Problem solved: Top 15 bouldering gyms in Melbourne
Whenever you mention “Melbourne”, a few things might immediately come to mind: Coffee, brunch, the MCG, the Australian Open, and for better or worse, the weather.
It’s a pretty “Melbourne” thing, isn’t it - go for a run or play a round of tennis with your friend, capped off with a brunch and cup of coffee to round up a decent morning. A typical Sunday, really. But in case you haven’t noticed, there’s a new kid on the block worth adding to the list of “Things which Melbourne does well” : Bouldering.
What is bouldering?
Bouldering is the activity of climbing walls over a set of artificial rock formations, without using a harness or ropes. With the amount of indoor climbing gyms emerging across Melbourne, all with their own unique vibe and personalities, it’s becoming easier and easier to find one near your area to give bouldering a try. It’s not hard to see why people become attached to the sport - all these gyms are essentially giant playgrounds, the specific climbing routes - commonly referred to as “problems” - can be as physically demanding as any activity. The community is friendly and supportive, and most gyms even come with their own cafes, gym areas and yoga rooms. Look a little bit closer, and you’ll realise picking up bouldering is easy, but it has an extremely high skill ceiling for improvement.
Here is a list of our favourite climbing spots in Melbourne for you (in no particular order), whether you are a bouldering beginner or seasoned regular:
Top 15 bouldering gyms in Melbourne
Urban Climb - Collingwood, Blackburn
Northside Boulders - Brunswick, Abbotsford, Northcote
The Crux - Coburg North
Gravity Worx - Pascoe Vale
Boulder Lab - Brunswick, Ferntree Gully, Clayton
Climb West Melbourne - Altona
Bloc Haus Bouldering - Port Melbourne
La Roca Boulders - Oakleigh South
Boulder Project - Prahran
Flow Climbing - Cheltenham
Bayside Rock Climbing - Carrum Downs
Hard Rock - Nunawading
Onsight Climbing - Glen Waverley
Rocket Climbing - Footscray
Burnley Bouldering Wall (FREE)
How can a physiotherapist help with your climbing?
This list is compiled by our director, Kelvin, who also enjoys climbing in his free time and has visited some of these locations. The thrill of completing a send and pushing your physical limits is what makes bouldering an exhausting yet rewarding experience. It’s an activity that forces you to use your physical and mental strength to its fullest and makes you want to come back every week.
But as much fun as it is to solve a “problem”, he understands the other types of problems that come with this sport: injuries and poor conditioning.
Physiotherapy can help you with any climbing-related injuries, improve your grip strength and core stability, or provide climbing-specific conditioning in the gym. Located in Kew, our physiotherapists at Sterling Physiotherapy are equipped with the knowledge to address common climbing injuries and complaints regarding the wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip and ankle. You can rest assured that you are speaking to a health professional who is passionate about bouldering, understands your concerns and offers climbing exercises.
How to start physiotherapy for climbing
With climbing physiotherapy, you will have expert advice on how to train, how to recover efficiently, what you should be doing for your current injuries and ways to prevent them in the future.
As part of the climbing community ourselves, Sterling Physiotherapy has an invitation for all climbers in Melbourne:
Anyone with an active membership at any bouldering gym in Melbourne can claim a 10% discount on appointments at Sterling Physiotherapy. Simply show a valid membership that is under your name to redeem the offer*
Level-up your climb and become stronger with the help of physiotherapy. Get in touch with our team so we can solve the problems together - bonus points if you show us videos of your flash!
*Terms & Conditions apply. Please contact our team for details regarding your discount.