Bali has already hosted the Climbing World Cup. However, the island still does not have its own international-standard complex where local athletes could train regularly and prepare for such competitions.
The Bali branch of the Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation, FPTI Bali, has proposed changing this. On 24 July, federation representatives met with Governor Wayan Koster and asked the authorities to build a fully equipped competition climbing centre. The governor supported the initiative.
The complex is planned to include walls for the three main disciplines: speed climbing, lead climbing and bouldering. The federation has also proposed adding spectator seating so that the venue could be used not only for training but also for major tournaments, including World Cup events. Similar complexes currently exist in Jakarta, Central Java and West Java.
The initiative was also supported by Balinese speed climber Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi. She said that training on an international-standard wall would help athletes get used to competition conditions and give young climbers more opportunities to develop. Desak ranks first in the women’s speed climbing world ranking.
The location of the climbing centre has not yet been decided. FPTI believes it would be best to build it in a tourist area, close to hotels and other necessary infrastructure. The governor expressed hope that once the new complex opens, Bali will be able to host international competitions again as early as 2027. However, the exact construction schedule, approved budget and project location have not yet been announced.
In May 2025, Bali hosted an IFSC Climbing World Cup event in Nusa Dua for the first time. Athletes competed in speed and lead climbing, and the walls specially prepared for the tournament received international certification beforehand. Indonesia’s national team won two bronze medals in speed climbing at the home event.
They were won by Kadek Adi Asih and Kiromal Katibin. In the men’s final, American climber Sam Watson broke the world record twice, recording a time of 4.648 seconds in the decisive race.
The tournament showed that Bali is ready to host competitions of this scale. The federation expects that having its own climbing centre would allow Bali to regularly host World Cup events and Asian tournaments instead of preparing a separate venue for each event.
For now, the project is still only under discussion. However, Bali has plenty of climbing gyms in Canggu, Uluwatu, Ubud and Sanur, as well as equipped outdoor climbing areas in Kintamani. Most focus on bouldering, coached sessions and recreational climbing. Visitors can try the sport, train regularly or bring a child for a session. Our article “Climbing gyms and rock climbing in Bali” lists all the island’s gyms, along with their prices and available training options.
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