We’ve never had the goal to set records of this kind. However, while doing our job completing projects for our clients, it turned out that the biggest climbing gyms in many countries are actually designed and built by us. Here are some of them:
The biggest climbing gym designed and built at once
With its 6377 sq.m (68,641 sq. ft) plywood panels, Kletterzentrum Innsbruck is the biggest climbing gym in the world that was designed and built in one push at this size. There is another climbing facility, DAV Munich Sud, that features the largest total climbing surface but it was designed on a much smaller scale in 1989 and had multiple extensions added throughout the years.
Kletterzentrum Innsbruck’s design takes about 8 months of constant collaboration between Reinhold Sherer, Austria’s national team coach and gym manager, and the Walltopia architect. They discuss the wall design with professional athletes like Killian Fischuber and Jacob Schubert, in order to create walls that fully correspond to the expectations for a training facility and competition arena at the same time.
Walltopia team took about 6 months to assemble over 112 tons of steel structure and plywood panels at a height of up to 17 m (55 ft). To date the climbing facility is being used for training camps for national climbing teams from all over the world, it has hosted many European and world championships. The gym has indoor and outdoor sections offering over 800 routes for casual climbers and professionals alike.
“I must acknowledge that the collaboration with Walltopia was very successful. It is remarkable how professionally they finished the job of such a huge scale making it what it is today.”
Reinhold Scherer, managing director of Kletterzentrum Innsbruck
The biggest climbing gym in the usa
With its 4 274 sq. m (46 000 sq.ft) climbing surface, Pacific Pipe climbing gym in Oakland, CA is the biggest climbing gym in the USA to date, outrunning the former holder of the title Earth Treks Englewood with 3k sq. ft. Part of a gym chain with 14 locations in the state of California, Pacific Pipe’s construction began before the pandemic but due to COVID complications installation expanded well into 2020. An interesting fact is that the building that hosts the facility was a former pipe factory. It came along with its vintage industrial interior and Touchstone Climbing decided to keep it. This combined with impressive modern design of the walls and bright colors turned the gym into a stylish clash of cultures that offers not only an outstanding climbing experience but a memorable eye candy just as well.
The climbing surface is distributed at 1 207 sq.m / 13 000 sq. ft of bouldering terrain and 3 066 sq.m / 33 000 sq. ft rope walls featuring lead walls with the impressive height of 17 m / 55 ft.
The biggest climbing gym in switzerland
The climbing surface of Griffig in Uster is 4160 sq. m (44 777 sq. ft) which makes it the biggest in Switzerland. Except for the standard indoor climbing sectors for top rope and lead climbing and bouldering, Griffig climbing gym also features a facade climbing wall allowing the visitors to take advantage of the good weather.
The gym opens in 2014 for the first time at a smaller scale and later on, makes two additional extensions to the climbing area reaching the impressive 4 160 sq.m, the last panel of which has been placed by Walltopia technicians during 2016.
the biggest climbing gym in spain
Sputnik Climbing Center in Las Rozas opened doors in September 2021 as their second Climbing gym, following Alcobendas location also in Madrid. Our relationship with the people behind Sputnik dates back to 2018 when we visited Alcobenda. Later that year they came to Bulgaria for WICS ,met the Walltopia team in our HQ and tour our factory and country’s crags. Our client-supplier relationship easily turned into friendship and we’re honored that they trusted us for their business for what is yet just the beginning of a new chapter in the climbing industry in Spain.
The biggest climbing gym in France
Climb Up Aubervilliers in Paris features a 5 000 sq. m (53 819 sq. ft) climbing surface which make it the biggest in France. It is also the gym with the biggest indoor climbing area and largest number of climbing lines: more than 200. There are a few other climbing gyms in Europe that feature more overall climbing terrain but a large portion of it is outoors. Owned by the former world climbing champion Francois Petit, Climb Up Porte d’Italie is one of the 26 gyms he owns in the country. For the last 9 of them, since 2015, Francois has trusted Walltopia with his business.
„I think Walltopia is the best company that produces climbing walls in the world. Your work is very professional and you always manage to keep the deadlines.”
Francois Petit, climbing world champion and founder of Climb Up
The biggest climbing gym in Italy
The climbing surface of 2946 sq. m (31 710 sq. ft) makes Rock Spot the biggest indoor climbing facility in Italy. Located in the capital of Milan, the gym attracts climbers from all over the country.
