14 March 2024
Many people have heard of it, a climbing forest. But what exactly is a climbing forest? Imagine being able to soar high among the trees like a bird. That would be super, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, we don't have wings. Fortunately, climbing forests do exist! Surely this is the closest thing to it. At a climbing forest, there are climbing routes made between trees at different levels and heights. You secure yourself at the beginning of a climbing route and only at the end can you release yourself. A continuous securing system is called that. Super safe! There is enough challenge for everyone. For some, it is the height, for others the obstacles/elements built into the routes.
How many climbing forests are there actually?
There are many climbing forests all over the world. Klimbos Netherlands owns 5 climbing forests. These are located in Apeldoorn, Bergen op Zoom, Dordrecht, Lage Vuursche and Ruurlo. Divided across the country, in other words.
Each climbing forest has its own unique climbing routes. So if you have visited one, come and climb at another location too. They are all fun!
Is the climbing forest open?
Fortunately, our venues are often open. However, we do depend a bit on the seasons. Basically, the climbing season starts in spring holidays and runs until the end of November. During the school holidays we are open daily, outside of these we are open at least on weekends. For the current opening hours, see www.klimbos.nl/openingstijden .
Of course, there are also possibilities for groups of 20 or more to come climbing outside opening hours. Please contact customer service for the possibilities.
When can you come and climb in a climbing forest?
To climb at our climbing forests, you must be at least 6 years old and 1.20 metres tall. You can then climb all the orange climbing routes (junior routes) independently. If you are taller than 1.40 metres, you may also climb the regular climbing routes.
How long can you come and climb?
A climbing outing at the Klimbos takes up to 3 hours. Upon arrival, you'll have a little time to store your belongings in a locker and take a pee. You will then be taken for your mandatory safety instruction. After this, you may climb for another 2.5 hours.
You choose which route you want to climb and thus choose your own challenge.
How safe is a climbing forest?
While climbing a climbing route, you are constantly secured. So in principle, nothing can happen to you. Nevertheless, it may happen that you no longer have the strength to continue climbing or that someone really doesn't dare to. Our instructors are trained to deal with this. First of all, we will always check whether the guest can or dares continue the climb by coaching. If they really can't, an intervention will follow. The Klimbos staff member then approaches you in the climbing route and helps you get back on the ground.
Besides our fuse system being reliable and our colleagues being trained to keep everything safe, our climbing routes are also checked daily before opening hours. If possible, any unsafe situations are solved immediately. If not, the climbing route remains closed until it is resolved. All for safety!
What do you wear to the climbing forest?
You can just dress according to the weather. Just remember that there should be no loose materials. So no flip-flops, scarves, etc. Short skirts are not recommended either. Keep in mind that you do need to be able to move flexibly on, for example, a climbing wall.
In summer, shorts are very nice, but be careful with trousers that are too short, the climbing harness may chafe.
We also often recommend layering. During climbing, you often get a bit warmer, so it's nice to be able to take off some layers sometimes. Don't forget to have your harness checked by your Klimbos colleagues afterwards.
Want to know more?
If you have any further questions after reading the above information. Please contact us. We will be happy to help you!
