The best world climbing walls ~ Rafael Gómez Ayala

Climbing draws thrill seekers and people who put a premium on personal achievement instead of competition with others. Climbers might take up a small portion of the adventure sports world, but there is enough interest in this niche to support the creation of tall artificial walls and expansive indoor climbing gyms.

Purists might tell you that real climbing takes place only on natural rocks. But artificial walls have made this sport more accessible to people who would not otherwise be able to climb at all. These human-made structures also offer a more-controlled environment in which to learn the skills necessary to attempt natural rock formations. And some of the highest of these faux mountains are as exciting to look at as they are to climb.

The Excalibur Tower, Groningen, Netherlands

Even it’s name sounds epic! At a leg shaking 37 meters tall it is the World’s tallest free-standing climbing wall, And with a overhang of 36 feet (11 meters) also one of the hardest and therefore most scary you will ever see or climb, and for that very reason I feel I would just have to give it a go.

This is probably the most visually stunning climbing structure on our list. Stretching more than 120 feet (37 meters) into the Dutch sky, the vaguely S-shaped Excalibur tower has sections that are past vertical (meaning that climbers have to negotiate overhangs that have angles of more than 90 degrees). The centerpiece of the Bjoeks Climbing Center in Groningen, this outdoor wall is certainly a challenge for serious climbers. However, the towering structure has routes on both sides, so gentler climbs can be found on the face that is directly opposite the severe overhangs. There are smaller climbing walls at the Bjoeks facility, so novices can cut their teeth before attempting the 120-foot giant.

Campus Climbing Wall, Enschede, Netherlands

People are literally climbing up the walls in this dormitory located in the University of Enschede. Built as a gift to the local mountaineering club, the climbing wall is incorporated into the building's architecture. The new function isn't merely decorative, shaping its final form as it becomes an influent design theme. Architectural design by Arons & Gelauff Architecten.

Silo Climbing Wall, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The city of Amsterdam wasn't quite sure what to do with three abandoned sewage treatment silos, so they decided to hold a competition to determine the best adaptive reuse project. One of the projects submitted for the competition was by Amsterdam-based NL Architects, who proposed to transform the silos into an incredible set of climbing towers. In addition to the climbing areas both inside and outside the silos, the project would include multi-purpose areas, offices, restaurants and other commercial spaces.

Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This massive complex in the Scottish city of Edinburgh is the largest climbing gym in Europe in terms of overall area. The arena features climbing routes for people of all ability levels. There is even a separate bouldering room with challenging problems for even the most advanced bouldering fanatics. The arena's tower route stands “only” 95 feet tall – 29 meters (that is still a forearm-burning undertaking for even the most in-shape climber), but the sheer number of routes and features inside this facility makes it an obvious choice for our list. Both the British Climbing Championships and the World Youth Climbing Championships have been held here, so Europe's and the world's best have scaled the Arena's walls. If you have no-climbing members in your party or if you want to relax after a morning of climbing, the on-site spa, large children's play area, cafe and ceramics studio provide plenty of opportunity for non-climbing fun.

Ice Factor Ice Wall, Kinlochleven, Scotland, United Kingdom

Another Scottish entry on our list is located in the Highlands town of Kinlochleven. This venue has a 50-foot indoor ice wall made of over 500 tons of snow and ice. The structure has several route possibilities, from severe overhangs to gentler slopes for novices who are just learning to use crampons and picks. The ice is made by following the natural freeze-thaw cycle that takes place when such ice walls are formed outdoors, so the conditions are as close to natural as possible. Instructors are on hand to help new climbers become familiar with equipment and techniques of this climbing niche.

Manchester City Climbing Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom

This might not be the biggest, the best or certainly the hardest climbing wall in the world, but it is definitely the one located in the strangest of places. You see in Manchester this amazing image of a vertical climbing wall with moulded footholds occupies the tall nave of St Benedict’s church! And as climbing wall setting go this is a very impressive one indeed.

Built inside a 19th century cathedral complete with stained glass windows and domed ceilings, there is plenty of atmosphere here to accompany your vertical endeavors. With the highest route stretching to just over 60 feet (18 meters), Manchester does not challenge many of the other walls on our list in terms of height, but the location is most certainly unique and there are no fewer than 75 climbing lines to choose from, so the variety here is impressive.

Calshot Climbing Wall, Dorset, England, United Kingdom

The Calshot climbing wall in Dorset, England, may not be one of the worlds most impressive climbing walls, technically, but it illustrates perfectly what a stunning architectural form climbing walls can be. It looks like a psychedelic Dazzle Ship and is a match for anything by Daniel Libeskind.

Cooling Tower at Wunderland Kalkar, Kalkar, Germany

Originally built as a nuclear power plant (but never put online), this site in the far west of Germany has now been repurposed as an amusement park. The old cooling tower has the distinct shape that characterizes nuclear facilities around the world, with one noticeable difference: A large mural of a mountain landscape painted on the side. Look closer and you will see that the tower is also decorated with climbing routes. Standing about 130 feet high (40 meters), this wall might not be one of the most challenging human-made climbs in Europe, but it certainly is one of the tallest. Get to the summit of the tower and you will come face to face with a large aerial swing ride. Wunderland is probably the best option in Europe if you want to find some after-climb fun. The surrounding park has bars, clubs and restaurants in addition to its climbing wall and rides. More information: www.wunderlandkalkar.eu.

