The 13 Coolest Climbing Gyms in the World

In the ’80s, ’90s, and much of the early aughts, rock climbing gyms were little more than training grounds where climbers honed their skills in preparation for objectives on real rock. But these days are long gone. Over 2% of the U.S. population has climbed indoors at least once in the last year; a growing subset of regular climbers (as much as 30%, by some estimates) exclusively climb inside; and there are many more for whom outdoor trips are rare vacations from near-daily trips to the plastic.