Sport Climbing / Bouldering Equipment & Gear Shops in Singapore

Now that I have passed my Singapore National Climbing Standards {SNCS} Level 1 cert, I really wanted to make sport-climbing {or rock-climbing as most laymen call it} a regular thing.

And if I was going to do it regularly, I might as well invest in proper equipment to do it properly. My plan was to just get the bare essentials first, then continue to rent other gear from climbing gyms as I slowly build up my arsenal of necessary climbing equipment as I get more experience and exposure.

For your info, most climbers would recommend the following as necessary climbing equipment for sport-climbing beginners:

• climbing shoes
• climbing harness
• chalk
• chalk-bag
• carabiners
• belay device

Knowing what to get isn't difficult. There are many different brands and models out there, so deciding what type and where to get them can be difficult though.

As I get more proficient in sport-climbing I may do more reviews on the equipment & gear I get to help you decide on what type to get for each essential item, but for now I can help you with where to purchase them with this list of  Sport Climbing / Bouldering Equipment & Gear Shops.

It includes brick-and-mortar shops in Singapore, and online shops that deliver to Singapore. I've also included some of the brands each shop carries, especially for harnesses and shoes as those are the bare essentials to get starting out.

I don't think this list is exhaustive, and if you know of any good shops that I should add into my list, feel free to contact me.

*****

1. All Sports Equipment
Add: 52 Ubi Avenue 3 #04-44 Singapore 408867
Tel: +65 6337 7728 / +65 6848 9489
Open: Mon - Fri, 9.30am - 5.30pm
Brands: Five Ten, Butora Petzl, Petzi
Website: http://www.allsports-equipment.com/

2. Backcountry {online, based in USA}
Brands: Petzl, Cypher, La Sportiva, Black Diamond, Maxim, North Face, Blue Water, Five Ten
Website: https://www.backcountry.com/

3. Campers’ Corner
Add: 51 Waterloo Street, #01-01, Singapore 187969
Tel: 6337 4743
Open: Mon - Sat, 12pm - 8pm. Closed on Eves, CNY, Christmas & New Year
Brands: Arc’teryx, Singing Rock, La Sportiva, Mad Rock
Website: https://www.camperscorner.com.sg/

4. Crank Factory {online, based in Singapore, aka Climb Asia on IG}
Add: Frontier Building, 52 Ubi Ave 3 #05-31, Singapore 408867 {visit by appointment only}
Tel: 6747 5473
Brands: Ocun, Roca, Bluewater, Trango, Metolius, La Sportiva, EB, Evolv, So iLL
Website: https://crankfactory.com/
*Self-collection available at Frontier Building

5. Gear Express {online, based in USA}
Brands: DMM, Edelweiss, CAMP, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Beal, Blue Water, Five Ten
Website: http://www.gearexpress.com/

6. Gorilla Gym Shop {mini All Sports Equipment}
Add: 750B Chai Chee Road Viva Business Park, #01-02 Singapore 469002
Tel: +65 6243 0386
Open: Mon closed, Tue - Fri 2pm - 8pm, Weekends 11pm - 6pm
Brands: Five Ten, Butora Petzl, Petzi
*beside the multi-storey carpark and behind Harvey Norman
Website: https://gorillaclimbing.com/

7. Ground Up Climbing Gym Shop {NOT former Climb Asia shop}
Add: 60 Tessensohn Rd C/o Civil Service Club, Singapore 217664
Open: Mon 5pm - 11pm, Tue - Sun 12pm - 9pm
Brands: La Sportiva, Ocun, Evolv
Website: http://www.groundupsg.com/
 
8. Kinetics Climbing Gym Shop
Add: 511 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218153
Tel: 6291 5045
Open: Mon 4pm-10pm, Tue - Fri 1pm - 10pm, Weekends 10-7pm
Brands: Edelweiss, La Sportiva, Red Chilli, Scarpa, Wild Country
Website: http://shop.kineticsclimbing.com.sg/en/

9. Mountain Equipment Co-op {online, based in Canada}
Brands: Edelrid, Black Diamond, Arc'teryx, Mammut, Petzl, Beal, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Evolv
Website: https://www.mec.ca/en/

10. Outdoor Kaki
Add: 11 Woodlands Close, #05-27, Woodlands 11, Singapore 737853
Tel: 9181 2893
Open:  Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm {contact them to visit at other times}
Brands: ClimbX, Salewa, Kailas
Website: https://www.outdoorkaki.com/

