Beest Boulders has opened impressive gyms in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague in recent years. But the largest one is in Breda. According to their website, it's even the biggest bouldering gym in the Benelux. Time to find out for ourselves.
Beest Boulders Breda is located near Bruut, on the same business park. Parking is easy and free right at the entrance always a plus. The moment you walk in, you immediately feel it: this gym is truly big. Just walking around it can easily take a few minutes.
Layout of the gym and atmosphere
The gym is built around three massive ‘mushrooms’, each with a significant overhang. Along the edges, you'll find walls in warm beige and brown tones, creating a cozy atmosphere. Fabric couches scattered throughout the space form inviting seating areas perfect for relaxing between climbs.
The facilities here are also excellent: there’s a separate training area with no less than three training walls an adjustable Kilterboard, a Moonboard, and a So-ill board. I’m not familiar with the last one yet, which is a good reason to come back soon.
Bouldering options and competition boulders
At the time of my visit, some walls were a bit emptier than usual because they were still filled with boulders from the Beest Open competition. Even so, over 200 boulders were still available more than enough variety. It's impossible to try everything in a single session. So I focused on selecting boulders that looked fun or used holds I wasn’t familiar with yet, such as those from Artline truly recommended.
After a short warm-up, I threw myself into some of the competition boulders. They stood out visually and were slightly longer, partly due to the incorporated zones. Although I hadn’t participated in the competition itself, I found these boulders really fun and challenging.
Unique feature: long overhanging prow
A standout feature is the long overhanging prow on the third mushroom. With multiple starting options, you can climb extra-long boulders here. The mats are cleverly angled upward, so you never fall far ideal for working on projects. It reminded me of a mini version of the wall at Substation Brixton.
Grading and difficulty level
The boulders are set by color. In addition, there are two comp circuits boulders featuring movements similar to what you might encounter in competitions. The fun part is that it's all about the movement rather than the difficulty level.
What stood out to me was that the grading of the boulders is on the tougher side. Whereas I can usually top out a 7A in one or two attempts, here I needed more time to work through the moves. But that only made the experience more instructive.
Final thoughts
In summary: Beest Boulders Breda is massive. You could easily spend an entire day here without seeing or trying everything. The scale and variety force you to make deliberate choices. After many attempts, satisfying tops, and worn-out skin, I can say: I had an excellent time.
And I’ll definitely be coming back if only to try out the So-ill board!
EN 
NL