As an adventure sport easily found within the city limits, wall climbing has been steadily growing in popularity in Jakarta. There’s no need to head to distant cliffs or mountains, or worry about the weather, with climbing destinations located even in major malls, this urban pastime is taking sports enthusiasts to new heights.
“It’s a challenging sport, but once people ‘click’ with it, they tend to fall in love and keep going,” explains Renata Valenza, Operational Manager of IndoClimb, a popular wall climbing brand in Jakarta now with three prime locations in the city. “Climbing isn’t just about physical strength. Unlike repetitive weight training at the gym, it involves dynamic, alternating movements that test both body and mind. It’s like solving a puzzle while playing a game. Our climbing walls have routes that change every week, offering new challenges for climbers to ‘unlock.’ Each route pushes you to think strategically, improve your technique, and level up, grade by grade, as you reach new heights. And our coaches are professional, with athlete backgrounds making our customers feel safe and comfortable.”
Renata explains that there are three main disciplines of climbing: lead climbing involves climbing a high wall while setting your own route and rope. Bouldering is done on shorter walls over padded mats, often horizontally as well as vertically. Speed climbing focuses on reaching the top as fast as possible.
IndoClimb’s most comprehensive facilities are found at their first branch in FX Sudirman Mall, Senayan, complete with 18-metre lead wall, top ropes and a bouldering area, offering services for all three disciplines of climbing. Over in Lippo Mall Kemang, bouldering takes precedence with a 780 square metres of wall at five-metres in height, and in Kuningan City, climbers will find an eight-metre lead wall.
“Lead and boulder climbing are especially popular among urban climbers because the routes are always dynamic, while speed climbing is more suited for athletes.” Renata adds.
Part of the attraction of bouldering is its social side too, with friends or communities climbing together to puzzle their way through a new climbing route, or learn new skills and techniques from one another. Along with the likes of padel or running clubs, urban climbing is part of the new tapestry of social sports activities that are redefining the Jakarta lifestyle.
Other great climbing centres can be found around the city, like Boulder Planet in West Jakarta, or Dreamstone Boulders in Alam Sutera, Tangerang. But for South Jakartans IndoClimb’s three locations remains the most convenient bouldering destination, offering beginner’s classes for all, starting from children as young as five years old.
indoclimb.com
