Due to our bouldering holiday this review of Beest Rotterdam had been put on hold for a while. It is high time to share our experiences of this bouldering gym with a view over the city.
Location and first impression
Beest Rotterdam is within walking distance of Rotterdam Central Station and is located in an old office building. Upon entering, you take the elevator to the ninth floor. There, you step out into a space with a large mushroom structure in the middle. What immediately stands out is the breathtaking view. From this height, you overlook the Rotterdam skyline, which creates a remarkable setting for a bouldering session.
After checking in, we descended to the seventh floor for the changing rooms. This floor also houses a well-equipped training area with two kilter boards (30 and 50 degrees), a spray wall, a campus board, and various training tools.
The climbing gym consists of three floors with boulders: on the sixth, eighth, and ninth floors. To move from one floor to another, you have to climb quite a few stairs. Each floor has its own atmosphere and character, which makes the experience dynamic and varied.
The Boulders: Variety and challenge
We started on the sixth floor and worked our way up gradually. As in other Beest locations, the selection of holds and boulders is varied, and the routes are built according to colour. The route setting and grading are similar to those at Beest Breda. On this floor, I noticed that the grading sometimes felt a bit inconsistent.
Beest Rotterdam offers more than 200 boulders, so it is impossible to try everything in a single session. After a round on this floor, we continued to the eighth. This floor has a different layout, featuring two smaller mushroom structures. When we were there, it was very crowded, which meant we climbed fewer routes on this floor. Still, I managed to complete a challenging 7A+ together with a few strong climbers.
On the ninth floor, we received an energy boost from the view. It is remarkable how the scenery changes with each level. Here, we climbed various boulders ranging from 6A to 7B. The grading on this floor felt more consistent than on the sixth, although this can naturally vary depending on the session and the day.
As the sun slowly set, we continued bouldering with a stunning panoramic view of the city. Climbing while the sun sets over the Rotterdam skyline has something magical about it.
Shoe Testing: A valuable extra
On the evening of our visit, Beest organised a test event featuring climbing shoes from the brand Evolv. I find such test evenings a valuable addition. You can try out different models while climbing and feel which shoe best suits your style. Although we did not purchase anything in the end, I greatly appreciated the opportunity. There are so many models on the market that it is helpful to try something first before making a decision.
Final thoughts
Beest Rotterdam is a unique climbing location in the heart of the city. The gym is easily accessible from Rotterdam Central Station and offers three floors full of boulders, each with its own character. You do have to climb many stairs in between, but the panoramic view more than makes up for it.
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