A floating boulder, a front door that opens onto the Monon Trail, and ice cream at the end of the block? Ripple Boulder has several things working in its favor before you even put on climbing shoes.
We visited the new South Broad Ripple bouldering gym, and I love the possibilities for a family outing here. You can climb, grab lunch next door at Half Liter, walk or bike along the Monon, and finish with ice cream. With a day pass that lets you leave and come back, you can spread the fun throughout the day.
What Is Bouldering?
Bouldering is a type of climbing that uses shorter walls with thick landing pads underneath. There are no ropes or harnesses, and you don’t need previous experience to try it.
Wear comfortable clothes you can move in, sign the waiver, and rent climbing shoes if you need them. The team can help you get started. Before climbing, have everyone listen to the staff’s instructions for using the walls and landing areas.
One of the things I like about this activity is the problem-solving. You’re figuring out where your hands and feet should go, which move comes next, and how to approach a challenge. It gives you something to work toward beyond simply getting to the top.
Find Your Bouldering Path
During our visit, Gloria gave us a tour and showed us how to select a climbing path. She’s Ripple Boulder’s head setter, the person behind the routes that turn a wall full of holds into individual climbing challenges. Having someone explain how to choose a route helps the whole experience make sense. Instead of looking at the wall and wondering where to begin, you have a starting point and a path to try. For families trying something new together, that introduction is a great part of the visit.
Ripple Boulder has 2,400 square feet of climbing wall, with routes refreshed regularly. There’s room to return and work on a challenge, then discover something different on another visit.
Yes, There’s a Floating Boulder
The centerpiece is a boulder suspended in the middle of the gym, which Ripple Boulder describes as the first floating boulder in the Western Hemisphere. You can even see it from the Monon Trail.
For climbers who want to train more seriously, the gym also has an adjustable, app-connected Tension Board 2, a campus board, and hangboards. Your first visit doesn’t have to involve all of that equipment, but there’s more to explore as your interest grows.
The gym’s story started with brothers Collin and Caleb and a text suggesting a smaller climbing gym in Broad Ripple. That idea became a neighborhood gathering place where people can climb and spend time together.
Day Passes, Punch Passes, and Memberships
A full-day pass costs $19, with in-and-out privileges, and shoe rental is $6. That brings a visit with rental shoes to $25 per climber.
Punch passes are available, too: five visits for $80 or ten for $170, valid for one year. A punch pass makes sense for our family as a way to plan more visits.
There are solo, duo, and family memberships. Eligible adult members can add 24-hour access for $15 per month; it requires being 18 or older and completing a background check. How cool is that for parents who want their own climbing time?
Make a Day of It on the Monon
Outside, you’ll find patio seating, bike racks, and a garage door that opens when the weather cooperates. There’s even water available for trail visitors, whether they’re climbing or passing by.
Between Half Liter next door, nearby coffee, and that ice cream stop down the block, the location gives families plenty of ways to build an outing around a climb.
Ripple Boulder is at 5255 Winthrop Avenue, Indianapolis. Visit their website for current details and check staffed hours before your first visit.
