Boulder Planet (Sembawang)

Boulder Planet at Sembawang Shopping Centre is one of the largest bouldering gyms in the north, and the more beginner-friendly of the chain’s two Singapore branches.

Space is the difference. The floor is big enough that routes are spread out rather than stacked on top of each other, and the extra room translates into a wider spread of easier problems — more to try if you are still finding your feet. Route-setting is refreshed regularly and there is strength and conditioning equipment alongside the walls. Day passes run around $30.

It suits beginners, families and anyone in the north who would otherwise travel across the island to climb, since quality options up here are thin. Climbers chasing steep, competition-style walls will find the chain’s Tai Seng branch harder and more aggressive — this is the friendlier of the pair by some margin, and better for a first visit.