11. Outdoor Life
Add: Novena Square #02-60/67, 238 Thomson Rd / Plaza Singapura #04-18B/30/31
Tel: 6255 4814 / 6904 4726
Open: Sun - Thu 11am - 9pm, Fri - Sat 11am - 9.30pm {Novena} / Daily 10am - 10pm {Plaza Singapura}
Brands: Black Diamond
Website: http://outdoorlife-pte-ltd.webshopapp.com/

12. REI Co-op {online only, based in USA}
Brands: Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Evolv, Five Ten, So iLL, Scarpa, Tenaya, Petzl
Website: https://www.rei.com/

13. Rock, Stock and Barrel {online, based in Singapore, also Onsight Climbing Gym Shop}
Add: Onsight Climbing Gym, 100 Guillemard Road, Guillemard Village, Singapore 399718
Tel: 6348 8272
Open: Mon - Fri 11am - 10.30pm, Weekends 10am - 9pm
Brands: Ocun, Ophir, Zephir, Tenaya
Website: https://www.rsb.sg/
*Self-collection available at Onsight Climbing Gym

14. Sierra Trading Post {online, based in USA}
Brands:  CAMP, Black Diamond, Mad Rock, Edelrid, So iLL, Evolv, Five Ten, Scarpa, Cypher
Website: https://www.sierratradingpost.com/

15. Steep and Cheap {online, based in USA}
Brands: Black Diamond, Wild Country, La Sportiva, Mammut, Salewa, Metolius, Blue Water 
Website: https://www.steepandcheap.com/

16. Trekkinn {online, based in Spain}
Brands: Arc'teryx, Salewa, Black Diamond, Mammut, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Ocun, Wild Country 
Website: https://www.trekkinn.com/

*****

As with all sports, it's important to build up your strength and endurance levels to perform better, so gym time is definitely needed. Do check out my list of Home Gym & Fitness Equipment Shops in Singapore if you want to work out at home, and follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

If you need someone who can help you to plan your exercise program according to whatever equipment you have and your individual needs, motivate you and make sure that you're keeping to proper forms and techniques, I'd of course recommend my personal trainer, Superman, whom I've been training with for 2+ years.

*Note: This is not a paid review or advertorial. All opinions are my own. 

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Singapore National Climbing Standards {SNCS} Level 1 Certificate Course Experience

I had my first taste of rock-climbing back in University while the boy and I were studying in Australia. That was about 15 years ago?? Wow.

Back then, one of our friends, Felix, found a nice indoor rock-climbing place at Northbridge and introduced the sport to us. Sometimes we went as a group, other times the boy and I went just as a couple thing. We both found it fun and went pretty regularly. The boy was so into it that he soon bought his own shoes, harness, chalk bag etc haha...

At that rock-climbing gym, we didn't need to have any certification to help belay one another - just had to learn how to do it with the easy-to-use safety set-ups, much like the ones you see in Climb Central.

However, when we came back to Singapore, we realised that in most rock-climbing gyms, you need to have at least Singapore National Climbing Standards {SNCS} Level 1 Certificate to belay and climb. Especially if you want to climb outdoors.

Since we didn't do it regularly anymore, and also since the boy injured his shoulders which meant that he doesn't do it at all for now, we made do with just going to those gyms like Climb Central or Clip 'N Climb where there was auto-belay walls where Lil Pumpkin & I could climb on our own, and set-ups where I could help Lil Pumpkin belay even if I didn't have the SNCS L1 Cert.

よーし！I get an immense sense of satisfaction from overcoming the challenges of scaling the tall walls ( ᐛ )و

It's not just challenging physically, but also mentally as well as you need the mental endurance to not give up even when you're tired and stuck, and mental alertness to problem-solve and plan your best route to get to the top.

As a sport, it also promotes muscular strength and aerobic endurance too so it complements my gym training as well. Superman says it's a good activity for me to burn more calories and if I do it more often, my grip strength will definitely get better haha..

Highlight of the day - Getting my rock-climbing Level 1 cert today!! Hopefully I pass??! 🧗🏻‍♀️💕🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #fitfam #sncs #rockclimbing #sgfitfam #sgfitness #singapore

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka) on Jun 16, 2018 at 10:10pm PDT

Last month, I finally got off my arse and went for the SNCS L1 Certificate course so that I could belay and climb more independently in more of the local rock-climbing gyms with some other friends who are interested in rock-climbing as well °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Here's what to expect in case you're interested in doing it yourself...

SNCS Level 1 is a beginner’s introduction to climbing. No prior climbing experience is required, but it is of course good to have climbed before so that you have a better understanding of what the instructor's are saying.

