New Rock Climbing Gym: Park Climbing

Shanghai’s got a brand new climbing gym to explore, conveniently located just south of Zhongshan Park. Park Climbing offers 20-meter-high climbing walls, bouldering walls, an aerial ladder, and a slackline. They are still in their soft opening phase, but the routes that are up did not disappoint. 

When you walk in, the place can be a little overwhelming, both in terms of the facilities and the coolness of everything happening around you. The desk is all the way at the back, so you’ll have to cross through the whole place to pay and get setup. Try the aerial ladders smack in the center for a fun warm-up before the real work begins. 

The place is decorated with paintings done by the owner and staff themselves, which gives it a nice community and somewhat hippie vibe. The bit up the stairs is mainly for top-roping, while the high wall off to the right is for lead climbing (clipping as you go), with ropes provided. 

The quick draws are already in the wall for leading, and they even have an insane roof to clip into and dangle above the rest of the climbers. I was tempted to try, but chickened out right as I got to the start of the roof. It looks easy until you’re up there sweating your nerves out. 

Near the entrance they have a short slackline and a small bouldering wall. The slackline is nice to give your hands a break from climbing and to test your balance. There’s also some rings and a bar to the right to practice pull-ups, usually a with a shirtless dude attached practicing pull-up after pull-up. 

To the right of the entrance there’s a small bouldering corner where they’re still setting routes and finishing painting their jungle scene. It’s a nice little corner to take a break from the height of the top-rope walls, or practice your pull-ups on the pull-bars. 

The Park staff don't offer a belay service, so if you want to climb top-rope or lead climb be sure to bring a friend. They do have shoes and harnesses for rent, but they don’t rent out carabiners, ATCs, or auto-belays, so you’ll need to bring your own if you plan on belaying. 

They occasionally offer various physical challenges in exchange for free memberships, like climbing up the thick rope using only your arms. Follow them on WeChat for more information and to stay in the loop with their challenges.  

Address: 199 YangZhai Road, 15 minute walk from West Yanan and Hongqiao Road metro stations

Pass Prices: 

Soft opening prices before December 1st: Adult single ticket RMB 100; 10 times pass RMB 800 (and they’ll add in 3 more free); 3 months pass RMB 1800

After December 1st: Adult single ticket RMB 120; 10 times pass RMB 950 (they’ll give you 3 free again); 1 Month unlimited RMB 950; 3 months RMB 2200

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