Adjustable Free Standing Bouldering Wall

Wondering if anyone has any tips on how to build an adjustable free standing bouldering wall. I just moved and my ceiling mounted bouldering wall can't come with me. I've been looking into free standing ones and could def see myself building one of these woodys in my new place. The plans I've seen so far only show a set angle, nothing where I would be able to change the angle easily.

I'm looking to build a flat wall 8'wide x 12'long. Just looking for ideas, so if anyone has built a good adjustable free standing woody could you share your project details?

A 2 min sketch in MS paint, but hopefully you get the idea. The small red dots are where you connect the support to the frame with a bolt to change the angle, the large red dots are where you use bolts to hinge the wall, you can also do a kickboard and then use heavy duty door hinges. You can use this triangle calculator to figure out what length you need for the supports ostermiller.org/calc/triang… . I would use 2x8's for the frame and support, You could also consider using 4x4's.

I see...so are you thinking a hing at the bottom and a series of holes at the top to set the angle or something? Being that the bottom hinges freely what do you think is the best way to connect the top without making it a fixed joint? I edited your sketch to show what I was thinking about holes at the top.

The easiest way to do that is build a 2' kickboard, with the rest of the wall attached on top of that by hinges. Then put some anchors in the top of the climbing wall as well as the support wall, and then use webbing on both sides to support it. The weight does a good job of keeping it solid and preventing it from moving side to side or up. I actually hooked up a cable hand winch through a pulley so I could lower or raise it easily. Then I put loops on the webbing so I could set it at different degrees of steepness.
Doing it this way you also eliminate the possibility of hitting the support bars while climbing, and it takes up less space.

Micah...That sounds like a great idea. Any chance you could post a picture of your wall?

I would build a support wall(the part towards the top of the climb) that holds up a circular post running the width of the wall. this is your axle. That can be kept in place with 2 holes(red dots) drilled in interior side of the post, then stuffed with dowels. Then build your kicker and 2 support posts with 2x4s nailed to a 2x6 in the shape of a C. Picture below.

Take two full length 2x4s and cut into various pieces between a few inches to feet in length. Both 2x4s have to be cut in the same size pieces. These blocks act like shims when placed in the C shaped post. This allows your wall to be completely overhanging. The height of the top of the climb never changes, but the wall height at the kicker will change, allowing for crazier moves at the bottom since you won't scrape your feet. You also aren't fixed at specific angles. You could also move the wall up, completely out of the way.

The weight of the wall is always being held up with solid wood, which leaves fewer parts to break, and it can be easily assembled again in a different place. It definitely is more complicated to build than the way stated above, but not by much. Just making angled cuts with precision for the placement of the C-post.

Austin, no need for the holes on your sketch. The diagonal supports are attached at the top with bolts and move freely, the angle is set by the holes in the bottom board where I have the smaller red dots. My adjustable wall is built similar to Micah's but is anything but freestanding, the kickboard and anchors are attached to a concrete wall with 5 piece concrete anchors. The angle is adjusted by varying the length of chain connecting it to the anchors in the wall. Maybe it would be useful for you yo give us some more information about where you will be putting this, if you have the option of anchoring to a wall or setting posts in concrete than that would certainly be easier than a free standing rig.

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