It had been a while since we last visited a new bouldering gym. But this weekend started with something completely different. We went to Sail and got the chance to sail on a historic Lithuanian boat, the Kurenas. After five hours on the water, we arrived in the harbour of Naarden, where the ship continued its journey to the Lithuanian Sea Museum. From there, our thoughts returned to climbing.
We waved from the boat to Monk Amsterdam, but going back to Amsterdam did not feel worth it. Instead, we looked for bouldering gyms near Naarden. Monk Hilversum and Impact Almere were options, but they closed early on Sundays. At six in the evening, Kei Wagenwerkplaats in Amersfoort was the best choice. A gym we did not expect to visit so soon, which made it a fun surprise visit.
Kei Amersfoort: two locations
The name “Kei Boulderhal” is more than just catchy. Amersfoort is known as “Keistad” (“boulder city”) because of a legendary 17th century bet. People there once dragged a 7,000-kilo rock into the city, a story still remembered today. You can still visit that famous rock! For a long time, though, Keistad had no bouldering gym. Climbers had to go to other cities, until Kei opened in 2014. The first bouldering gym in Amersfoort was built with the help of more than 50 volunteers, creating the foundation for the local climbing community.
Today, Kei has two boulder gyms in Amersfoort: the original Wagenwerkplaats and the newer De Hoef. This time we chose Wagenwerkplaats because it has longer opening hours.
When you walk in, you go up the stairs and see the entire boulder gym right away. Thanks to the daylight, the space feels bright and modern. It is one big hall with climbing walls all around, two mushroom-shaped structures in the middle, and a small balcony for slab routes. The walls are grey with green details, and there is quite a lot of overhang. The floor is one large mat, which looks neat and minimalistic, but there is a downside... People often leave bottles and phones on it, so you need to watch where you land. On busy nights this could easily become chaotic.
At the moment, part of the gym is closed because of roof construction issues. That area usually has the kilter board, training walls, and weights. Kei is waiting for a permit to fix it permanently. For now, the space feels a bit smaller.
The boulders and levels
The boulders are divided by colour. We started with warm-up routes, but they already felt quite tough. Lina had just taken a 5 week break, so the problems were hard for her. For beginners, the starting level may feel a little discouraging. I was also not in my best shape. A 6C felt harder than usual, and I noticed that I was focused more on the grades than on enjoying the movements.
The grading was also confusing. According to the board, the mint coloured boulders should be 7B or harder, but some felt easier than the black or white ones. Later, I saw in Toplogger that the grades did not always match the colours. That explained why some “easy” colours felt so difficult.
After some frustration, I managed to climb a few 7As and even a 7B. Still, the grading did not always make sense, because the 7B did not feel like the hardest climb of the evening. Lina reminded me to step back a little. I tried several boulders in the 6A to 6C range. That made the session much more fun, and I found the joy of climbing again.
Conclusion Kei Wagenwerkplaats Amersfoort
Right now, Kei Wagenwerkplaats feels a bit smaller because of the closed section. Still, the gym is well designed and has a cosy atmosphere. The single large mat can be inconvenient on busy nights. The seating area upstairs is spacious and bright, with a nice view over the hall.
If you are in Amersfoort, Kei is definitely worth a visit. Try the boulders, see how you do across the different grades, and enjoy the local climbing community.
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