Clip 'n Climb Vancouver

Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver is a family-friendly indoor climbing centre with 24 climbing walls and other colourful cliff-like structures in Richmond.

Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver

Per its website, Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver is “climbing reinvented.” This describes the place perfectly – it’s not a standard climbing-wall facility at all. Instead, it’s a modern, colourful venue with 24 different structures where people climb independently.

There are ropes that you clip into at the facility, so you’re safe if you fall. There are also automated belay devices that work on their own; nobody on the ground has to hold onto them.

At Clip ‘n Climb there are ladders, staircases and a wide variety of climbing structures including one in the dark. There’s also a Vertical Drop Slide you get hauled up on, and then dropped into a pile of balloons.

For those who really want a thrill, there is a Leap of Faith element. Here you climb up high and then jump as far as you can to a soft punching-bag-like piece of apparatus. This apparatus hangs up to between about two and four yards away, and is over 15 feet off the ground.

Clip ‘n Climb is a fabulous facility that’s fun, challenging and a great place to exercise for people of all ages and climbing-skill levels.

Girl and Balloons at Clip 'n Climb — Vertical Drop Slide and Balloons

Clip ‘n Climb Location

Located at 1751 Savage Road, Clip ‘n Climb is just on the other side of the Fraser River from South Vancouver near the Knight Street Bridge.

Coming from Vancouver, cross the Knight Street Bridge and take the Bridgeport East exit. From Bridgeport Road turn left onto No. 6 Road which soon veers right onto River Road. Savage Road is a tiny rural/industrial-looking road on your right. Clip ‘n Climb is just a short distance up on your right.

The Clip ‘n Climb building is a fair ways from the road and isn’t so easy to see. Look out for the small signs on the road for the turnoff. There isn’t a lot else in the area though, so it’s not overly difficult to find.

Hours and Rates

As of early 2024, Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver opens daily starting at 10:00 am. It closes at 6:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 7:00 pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and weekends.

Admission rates to the facility are for 75-minute time slots composed of a 15-minute safety brief and an hour of climbing. When you book online you can choose your date and time, and also see how many spaces are available.

Clip ‘n Climb Prices

The cost for 1 hour of climbing is $20 for children ages 5 and under and $24 for folks ages 6+ (as of early 2024). Taxes apply. For this price you get access to all but a couple of the climbing structures, so around 20 in total.

There is typically no charge for parents who don’t want to climb but need to accompany their young children, which is great.

The Vertical Drop Slide and Leap of Faith elements cost extra. This is because they require special gear and assistance by a worker. These climbing structures cost about $5 for a try, or around $7 for two turns.

Groups of 10 or more get a 10% discount off regular admission. Tuesdays are cheap days where admission for all ages is $18 after 4:00 pm. Admission for adults on Friday nights (after 5:00 pm) is $20.

(Note: Rates are subject to change.)

Girl on Leap of Faith — The Leap of Faith

What to Expect

Below is a description of what you can expect at Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver.

Pre-Climbing Preparation

When you arrive at Clip ‘n Climb you check in, store your bags and extra clothes, and then wait for your pre-climbing 15-minute safety briefing and gear.

Climbing sessions last for 75 minutes and include both the safety briefing and 60 minutes of climbing.

At the safety briefing you’ll be given your harness and shown how to put it on and clip it to the automated belay devices. After that, you and your friends are ready to start climbing.

Girl Descending at Clip 'n Climb — Descending Using an Automated Belay Device

Climbing Time

The climbing area at Clip ‘n Climb consists of a fairly large open area with colourful climbing structures along three walls. There are also a few extra elements scattered around the middle of the room. It’s not a huge space, like you’d find at an indoor trampoline park, but it’s comfortably big for its purpose.

There are close to 20 different climbing elements to choose from. They include ladders, a staircase of posts, a twister staircase and climbing structures that you can time yourself on. In addition, there are multiple walls with various kinds of bumps and features you can hold onto, put your feet on and pull yourself up.

At Clip ‘n Climb there is also a popular structure you can climb in semi-darkness.

Some of the climbing structures are easy to climb, while some require a fair bit of muscle. On others you need more balance than strength. Different people will have different favourites.

