Singapore's Climbing Elite: How Team Vertical Conquered Asia's Toughest Routes

When Team Vertical first set up shop in a converted warehouse along Jln Bukit Merah in 2019, few could have predicted the outfit would become Singapore's most dominant force in competitive climbing. Yet this month, the six-person crew returned from the Asian Sport Climbing Championships in Chiang Mai with three medals—including gold in the mixed team relay—a result that has sent shockwaves through the local outdoor adventure community.

The achievement marks a turning point for a sport that, until recently, occupied a niche corner of Singapore's fitness landscape. Unlike neighbouring Malaysia's established climbing culture or Thailand's world-renowned karst walls, Singapore's climbing scene has historically struggled with limited natural rock faces and high facility costs. Indoor gyms have long dominated, with venues like Climb Central in Katong and Kinabalu Park's climbing wall drawing casual enthusiasts. But Team Vertical's success signals a shift towards serious, competitive training.

Based in their Bukit Merah headquarters—a 2,000-square-metre space that doubles as gym and social hub—the team trains six days a week, combining strength conditioning with technical route work. Monthly memberships at the facility run between SGD 180 and 280, making it accessible to committed amateurs while supporting the elite athletes who represent Singapore nationally. The team includes three climbers who also compete in international speed climbing circuits, where routes must be completed in under six seconds.

What sets Team Vertical apart is their hybrid approach. Rather than specialising solely in bouldering, sport climbing, or speed events, they've developed a training philosophy that emphasises versatility—a strategy that paid dividends at the Asian Championships. Their mixed-team performance, in particular, showcased the kind of breadth that traditional single-discipline competitors cannot match.

The organisation has also focused on grassroots development, running youth programmes in partnership with schools across the Central and East Coast zones. Around 120 young climbers currently participate in their after-school initiatives, priced at SGD 60 per session—a deliberate effort to democratise access to technical coaching that typically costs far more.

As Singapore positions itself as a regional hub for adventure sports, Team Vertical's emergence feels timely. The Sport Singapore roadmap has pledged increased funding for niche athletic communities, and climbing—with its growing global following and upcoming Olympic inclusion—sits squarely in the target zone. For now, though, the team remains focused on the next frontier: qualifying members for the 2028 Olympics trials, a goal that, just weeks ago, would have seemed fanciful for an outfit operating out of a Bukit Merah warehouse.

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