Good news for climbing centers: The market is projected to grow to $7.72 billion by 2029, driven by the rising popularity of outdoor sports and climbing events in the Olympics, according to a new market report from Technavio.
As the report notes, climbing gyms offer an alternative to traditional fitness centers while still providing an effective way to burn calories and build strength across the core, upper body, and lower body.
California leads the way in commercial climbing gyms, but Technavio found that smaller states—including Tennessee and Virginia—have seen growth in recent years.
Among the challenges facing the climbing gym market, the report highlights high initial investment costs for business owners, as well as barriers in developing countries due to a shortage of skilled trainers and cost concerns, according to the report.
Yet one key advantage of indoor climbing gyms is their versatility, allowing for additional offerings such as yoga, CrossFit, and other fitness programs, creating a diverse experience for fitness enthusiasts. It’s a model embraced by Movement Gyms, which has positioned itself as a third space for consumers seeking a community-driven experience through indoor rock climbing, fitness and yoga classes.
Led by co-founder and CEO Anne-Worley Moelter, the company has expanded to 34 locations across nine states and was ahead of the curve in integrating offerings beyond climbing.
“We saw this opportunity. There weren’t really any climbing gyms that were making the jump to really include yoga and fitness,” Moelter told Athletech News. “And so we thought, well, we can be a climbing and fitness facility, not just a climbing gym.”
In addition to the mental aspect of climbing, which requires singular focus and can encourage a flow state, Moelter highlighted its social aspect—an increasingly valuable benefit at a time when many feel lonely and isolated.
“The camaraderie that one feels in a climbing and fitness facility is so markedly different from any other type of exercise or sport that I have ever come across that it becomes so encouraging to climb,” she says. “One of the beautiful things is that there are so many different ways to approach it that people of all different skill levels can engage in it together.”
Still, some entities are sticking strictly to climbing.
New Jersey’s American Dream, a retail and entertainment mall home to an indoor snowboarding park, is set to open Hapik, a 10,000-square-foot indoor climbing gym for all ages with two ropes courses and more than 150 routes across 50 climbing walls. While Hapik will offer climbing passes, it will also host birthday parties, field trips and corporate events.
Late last year, Hapik opened a location in Brooklyn, New York, at a mixed-used campus.
