Build Your Own Climbing Wall

HOW TO BUILD A FOLDABLE CLIMBING WALL

For climbers with a decent space, building a home climbing wall can be a great way to practice indoors. As you plan, several questions will pop up: How should I do it? Do I need technical skills or specialized tools? Should it be fixed or foldable?
This guide is here to help make it happen.
I had a wall about 5m wide by 2.5m high and decided to create four foldable panels anchored to a fixed support structure attached to the wall.

Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process, though there aren’t many detailed photos. I originally didn’t intend to create this guide:

Buy the panels and cut them to size: I purchased four 16mm MDF panels at AKI, each measuring 2.44m x 1.22m. I cut each panel into two pieces measuring 2.00m x 1.22m and 0.44m x 1.22m (AKI provides cutting services).

Phase 1: Materials for Building Your Climbing Wall

I ordered a welded steel frame to reinforce each panel and anchor them securely to the wall (the lower part to the wall and the upper part to a load-bearing beam). The structure was made from 4cm x 3cm structural steel tubing with 1mm thickness. This structure has two configurations:

For 2.00m x 1.22m panels, the frame is a perimeter square with a central reinforcement bar.
For 0.44m x 1.22m panels, it’s a simple perimeter square.

Photo 2: Steel frame attached to small panel.

Phase 2: Drilling Holes for Inserts

Next, drill the holes for the inserts that will secure the holds to the wood. It’s best to create a staggered grid at your preferred spacing. This can be a tedious task and requires a 12mm wood drill bit (ensure holes are drilled straight to prevent misalignment). I chose a 20cm x 20cm grid, providing good hold density without overcrowding. Avoid drilling holes in areas where the steel frame will later be attached.

Photo 3: Panel design with frame and drill hole grid.

Phase 3: Inserting T-Nuts and Attaching the Panel

Attach the T-nuts from the back of the panel. I used traditional spiked T-nuts, though some have screws. If drilling was tedious, hammering in the T-nuts is even more so, but it’s essential to hammer them straight for smooth hold installation.

Photo 4: Detail of T-nuts attached to panel (some with hold bolts already in place).

After drilling and setting the T-nuts, attach the MDF panel to the steel frame. Place the panel on the frame, then drill around the panel’s perimeter and center support every 30 cm with a 3mm steel drill bit. Secure the frame and panel with screws, ensuring they don’t protrude to prevent drill breakage and ease handling later. Repeat for the smaller base panels (1.22m x 0.44m).

Photo 5: Screws attaching panel to frame with M8 bolts for support beam anchoring.

Phase 4: Attaching Hinges to Panels

Now attach large steel hinges to each small panel; I used 10cm-wide hinges secured at the panel-frame joint with 8 screws (4 for the small panel, 4 for the large). Drill 3mm holes in the steel frame for this purpose.

Photo 6: Detail of installed hinge.

Photo 7: Small panel with hinge attached and wall-mounting holes.

Next, install 2 anchors per large panel, connected with chains to the load-bearing beam. The anchors are M8 bolts that pass through the panel and frame (use a washer on the panel side) and have a threaded eye bolt at the end. Drill with an 8mm steel bit.

Photo 8: Eye bolt detail on M8 anchor bolt.

Phase 5: Securing Panels to Wall and Beam

With the panels ready, secure them to the wall and beam. Attach each small base panel with 9mm bolts every 30 cm. Drill 5mm holes in the steel frame and use Fischer SX10 wall plugs for each anchor point. Install each panel with 5 anchors for solid support. Finally, attach the large panels to the small panels with hinges; this step requires careful alignment.

Photo 9: Large panel anchored to small panel, secured to the wall.

Photo 10: Detail of 9mm wall anchor bolt.

Photo 11: Fischer plug for long wall bolts.

With the base panels secured and large panels installed with functional hinges, only the anchors for the load-bearing beam remain. I used 6cm M8 parabolts, drilling into the beam with a 10mm concrete bit. Two parabolts per panel may improve stability.

Photo 12: Parabolt without sleeve removed.

Photo 13: Parabolt with quick link, securing individual panel.

The final step involves securing with chains and quick links, adjusting the chain length to control the panel’s angle.

Photo 14: Anchors with quick links and chains for foldable panels.

Phase 6: Adding ECLIPSE Climbing Holds

Finally, the fun part: adding ECLIPSE climbing holds across the wall. The wide variety of shapes and high quality make ECLIPSE a great choice for holds, with options to suit every incline and route difficulty.

Photo 15: Finished panels awaiting ECLIPSE holds.
And here’s the final result.

I hope this guide inspires and supports others in creating their own indoor climbing setup. It took me a lot of planning, and I hope this guide makes the process easier for you.

Author: Roberto García Martín