climbing in Bali, Indonesia.
I’m sure you might be wondering why the hell I’m not out surfing the world famous waves at Uluwatu — seeing as I am an Australian… who grew up by the beach… Well, for those who do know me, you would understand — cause I’m obsessed with climbing. I’ll find any excuse to get on some rock no matter where I am in the world.
On this trip I managed to get outdoors to check out one of the more popular crags in the village of Songan, nearby the famous Mt. Batur Volcano. I also took a look at the local bouldering gyms, which hold some promise for the new wave of climbing grommets raised in Indonesia. In this post, I’ll share my firsthand experience of climbing in Bali, along with other documented info that I’ve found while trawling the web. This post is a work in progress and if you do have any additional info then please leave a comment below!
Rock Climbing Gyms in Bali
- Badung Climbing Gym — Jalan Kunti 2, Denpasar, Bali
Basically this is just an outdoor setup with the following walls:
— 6 boulder blocks 3x4m
— 1 speed climbing wall 4x20m
— 1 lead climbing wall 5x15m
Operating hours bit random, but mostly open on weekday evenings. There is a number to call if you aren’t sure if it’s open: +6281916259079.
2. Eiger Flagship Store — Jalan. Sunset Road №104, Seminyak, Kuta
The Eiger Flagship Store also has a large outdoor climbing wall, similar to the Badung Climbing Gym. When I went, it was absolutely deserted (probably because it sits out in the boiling heat every single day). Inside the Eiger store you’ll find a lot of hiking camping gear and the bouldering wall is located upstairs. Again, there were absolutely no people when I went ( about 2pm on a Tuesday ).
It costs 50,000 IDR for a 2 hour session. Just go to the front desk on the ground floor and ask to climb upstairs. It’s a very basic setup and the routes are nothing fancy. The wall is about 25+ metres wide and about 2.5 metres high. There are only about 3–5 established routes, which traverse back and forth along the wall. I got a pretty good pump on while climbing there, going back and forth along the wall.
You could easily create your own routes and have a bit of fun, which would be cool if you were with a group of friends. Otherwise, it’s really just a simple wall to have a good endurance session. I wouldn’t rate this place too highly, but definitely worth a look if you want to a session in.
3. Tokei Climbing — Jalan Raya Andong, Peliatan, Ubud
Website:https://www.tokeiclimbing.com/
This bouldering gym has a TON of potential. It’s a decent sized space with an upstairs section under construction and projected to be ready by Jan 2018. Until the gym opens properly in early 2018, the cost of entry is purely based on donations.
The downstairs area has a really solid variety of climbs from vertical to overhanging, including the gnarly cave section at the back of the space. I loved the route setting style as the routes had a really nice degree of technical difficulty to them. If you get chatting with the owners then you most likely would be able to help create a route or two if that’s what you’re into.
They are looking to get in a large batch of climbing shoes for hire as well. Once the place opens for good then you can expect an entry fee. This place is definitely worth checking out!
4. Bali Climbing Bouldering Gym Canggu — Jalan Munduk Catu, Batu Bolong, Canggu
Website: http://bali-climbing.com/
This place is a tiny hole-in-the-wall kinda place. It’s relatively new to the scene and the first of it’s kind in Canggu. It’s really just a few bouldering walls and there aren’t many routes on the wall, but there are plenty of holds to experiment with. It’s the perfect kind of place to train as they’ve got everything you need for a good session.
The Bali Climbing website is surprisingly legit, given the fact that the place is so small. They have a solid setup but it really is just a small garage’s worth of walls. I wasn’t aware that they offered so much when I went there, but if you’re looking for some private coaching or guidance climbing outdoors then they might be able to help. Perhaps if it gets some traction and popularity then it might offer outdoor trips on a regular basis. At the moment the price for an outdoor excursion is 1, 250, 000 with a minimum of two people.
When I went there were a couple of other first time climbers just playing around. The scene was super mellow but fun nonetheless. It might be busier in the evenings but I wouldn’t be so sure.
Entrance for a 2 hour pass will set you back 150, 000 IDR. That’s a bit steep in my mind, especially for Bali. They do offer “happy hour” prices from 11am to 2pm for 100, 000 IDR, but it gets seriously hot in the middle of the day. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you wanna sweat out everything from the night before.
It’s great to see another gym on the block. That must obviously mean that the climbing scene is growing in Bali 😀. I wouldn’t really want to climb here on the regular, but if you are craving a session, or just want to kill some time on a rainy day then this place might be worth a look.
Outdoor Climbing Areas in Bali
- Songan Village — Crag A
Songan Village is located just nearby the infamous Mt. Batur Volcano in North Bali. It’s about 1.5 hours drive/ride from Ubud and approximately 20 minutes ride from the Mt. Batur Hot Spring Toya Devasya. There is really only one road in and out of the area, however you will ride through some fairly rough terrain as you pass through some of the villages.
To find the crag on Google Maps, click here.
I must say first and foremost — the crag isn’t spectacular, but if you’re a keen climber and down for the adventure, then you most certainly can make a good day out of it. A few things to note:
- Most of the routes are very dirty and in pretty average condition however there are a couple of gem routes.
- The bolts on most routes are old and rusted — most of them have cobwebs on them! Climb carefully.
- The rock is fairly solid is most parts but it is slippery, especially as it is so dirty. Due to that fact, it is easy to pull off a large chunk of rock/dirt as you climb.
The crag has about 20 routes all up. Most of them are within the 6a-7a range. I enjoyed climbing here as the style reminds me a lot of home. The wall is quite blocky, which means nice flat holds (crimps, edges, sidepulls) and obvious footholds. Most of the routes are basically straight up vertical, with a couple of steeper lines.
There is certainly potential for more routes, and if you look at the photo on the left you will see a long vertical crack going up the wall. This crack runs up the wall for some 30+ metres and looks like it could potentially be a beautiful line!
All in all, the Songan Crag is a fun little spot for a nice day outdoors. You will most likely have the place to yourself, but there are sometimes locals who come on weekends.
2. Songan Village — Crag B ( More Information Needed… )
I’ve heard that there is also another area nearby the Songan A crag. Supposedly there are some steeper routes ( in a cave perhaps? ) I would love to find out more, so if you know anything please get in touch by leaving a comment below!
3. Padang Padang Beach
While you’re in Bali you definitely need to come down to Padang Padang Beach for a swim and a sun bake. It’s a popular place for sure, but it’s likely that you’ll have the rock to yourself (unless the monkeys don’t get in your way).
To be honest, this place isn’t a proper crag by any means; there are about 5 or so routes and the bolts are quite sketchy. The wall is about 10 metres high and the grades probably range between 6a — 7a. There are also a few other boulders scattered about along the beach.
How to get there: Simply drive towards Uluwatu ( about 30 km from Kuta ). You will see signs for Padang Padang beach — see the photo below. Click here for a map.
There is also a ton of climbing all around Indonesia so if you’re planning a proper trip I would definitely check out the Indonesia section on The Crag for more information. I had a great time climbing around Bali, especially at the gyms. The locals are really friendly and speak English quite well. I would be cautious about climbing outdoors as the bolts and anchors are pretty sketchy! Also be sure to bring a brush with you as the routes don’t get too much traffic and need a good clean!
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