The Portland PortalThe visitor guide to the beautiful Isle of Portland, Dorset

The finished vertical wall

As I said in my last post I have built a bouldering cave in my garage. Lots of people in the world have done this. Some have made small ones like me and some have made huge great walls on or in their house. It all depends on the space you have and how best you utilise that space which is where a lot of drawing and careful planning will come in to it.

I have spent a fair few hours planning my cave and I’m forever changing my mind and as a result of that I have only managed to finish one wall but that one wall is evil! I have devised a route on the wall which is a sit start so brute strength is a must at the start then its tiny crimps, a toe hook and a long reach from a crouching position at the end.

The finished wall

The materials I have used are 12mm ply wood and 3×2 treated wood in various lengths as you can see in the picture. I am planning to go on to the roof and the other 2 walls. I have ran out of the 3×2 wood and I’m waiting for more to come and be delivered so I can carry on. Having your own wall is a cheap way to train compared to the proper indoor walls and you can set your own fun routes up make them easy or as hard as you like. It’s a lot of fun trying new things out and succeeding or failing on the odd occasion. The initial outlay in getting the wall started will cost a bit but if you know where to look you can get most of the stuff free. I only had to buy the 3×2 wood as I managed to get all the other stuff from building site that I work on (perk of the job).

If anyone wants to have a look at it maybe get some ideas or a few tips and tricks please contact me I will be happy to help.