It had been a while since we last visited a new climbing gym in the Netherlands. Now that the holidays are behind us and the daily rhythm has returned, we decided it was time for something new. This week we drove to Ede to visit Mono Boulder, a gym we had heard a lot about, but had never been to before.
First impression and background
Mono Boulder has been open for about a year now, yet it still feels brand new. Before our visit, we already knew the head routesetter from Bossche Boulders. He also spent some time climbing in Reykjavik, in the same gym we visited a few weeks ago. That made us even more curious to see how his experience there had influenced the style in Ede.
Mono Boulder is the result of a successful crowdfunding campaign and strong local support. Together, the community and the team behind Mono Boulder created a beautiful, spacious gym that feels both welcoming and well designed. There is plenty of free parking around the building. Although checking in took a little longer than expected, the friendly atmosphere quickly made up for it once we started climbing.
Layout of the Gym
The layout is well designed. In the centre stands a large “mushroom” shaped structure, surrounded by a variety of climbing walls. At the back, there is an upper level with additional boulders. Above the bar, you will find the changing rooms and a well-equipped training area featuring a Kilterboard, campus board, and a slackline.
Everything looks clean, spacious, and fresh. You can tell the gym is still quite new: the mats are firm, and the holds still offer excellent grip. Overall, the space feels very modern. How surprising that the hall will already be expanding by 450 square meters next year!
Routesetting and markings
Above each boulder hangs a small sign indicating the difficulty level, so you know what to expect. This removes some of the surprise but makes navigation easier. The grades sometimes differ slightly from what appears in Toplogger, which adds a small element of unpredictability.
The gym is currently transitioning to a new marking system for start and top holds. Some routes still use the traditional tags, while others already have the new “no-tex” arrows. It shows that Mono Boulder is actively refining and improving, paying attention to both clarity and visual style.
The holds and bouldering style
The selection of holds is diverse, with the Artline holds being my personal favourite. We started with a few easier problems, including some beautiful, technical slabs. The routes are well set, thoughtful, playful, and full of subtle detail.
There are fewer hardcore competition-style boulders here, which fits the gym’s target audience and atmosphere. The grading varies slightly. Some 7A problems felt quite soft, while others were more demanding and took several attempts to solve.
At one point, I managed to entertain Lina by repeatedly falling off a 6B. I simply could not see the right sequence and made it harder than it needed to be. Lina, who climbs at an intermediate level, also had a great session at Mono Boulder. Since she is still recovering from a finger injury and must avoid crimps, it was nice to see that there were plenty of suitable routes for her. In some gyms, the easier problems feel like an afterthought, but here there were many interesting and technical boulders in her range.
Extra features in the gym
One section of the wall has temporarily been turned into a Twister game. It is a fun and playful addition, although personally I would have preferred a few more real boulders there. Still, it adds to the gym’s relaxed vibe, and visitors were clearly enjoying it.
After our session, we enjoyed a cup of tea at the bar while watching other climbers through the glass wall. Always a pleasant way to end our visit.
Final thoughts
We definitely recommend visiting Mono Boulder in Ede, especially if you want a break from competition-style jumps and swings and prefer to focus on thoughtful, technical problems. The atmosphere is friendly, and it is easy to start a conversation with other climbers.
Another advantage is how new, clean, and spacious everything feels. Even though this is a bouldering gym, training in such a fresh environment really enhances the experience. The gym also seems like a perfect venue for local competitions, and we look forward to joining one there.
The only point for improvement would be the check-in and introduction process for first-time visitors. However, we noticed they already use Workit, which was a very pleasant surprise.