Luzzone Lake (Lago di Luzzone – Diga di Luzzone), Ticino, Switzerland

Though it is not a purpose-built wall, Diga di Luzzone stands as the Everest of wall climbing. The Diga di Luzzone is both a working dam and one of the largest artificial climbing walls in the world. Bolted in the 1990s, this spot in Switzerland is home to one of the two largest man-made climbing routes in the world, a 500-foot (152,5 meters), five-pitch monster that curves its way up the side of the Luzzone dam. As climbers go through the pitches, the concave wall changes character, starting off slabby, then straightening out to vertical.

The route from the base to the top of this dam in the Alps stretches for more than 500 vertical feet (152,5 meters). Exposed to the elements and climbing higher above the ground than on any other human-made route, people who tackle Luzzone have to negotiate five pitches, each one more challenging than the last. Though climbers won't have much time to enjoy the view, it is undeniably scenic here, with the dam surrounded by Switzerland's trademark mountain landscapes. Unlike many of the other walls on this list, Luzzone does not have nearby options for novice climbers. For those seeking the ultimate non-natural climbing challenge, however, there is no other wall that comes close to this one.

Visitors who want to throw down on the dam will need to pay 20 Swiss francs each to get the keys to unlock the ladder that crosses the first section.

Prague outdoor climbing wall, Prague, Czech Republic

This massive outdoor climbing wall is in the Czech capital, Prague, and has a very unusual form that looks like an alien ruin. Afte

This climbing wall is currently the largest outdoor climbing wall in Central Europe. This concrete structure, 80 m in diameter, measures 15 m at its highest point. The wall's height averages between 10 to 13 m. A total of 46 safety lines currently features 84 paths with difficulty levels from 3 to 9-UIAA.

Extreme Edge Rock Climbing Panmure, Auckland, Australia

This climbing center in Auckland is the largest on the continent. A central, Stone Henge boulder is surrounded by acres of climbing fun.

It's hard to appreciate just how cool the Extreme Edge West is unless you've been here, but trust us, it's cool.

We have 60 top-ropes, accessing a huge range of climbing walls, with another massive overhanging wall reserved for lead climbing. Mean nothing to you? Well, that's fair enough, like we said, it's hard to appreciate unless you're here. Let's put it a different way - there are more than 150 routes ranging in height from 10m to 12m and from absolute beginner to as hard as you'll find in any climbing wall on the planet.

Alice in Wonderland Climbing Wall, Tokyo, Japan

Tired of a ho-hum climbing wall? Check out this whimsical climbing wall at the ILLOIHA OMOTESANDO Fitness Club in Japan, as designed by architecture design firm Nendo. It looks straight out of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland!

There are some climbing walls that are cool, some are massive! And then there are some that are just plain weird! This amazing designer gym in Japan is like no other climbing wall in the world, instead of the normal t-nut climbing holds,, you have to climb using shelves, bird cages, countless picture frames and even the odd antler! Weird but also strangely cool.

Historic Banning Mills, Whitesburg, Georgia , USA

According to the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records, the wooden climbing tower at Historic Banning Mills in Whitesburg, in the rural North Georgia, near Atlanta. This is the tallest free-standing climbing wall in the world at over 140 feet – 43 meters (Reno BaseCamp is taller, but was constructed on the side of an already-standing building). A number of overhangs, traverses and other features mean that this tower can challenge even the most skilled climbers. Banning claims to have a route classed as 5.12, one of the most difficult grades in the climbing world. The tower is certainly a headline-stealer, but this adventure destination has other attractions as well. Banning has one of the world's longest zip-line tours. Kayaking, an aerial challenge park, horseback riding and even falconry experiences are also part of the offerings. More information: www.historicbanningmills.com.

Silo Ice Climbing, Waterloo, Iowa, USA

What you are looking at is normally just a plain old store silage silo. But since 2001 the owner (a local farmer from Cedar Falls) decided to convert it into the Worlds only artificially made ice climbing wall. The eight-story structure is covered with ice curtains that run along a large wall and opens every winter, provided that the temperatures are consistently below 26 degrees. The silo, which is located just outside Cedar Falls, Iowa, has become a climbing mecca in the middle of the Great Plains. More information: www.siloiceclimbing.com

Basecamp Outdoor Wall, Reno, Nevada, USA

The tallest artificial climbing wall in the U.S., Reno's BaseCamp outdoor wall routes are over 160 feet long (49 metres). There are shorter routes as well, but the headlining two-pitch ascent starts out from a deck on the side of the building and rises to the roof, which, when measured from street level, is 200 feet tall (61 meters). Two routes lead to the roof, with two platforms for belaying after the first pitch. Children's walls and bouldering facilities are located at BaseCamp, making it one of the premier artificial wall climbing destinations in the West.

North Texas Outdoor Pursuit Center (formerly Stoneworks), Carrollton near Dallas, Texas, USA
Largest Indoor Climbing Wall in USA. Stoneworkds may actually still be the worlds largest indoor climbing wall. Reputedly the basement was excavated by 6 feet to preserve the title from a Japanese gym. Whatever the answer, Stoneworks is a triumph of spirit and imagination, a perfect way way to re-use and preserve one of Americas great landmark building types. More information: www.northtexasopc.com.