Putrajaya Challenge Park
Nov 13th, 2008 | By putra | Category: Putrajaya Challenge Park
This new gym built again by the BlocX team in the south of Putrajaya is set to be the largest gym in Asia. The government of Malaysia sponsored the project as a competition ground for X-games and the like.
At time of print it is not yet ready. The building construction and the walls are ready but there has not been any firm plans for any operators to run the place. Several negotiations are currently underway with a few parties. Hopefully in time soon, there will be a firm agreement to run this gym and climbers in the Klang Valley will have an alternative gym to go to.
The gym is large with 30 meter high overhanging lead routes that look very hard, but there is a range of routes from the more beginner rating to hardcore difficult. The bouldering section wasnt too impressive. There was no cave section. A beginner level reclining wall and a different section which was inclined. There is also a isolation room outside of the main climbing area with a incline wall for warm up and practice. On the second floor we found a little climbing room for children with bright colours and funny designs.
There is a obvious problem with the low density of routes. The area is large, and in totality there were some 50 lead routes set up in the main climbing area. But from the density of the holds on the lead routes as well as the bouldering wall, you can see that the holds are quite far apart and a bit sparse. I guess a certain budget was allocated to set up these routes that called for the minimum number of holds to cover the entire space and in the time that followed after it is open to the public, more investment would be put in to add more routes in between the existing ones. There definitely looks to be plenty of room for improvement and expansion.
As the community grows, there is a need to increase the number of gyms that climbers can go to, for the sake of variety. With the recent closure of the Summit Climbing Gym, climbers in the Klang Valley’s options are limited to Camp5 and Shah Alam Extreme Park. It will be good for the community to have an additional gym as large and diverse as Camp5. There is concern that its location on the south of Putrajaya sets it quite far out of the way from the bulk of climbers who live in the more populated areas in the north, closer to Camp5. As such it would be difficult to divert climbers to this gym especially during the week.
It could turn out though that the opening of this gym in the near future might split the community in two whereby the climbers in the south of the Klang Valley may find this gym easier and faster to get to then Camp5 in 1-Utama. Then it will boil down to the cost and pricing factor, which way climbers go… the way this new gym will be priced will determine the share of climbers that it will capture. Another factor that might be a decider is convenience. Camp5 being located in a popular shopping mall may be cause of climbers to choose it over Putrajaya, as they can do other things after or before they climb like watch a movie or shop.
We wont know how the response will be like until it opens to the public. Hopefully this can happen sooner rather than later… and we hope that this impressive gym will find a worthy operator that will run it and maintain it to a high standard. The most painful thing that can happen is that this facility shares the fate of so many other government over-expenditure and lack-luster projects; opened with much glam and sparkling lights and visiting ministers, and then fizzling away into obscurity and disrepair.
Find below a google map showing the location of Putrajaya Challenge Park. “A” marks the spot.
We climbed yesterday, it’s free to the public at this moment because yet officially open.
Basically rental charges of gears and shoes is reasonable (RM10~RM20), unless you are looking for something above average (buy it yourself!!). They might not have your shoe size (you’ll be surprised by the amount of climbers), the officer advised us to get the gears and shoes from Singapore cause the price is cheaper than you can find in Malaysia (very helpful and honest).
Seriously it’s hard to find the place, some roads are not ready and the place is “hidden” in between presint 5 & 20. On the other hand, the place is very quiet and relaxing cause the traffic and noises is not reachable there. Even the armies were doing some rehearsal at that place.
We will surely come back next week with more frens.
Hi there Jas,
Putrajaya isnt too far out of KL. Its only a train ride away. There are plenty of climbers there and you wont have trouble finding a belay buddy. I also live nearby and can pick you frmo the train station and climb with you if I am free. Entry is still free for the foreseeable future.
In KL area we have also another gym at Camp5 and we have a few outdoor areas to climb limestone. If you like you can also go further afield and get to Ipoh (2.5 hours away) or go to the east coast to Tioman island, or into the interior to climb at Gua Musang (Fox Cave). Further up north near the Thai border there is also Bukit Keteri (Keteri Hill) which is also awesome.
Almost all of our outdoors areas are limestone.
Do you climb trad or sport?
Regards,
putra
Looks like a bloody marvellous place. Shame it’s a bit far away from KL.
Anybody climbing regularly at Putrajaya?
Is entry still free? Can I boulder at Putrajaya?
I’m visiting KL from the 22nd Oct till the 7th Nov and would love to climb in Putrajaya (or anywhere else) to see what it’s like.
But I need a belay buddy though! Anybody? I’m a safe and careful belayer, usually climb at about 6b(+) level.
Have my own harness, shoes and rope. Hope to hear from someone.
its already open to the public… free at the moment
u can rent the gear if u dont have one~
go now
I checked the place prior Hari Raya and was told that it will open after Raya… damn… I think it will takes forever to open to public.
We dont know when it will be open. We like you are also waiting.
Climbers, any idea the might be white elephant Putrajaya opening to the public?
Thanks
Ah you know, Malaysian Government. Never does things with their brains and never think of the need of the ‘rakyat’. Their priority is what project fills their pocket. Who will drive 1 hour to go climbing when they have a gym just at their doorstep with so much convenience? Just like the many unused facilities at Putrajaya, another ‘white elephant’ project for sure.
We as a malaysian frerunner/traceur also need a fully equipped gymnastic gym for us to train safely, this includes facilities like tumbling floor, vaulting bar, foam pit etc, feel free to watch our video to know what we are doing everyday that made us demand for such facilities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFYQ5bEYOk&fmt=18