Der Kegel Climbing Tower Berlin

Der Kegel climbing tower and bouldering gym sits inside a converted air raid tower on the RAW grounds in Friedrichshain, 18.70 metres tall and run by four climbers for a good twenty years. Bouldering covers 550 square metres indoors and out, and the Berlin Bouldering Championship has run here since 2007. Rope climbing on the tower requires lead experience.

Der Kegel climbing tower and bouldering gym: climbing on a bunker at the RAW grounds

On the RAW grounds on Revaler Strasse in Friedrichshain, between clubs, halls and graffiti walls, stands a grey air raid tower that looks nothing like a sports venue. Four climbers started making it climbable a good twenty years ago and still run it as a team today. Der Kegel climbing tower and bouldering gym measures 18.70 metres to the top, with the bouldering surfaces wrapping around its base indoors and out. The building wears its past on the outside, while inside the walls are covered in holds in every colour and benches stand between the boulders on the forecourt. The whole thing is reached via Warschauer Strasse S-Bahn and U-Bahn station, only a few minutes away on foot. The Berlin Bouldering Championship has been held on the site since 2007, which has given the place a fixed spot on the scene. The crowd is mixed accordingly: alongside beginners there are regulars on the wall who have been working their projects for months.

550 square metres of bouldering indoors and out, rope climbing only with experience

Bouldering covers 550 square metres in total at up to four metres, without a rope and across all grades. The outdoor section accounts for a good share of that surface, which in summer is what sets it apart from a purely indoor solution. Part of the walls is reset every week so the offering keeps turning over, and all boulder problems can be looked up in the associated app. Rope climbing on the tower works differently from a conventional gym: no top ropes are hung, and ropes are not rented out either. Up to ten metres is open to anyone bringing lead experience, while the full 18.70 metres is reserved for those who can build belay stations. Anyone not yet there books a course at the Kegel: taster climbing costs 30 euros and the top rope certificate 100 euros across two sessions. The day ticket stands at 11 euros, which makes it one of the cheapest in the city. Groups and school classes come only by prior arrangement because space at the tower is limited. Up top there is a small roof terrace, and at the foot a bar with snacks and drinks.