Rock climbing is a passion to may, and some want to go climbing a rocky hill or a mountain? Well, then you must go through an adequate training process. A rock climbing wall is the most necessary apparatus for your training. The rock wall climbing also gives you the feeling of climbing at your home or in your locality. However, ready-made rock climbing walls are costly. So, knowing how to make a rock climbing wall can save you a lot of money. This article will guide you to make a rock climbing wall.
How to Make a Rock Climbing Wall
Before starting to make a rock climbing wall, you should consider some facts like
- Type and size of the rock wall
- Indoor wall or outdoor wall
- The surface of the wall
- The number of climbing holds you need
- What kind of holds: screw-on or bolt-on
- Size of the holds
- Color of the holds
So, consider these facts and decide which type of wall you want to build.
Step 1 : Choosing the Equipment
- One 8’ x 1’ and one 3” x 4” Birch Plywood
- 1 x 6 pressure treated boards
- 2 x 6 pressure treated boards
- 5/4 Composite board (Trex)
- 107 pieces of T-Nuts
- Wood Screws – zinc plated 15/8 screws
- Wood Glue
- 44 pieces of the climbing hold of different colors
- Power hammer drill
Step 2 : Using the Power Drill
For making a bouldering rock climbing wall, you should drill holes on the boards in a diagonal pattern. Drill 2″ between the rows and 4″ between the columns to make a diagonal pattern. It might seem excessive to you, but these holes will help you to set the holds anywhere you want.
Step 3 : Screwing in T-Nuts
Screw in all the T-Nuts to allow the climbing holds to attach to the wall. If you put T-Nuts in every hole, you will be able to change the layout of the holds whenever you want.
Step 4 : Gluing Plywood Spacers
Apply glue to the back of the climbing board. Use the wood screws to attach the board with spacers after applying the glue. These spacers will allow the bolts of the holds on the opposite side of the board to stick out without troubling the concrete wall. The spacers’ position should be angled, not straight.
Step 5 : Picking out Your Holds
The rock wall texture of your wall depends on the holds you put in the T-nuts of the board. You can choose any color of the holds you want. However, for a medium bouldering rock climbing wall, the size of the holds will be determined by the steepness of the wall. You may choose different sizes of the holds for your rock wall.
Step 6 : Attaching the Holds
Attach the holds to the board in whatever combination you want. However, the average distance between the chest and hold for a 6-year-old is 18 inches. The average distance between the chest and hold for an adult old is 36 inches. You should decide the distance of the hold according to your height or your kid’s height. The size of the holds should be a little bit smaller for kids climbing wall.
Step 7 : Climbing the Wall
You might want to watch some video tutorials on how to climb the rock climbing wall and then you can start climbing it wearing a pair of rock climbing shoes.
It is not easy to make something big like a rock climbing wall, but if you follow the instructions carefully, you might be able to do it without any difficulty. The basic rule is to consider all the requirements first and then to choose the instruments you need. Choosing the right instrument makes your easier. So, making a rock climbing wall on your own is not that difficult, and it can save you a lot of money also.
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