What’s challenging for one person, like someone who’s strong but heavy, will be much simpler for others, like folks who are lighter and more agile.

Boy on Climbing Wall — Scaling the Pixetron Climbing Wall

Side Note: When we went, the most difficult and physically challenging structure for the ultra-fit 15-year-old 170-pound boy in our group was the Triffid vine structure. For him, once was enough.

The same element, meanwhile, was the #1 favourite for the 12-year-old 80-pound girl in our group who was also an avid and experienced climber (and who could race up the speed-timed elements at least 20% faster than the boy). Both had a blast, but preferred different structures.

Clip ‘n Climb Video

To give you a good idea of what Clip ‘n Climb is all about, check out this video. It features a lot of the facility’s elements and shows how much fun the place really is!

Tips & Advice

The following are suggestions and things to know to help you make the most of your experience at Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver.

Things to Know Before You Start

TIP #1: Arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. That way you’ll have time to check in and sign your waivers before your climb.

TIP #2: Go to the washroom before the start of your session. You only have 60 minutes of climbing time, so you don’t want to waste it, and to use the toilet you’ll need to get out of your harness.

TIP #3: Have a drink of water before your climb and stay hydrated. It’s not intense exercise – unless you want it to be – but you can still work up a sweat.

TIP #4: Prior to climbing you’ll need to fill out a waiver, or have your legal parent or guardian do it for you if you’re under 19 years of age. That means that if you visit Clip ‘n Climb with minors who aren’t your own, make sure their parents fill out the kids’ online e-waivers in advance.

TIP #5: Wear casual and comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes. Sandals, boots and flip-flops aren’t appropriate, and actual climbing shoes aren’t required or even permitted. You’ll be wearing a harness in kind of a diaper-fashion, and climbing up fairly high, above people’s heads, so don’t wear a skirt or overly loose-fitting shorts.

Other Useful Things to Know

TIP #1: Clip ‘n Climb is suitable for all skill levels. You don’t have to be an experienced climber or in tip-top shape to participate. That being said, the activity isn’t recommended for people who are afraid of heights, or have balance issues or upper body (e.g. arm or shoulder) injuries.

TIP #2: The automated belay system is set to safely work on folks weighing up to 150 kilograms. If you weigh more then you’ll need to climb somewhere else.

TIP #3: An hour is a pretty good amount of time. It’s long enough that you’ll get a fair workout and leave wanting more, but not so long that you’ll get bored or too totally exhausted.

TIP #4: Watch out at all times. People are climbing overhead, and from time to time they come back down. Make sure you don’t stand at the bottom of a structure where someone else is climbing up (or dropping back down from).

TIP #5: Young children can manage many of the structures on their own without adult supervision, although they may need help buckling themselves in and out at the start and finish of each climb. A couple of the elements are a bit more challenging, however.

TIP #6: From our experience, the Staircase to Heaven is popular but can be a bit tricky getting back down, at least on one’s first time. Unless a Clip ‘n Climb attendant is there to help, an accompanying adult should be at the ready to make sure children (and sometimes adults) don’t bump into a pole on their way down.

TIP #7: A couple of the easiest and most simple structures are the Caving Ladder and Big Cheese. These, therefore, can be good ones to start on.

Climbing Clip 'n Climb Big Cheese — Climbing the Big Cheese

About Clip ‘n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb is an Australian climbing-wall company. Richmond is its first BC location and Canada’s third (after two other locations in the province of Quebec).

Clip ‘n Climb is very different from most other climbing centres. Traditional venues have climbing walls which simulate cliffs, boulders and slopes that you might rock-climb on. There are moulds sticking out that you can grab onto, put your toes on, and pull yourself up.

At many traditional indoor rock-climbing places there are also belay systems that you attach yourself to and that require someone at the bottom to hold onto.

At Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver there are a couple of structures that are similar to more traditional climbing walls, but most are quite different. Many of the structures aren’t even “walls” at all.

Also, at Clip ‘n Climb everyone can climb independently. The belay devices are automated so there’s no need to climb with a partner on the ground.

If you’re looking for a fun place to play, a venue to sample rock climbing, somewhere for you or your kids to burn off energy, or a place to do something totally different, then Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver is a great place to visit.