Last week, we stayed near Rotterdam. A great opportunity to explore the climbing scene in this region. There's plenty of choice, and we wanted to do both lead climbing and bouldering. For lead climbing, we visited De Klimmuur.
Location and First Impression
De Klimmuur is located on the edge of the city, near the Kralingse Plas. A pleasant, green area. You can park for free right in front, which is always a plus. Upon arrival, the exterior wall immediately catches the eye: orange climbing modules decorate the facade, instantly inviting you to climb.
Layout of the Gym
The gym is spacious and well-organized. There’s a small shop where you can buy climbing gear. Most walls are 17.5 meters high, with an additional floor that features a few more ropes. At the top, there’s a training area and a spray wall. From there, you get a great view of the entire gym and can watch others climb, especially on the overhang.
The Routes
You clip into the rope with a carabiner, which is quick and practical. We started on the upper level, where the walls are slightly shorter. After two easy routes, I got a bit too enthusiastic and jumped on an unmarked route. It turned out to be a 7A from the De Klimmuur Open competition. I made it to the top, but it was clearly more effort than expected. I wasn’t warmed up enough yet.
After that, we moved to the main wall downstairs. Most routes are vertical or slightly overhanging, with the occasional bulge. The competition routes were still set and looked challenging. I topped several of them with great enjoyment.
What’s a pity: this gym doesn’t use Toplogger, so you can’t track your climbed routes in the app.
Level and Variety
The routes go up to a maximum of 7C+, and almost everything has been set recently. Hardly anything is older than six months. The final routes from the recent competition are still up on the large overhang. I climbed the women’s final without too much trouble. The men’s final was tougher: lots of shoulder moves at the bottom and small crimps at the top. On my first attempt, I nearly made it to the top. At the end of our session, I tried again but fell at the same spot. This time, the pump got the better of me.
Final thoughts
The staff was friendly and the routes were fun. After climbing, we enjoyed lunch by the Kralingse Plas. A perfect way to end a sporty afternoon.
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