This is a top-rope certification course {7hrs full day session with 1 lunch break, or 2 x 3.5hrs half-day sessions}. It will introduce you to the basics of the sport - such as equipment, checking procedures, and climbing calls, but the main objective is to teach you how to:

1. safely use a harness, rope and belay device,
2. tie a figure-of-8 knot, and 
3. belay a climber using the 5-step belay technique

As you can see from the syllabus, the course will go through 7 sections of basic climbing where participants will learn:

1. what sport-climbing {top-rope and bouldering} is,
2. the correct usage, proper care & limitations of climbing safety equipment,
3. basic climbing safety knots,
4. how to safely belay a climber using the 5-step belay technique, 
5. basic climbing techniques,
6. practical top-rope climbing, and
7. final assessment and course review

Note: You need to be 13 years or older to take the course, so unfortunately Lil Pumpkin couldn't do it with me now. She'll have to wait a few more years, and participants under 21 must have a guardian of over 21 to sign on their behalf.

The SNCS Level 1 Certificate Course is standardised and conducted by most of the popular rock-climbing gyms in Singapore e.g. Kinetics, Onsight Climbing, Gorilla Gym, The Rock School etc. by Singapore Mountaineering Federation certified instructors. You can go over to their websites to have a look at their course schedules but they are usually conducted every month over the weekends.

The course costs about S$65-75 and is usually cheaper if you are a gym member.

If you pass the course, you would be issued with the life-long SNCS Sport Climbing Level 1 certificate {card-sized}, accredited by the Singapore Mountaineering Federation.

There's no need for any renewal and after that, you can go on to take the Level 2 {learn how to lead climb and lead belay} and Level 3 {learn techniques of climbing bolted multi-pitch routes safely}.

But that's not the end though...

Some gyms also require you to be further verified to use their premises even if you do have a SNCS Level 1 certificate. Maybe they don't trust it?? haha..

During the SNCS Level 1 course, you will learn how to belay using an ATC {Air Traffic Controller} belay device. However, if you wish to belay using a belay device attached to your harness and climb at Ground Up, Climb Central & Onsight Climbing premises, you need to know how to belay using an ABD {Assisted Breaking Device} belay device as they only allow those belay devices there.

Sooooo... if you wish to climb at those 3 popular gyms, you will need to be ABD verified after you receive your SNCS Level 1 cert. This requires further assessment and costs S$10/pax. After passing verification, you will receive a Verification tag that is recognised at Ground Up, Climb Central & Onsight Climbing as the test requirements are the same.

In Gorilla Gym, you can use either an ATC or ABD belay device, but you still need to be verified that you have the skills and competency to climb & belay and pass to be issued the Verification tag. The verification assessment is free and can be done on-the-spot though.

If you pay attention to what's taught during the course day, it should be easy to pass (*＾▽＾)／

I won't say exactly where I took my SNCS Level 1 course as I reckon it could have been conducted better so won't recommend it to others. Although the instructors were friendly and we had adequate practice time, instructions on how to tie the figure-of-8 knot was a little sketchy and they didn't touch on different types of climbing and basic climbing techniques.

I mean, I already kinda knew how to rock-climb {albeit inefficiently?? haha} and had also tried bouldering before, but there were people in my class who had no rock-climbing experience. Since it's in the syllabus {but not tested}, would have been good to have been taught about the effective use of handholds & footholds, and perhaps tips on how to overcome different wall configurations.

Also, although the cost of the course was supposed to cover equipment rental cost, we were only loaned the harness and belay devices and we didn't get to climb with proper climbing shoes - just our own covered shoes. I think courses conducted at other gyms let you use their harnesses, belay devices and climbing shoes. 

I would have also liked if they touched on where you can find rock-climbing equipment, what brands they personally like, how to choose your equipment, and introduce community groups on how we can meet other like-minded and experienced climbers. Would have been good to share to beginner climbers like myself, no?

I did ask, but their answers were too general and inadequate. I didn't want to probe further due to lack of time and perhaps they didn't want to "sell" anything or show favoritism to any shops?

Got my first pair of rock-climbing shoes today 🧗🏻‍♀️💕 Researched so much on what to look out for and the different brands/ models available but ultimately, I’m just doing it for fun now so as long as it looks decent, fits snug and doesn’t cost a bomb.. I’m good haha 👍🏻 Not really one to travel all over the place comparing prices, fit and all to get the “best” one so bought the first one I tried 😬😬😬🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #rockclimbing #blackdiamond #fitfam #sgfitness #saturyay #noexcusemom

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka) on Jun 23, 2018 at 6:50am PDT

Anyway, I joined some online community groups who were eager to spread their knowledge, and I did a fair bit of research on what I should get, and where I should get them.

