Monk Bouldering

It is going to rain during your Amsterdam trip. I am not being pessimistic, I am being Dutch. And when it rains, you have two options: stand in a museum queue or do something actually fun. My backup plan for rainy days is always the same — I text my friend Pim "Monk?" and we go bouldering.

Monk Bouldering is the best bouldering gym in Amsterdam. Bouldering, if you have never done it, is climbing without ropes. The walls are shorter — maybe four to five meters — with thick crash mats below. You figure out the route, you climb it, you fall, you try again. No harness, no belay partner, no prior experience needed. Pim says it is "the only sport where failing is literally part of the activity," which I think is his way of justifying how often he falls.

The Monk location in Noord is my favorite. It is a massive space — high ceilings, tons of routes at different difficulty levels, and the kind of industrial atmosphere that Amsterdam Noord does so well. Routes are color-coded from beginner to expert, so you can start easy and work your way up. Pim and I always start on the greens (easiest), warm up, and then he tries the harder stuff while I quietly stick to the middle difficulty and pretend I am not watching him struggle.

You do not need to bring anything. Climbing shoes are available to rent at the desk for a few euros, and they have chalk bags too. Wear comfortable clothes you can move in — shorts or leggings and a t-shirt. That is it. Pim wore jeans the first time and regretted it halfway up the first wall.

A day pass costs around 15-17 euros, plus about 4 euros for shoe rental. For an hour or two of genuine physical activity that is also a puzzle (figuring out the routes is half the fun), that is great value. Especially compared to, say, a museum ticket where you just walk around looking at things.

The crowd at Monk is a mix of regulars who are impressively good, couples trying something new, groups of friends laughing at each other, and solo climbers working through problems with quiet intensity. The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging. Pim once got stuck on a route and a complete stranger walked over and said "try your left foot on that green hold" and it worked. That is the vibe.

Monk has multiple locations in Amsterdam — Noord, Oost, and a few others. I like Noord because the space is the biggest and it is easy to combine with other Noord activities. Take the free ferry from Centraal Station and you are there in ten minutes.

Practical tips: go on a weekday morning or early afternoon if you want it less crowded. Weekend afternoons are busy. Bring a water bottle. And do not be intimidated by the people making it look easy — everyone started as a beginner, including Pim, who now climbs like a spider but spent his first session mostly on the floor.

One honest thing: your forearms and fingers will be sore the next day. Properly sore. Pim warned me about this and I ignored him and then spent the next morning unable to open a jar of peanut butter. Consider yourself warned. But it is the good kind of sore — the "I actually did something today" kind.