See my list of Sport Climbing / Bouldering Equipment & Gear Shops in Singapore for more information  ( ◞･౪･)

P.S. If you're interested, check out my experience taking the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course in Singapore too!! Yes, I passed that!! hehehe...

Follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

One-on-On Personal Training Updates:

The Beginning - First 4 Months
Girls Can Pull-Up Too!
Finally, I Have Visible Abs!
Holiday Travel Workout - No Gym No Problem! 
Lessons Learnt from Being Injured

New 2 Months Challenge 

Genesis Gym Personal Training Updates:
The Beginning - Signing Up for Personal Training

Week 1 - Getting the Right Form for Fitness

Week 2 - The Right Trainer Matters

Week 3 - Keeping Fit Needs Brain & Brawns

Week 4 - Reality Check

Week 5 - New Workout Programs, New Challenges
Week 6 - Program Progress Report
Week 7 - Training with a Weak Back
Week 8 - Keep Calm & Gym On
Week 9 - Making Sense of Trap Lifts, TRX & Med Ball Slams

Week 10 - Workout Max Out
Week 11 - Rolling in the Deep
Week 12 - Program End Report
Week 13 - Start of Cycle 2
Weeks 14 to 16 - Slow & Steady
Weeks 17 to 20 - Milos Giant Sets
Weeks 21 to 24 - Cycle 2 Program End Report
Weeks 25 to 28 - German Volume Training & MetCon Workouts
Weeks 29 to 32 - What Doesn't Kill You
Weeks 33 to 36 -  Cycle 3 Program End Report
Personal Training - Results 1 Year Later

Wendler's 5/3/1 Program to Reach Strength Targets
15% Body Fat Target Reached!
Good Bye Genesis Gym

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Kids Indoor Rock-Climb @ Climb Central, Kallang Wave Mall

Lil Pumpkin had her first rock-climbing experience last weekend at Climb Central!

Whenever we are at Kallang Wave Mall, Lil Pumpkin would always ask if she could go rock-climbing since we always pass by Climb Central on the way in. It's really hard to miss it as it's just riiiiiggggggght at the main entrance {good location, guys!!} and there's just no other way around it unless we take a huge round in from the back.

On Saturday, the boy wanted to get another sling for his arm as the one he bought from the hospital after the shoulder surgery was very uncomfortable. Once he told Lil Pumpkin that we were going to Kallang Wave Mall to search for one, she immediately asked if she could go rock-climbing... she actually remembered that it was there!!

Her daddy dearest agreed and she was so excited for the experience! ❤

We reached there about 5.30pm and as expected, Climb Central was packed. That was really the main reason why I wasn't inclined to let Lil Pumpkin try rock-climbing on our earlier visits to Kallang Wave Mall.

I'm not worried that she will be frightened of heights or fall and hurt herself, but more that we are usually always there during peak hours and I think it's a waste of time just hanging around waiting to climb when the place is so crowded.

Anyway, since we already agreed for her to try, we had to keep our word.

Registration took longer than expected even though there was no queue as there was some glitch with the online registration form. I should have researched more into rock-climbing there before we went as we could have actually registered at home to save time.

After registering and making payment for 1 x Adult-Child Entry {includes whole day Adult-Child day pass + 1 equipment set}, we received 2 small membership key cards for Lil Pumpkin and myself then went to collect the rental equipment set {climbing shoes & safety harness} for Lil Pumpkin.

The last step we had to do before we could climb was to attend their compulsory safety briefing. All first-time visitors are required to attend the safety briefing conducted by their staff every 15 minutes. In the short briefing {about 10-15 mins?} they shared some basic safety tips, belaying fundamentals {i.e. how to hold the rope for your partner} and gym orientation.

This was Lil Pumpkin's first time rock-climbing but actually, the boy and I used to do indoor rock-climbing fairly regularly with friends for a period of time during our Uni days. It was our "couple thing" and being at Climb Central brought back fond memories of those days... in fact, the boy was so into it he actually bought his own shoes, chalk bag and I think even harness!

Unfortunately, his rock-climbing equipment set has since been misplaced on our move back to Singapore.. oh well.

I was sharing with a friend that we brought Lil Pumpkin to rock-climb that day and he asked if she could do it. I was quite puzzled as I never thought that Lil Pumpkin could not do it. I never thought that she would be scared to climb up the tall walls, or not be strong enough to pull / push herself up.

But yeah, I guess that's a possibility for anyone thinking of going rock-climbing haha. You really shouldn't be afraid of heights, and should be able to move your own body-weight if you are thinking of trying out this sport.

Climb Central staff shared that their lowest levels start at Level 4, and Lil Pumpkin should try out Levels 4 or 5 as a first-timer. Anything higher than that might be too difficult for her. They also have climbing lanes {identified by the adorable animal/ alphabet wall holds or grips!} just for kids.

At first we went around looking for Level 4 or 5 climbing lanes for Lil Pumpkin to use, but then after her first few climbs, realised that she's not going to keep to wall holds designated for that level's route. Since she will be using any wall hold available to lift herself up, the specified level for the climbing lane didn't really matter.

So after that, we just went around looking for climbing lanes that looked interesting or had big enough wall holds for her to use hehe..

Climb Central is the tallest indoor air-conditioned sport climbing venue in Singapore with approximately 1,000 square meters of climbing wall space.

So even though it looked crowded, in actual fact there was a fair bit of empty lanes and most of the time, Lil Pumpkin could climb up whichever lane she wanted to without waiting at all.

And climb she did!! Lil Pumpkin was a fast learner and didn't seem like she was out of her comfort zone at all haha... I made sure that she understood that the rope had to be tight before she could ascend. If it wasn't taut enough and she fell, she might be seriously injured.

Lil Pumpkin was eager to try out a variety of routes and wall holds {although her fave was one with pink animals on the second floor}.. and although there were many times that she got stuck halfway up, she took her time to look around and really try different ways of getting up.

Sometimes, she managed to work her way through the hurdle, but other times, she had to give up and come back down. In any case, not finishing the climbs didn't get keep her down and she was happy to try it again, or move on to other climbing lanes.

I didn't climb at all that day, although I could if I rented an extra equipment set for S$7. It didn't cross my mind to do it as I thought the pass we bought only allowed the child to climb, while the adult supervised but I was too tired that day to do it anyway.

Next time I will though. Like I mentioned before, being there brought back fond memories of indoor rock-climbing and reignited my interest to do it again ( ᐛ )و

We spent about 1.5hrs there before we headed for dinner and I'm sure that we will be back again soon since Lil Pumpkin had such a ball of a time! (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ Check out the above video of her reaching the top of the wall for the first time! She's using the auto-belay system {so I don't have to help her with the ropes}, and you can hear the boy and I cheering her on hehe..

If it isn't working well, please see it on my YouTube channel here.

This might be our new mother-daughter activity together until the boy's arm heals completely I guess haha... I am already looking for cute chalk-bags to use during our climbs! (⌒▽⌒)☆

When you have fun working out, it's not work at all ✌🏻🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #trngwithb #workouteverywhere #saturyay

A post shared by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Sep 9, 2017 at 5:13am PDT

Tips:

• To enter the facility, you need to be at least 5 years old, 20kg and 1.1m tall. Kids below 5 years old are not allowed into the climbing area. 
• At least one supervising adult required for every two children entering the facility. 
• Everyone entering the facility will need to fill out the Facility Registration form as a participant. Register at home here before you go to save time. 
• Wear sports attire {knee-length or longer pants advised} and a pair of socks. If you forget, you can buy socks there for S$2/pair for kids and adults.
• Water cooler and shower facilities are available on-site. Toilets are located outside Climb Central in the mall itself {nearest one next to Starbucks, Level 1}.
• Equipment set includes 1 x climbing shoes + 1 x safety harness. There are kids and adult shoe sizes, and the safety harnesses are adjustable to different body sizes.
• Auto-belay systems are available at Climb Central so you can rock-climb even without a partner. The auto belay takes up the slack of the rope as a climber ascends and controls the descent when the climber reaches the top or in the event of a fall. Even kids as young as Lil Pumpkin can use this system, as long as the adult is there to supervise. 
• If you are not available to join your kid while he/she climbs, Climb Central has a Intro Kids programme where you can drop your kids off and they have 1.5hrs of guided climbing {1 staff to 5 kids max}. Advance booking is required and it's only available every Sun, 1pm - 2.30pm.

Climb Central
#B1-01 Kallang Wave Mall, 1 Stadium Place
Open:  11am - 11pm {Mon - Fri}, 9am - 9pm {Sat, Sun & PHs}
Cost: Starts from S$28. Adult-Child Entry Pass costs S$38.
Tel:  6702 7972
Website: https://climbcentral.sg/

Check out the rest of our Bub & Me activities or list of kid-friendly places in Singapore too. You can also check out the FREE waterplay playground on top of Kallang Wave Mall or dry playground on top of the nearby Sports Hub Library if you are in the area.

*Note: This is not a paid review or advertorial. All opinions are my own.

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