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Hardrock Melbourne CBD

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Top Rope
  • Lead Climbing
  • Auto Belay
4.5from 676 reviewsDay pass $25
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Roped climbing gym on Franklin Street in Melbourne's CBD, with top-rope, lead and auto-belay walls up to 16 metres, beginners' and lead courses, private coaching and junior and youth climbing clubs.

About

Roped climbing in the CBD

Hardrock is a roped climbing gym at 4/8 Franklin Street in Melbourne's CBD, right by the new State Library Station. The business dates from 1993, when it opened its first gym in Nunawading; that gym closed in December 2025, leaving the CBD centre as Hardrock's only climbing gym. Hardrock also runs Activate by Hardrock, a Clip 'n Climb and caving centre in Heatherton.

There is no bouldering area: all the climbing is on ropes. The centre has 44 top-rope walls up to 16 metres high, with more than 100 routes graded 6 to 30 on the Australian (Ewbank) scale, 28 lead walls (five of them lead-only), four 12-metre auto-belays and a 16-metre pinnacle. Small Problems, a set of five short, bouldery routes on the low training walls, gets one new route a week.

Before you go

  • Casual visits need no booking; groups of ten or more should book ahead.
  • You need a partner to belay unless you use the auto-belays, and belayers must be 11 or older. First-time visitors do a 15 to 30 minute safety induction and assessment.
  • Leading needs a free lead assessment, run on Tuesday evenings, and your own harness and rope. The Black Diamond ATC Pilot is the only device allowed for lead belaying.
  • Shoes and harnesses can be hired. Chalk isn't hired but is sold in the gear shop, and cold drinks and snacks are on sale.

Courses and clubs

Hardrock runs beginners' and lead courses, private tuition, junior and youth climbing clubs, school holiday programmes for 11 to 17 year olds and Fem Sends, a free monthly women's and gender-inclusive night.

Prices

As we last found them. Prices change, so check the wall's website before you go.

Day pass
$25

- Child (11 to 17): $22

- Child (under 11): $18

- Student, concession and partner climbing clubs: $23

- Auto-belay only: $18

- Belaying only (11+): free entry, harness hire extra

- Harness hire: $7 (children $4)

- Shoe hire: $7 (children $4)

- 10-visit pass: $210, or $200 child, student and concession, $190 partner clubs (valid 12 months)

- Chalk isn't hired: bring your own or buy it in the gear shop

Membership
$143a month

- Billed weekly at $33 by direct debit, 4-week minimum

- Partner climbing club members: $31 a week (about $134.33 a month)

- Members get 15% off in the gear shop and discounts on courses and private coaching

Classes and courses

In the classes library at Hardrock Melbourne CBD

As the wall lists them. Times and prices change, so check with the wall before you book.

  • InductionAges 18+

    Lead Assessment

    Tuesdays 18:00 and 19:00Improvers, Advanced

    Free with entry

    A written test and a practical check of lead climbing and belaying for experienced leaders, who get a lead pass to clip to their harness. Bring a partner, your own harness, rope and karabiner.

  • InductionAges 5+

    Safety Induction and Assessment

    On your first visit, during opening hours15 to 30 minutesBeginners

    Free with entry

    Every first-time visitor is shown how to use the harness, ropes and auto-belays and assessed before climbing on their own. Belayers must be 11 or older.

  • Learn to climbAges 15+

    Beginners Course

    Selected Sundays 08:30–11:002½ hoursBeginners

    $130 for the course

    An instructor teaches the basics of climbing and belaying in a group of six to twelve, with speed-climbing challenges and an abseil from the 16-metre pinnacle.

  • Lead courseAges 18+

    Lead Course

    Weekend mornings, Saturday and Sunday 08:30–11:002 sessions of 2½ hoursImprovers

    $260 for the course

    Two mornings on lead climbing and lead belaying for climbers comfortable top-roping around grade 15 to 16, followed by the free lead assessment. Ages 16 to 17 by arrangement.

  • ClubAges 5–10

    Junior Climbing Club: FUNdamentals (5–10)

    Saturdays 08:00–09:30 and 09:30–11:00, Sundays 09:15–10:451½ hours a weekBeginners, Improvers

    $29 a week

    A weekly coached session where children learn climbing movement through games, with free climbing at Hardrock during opening hours. New members join at the start and middle of each school term, after a trial session.

  • ClubAges up to 10

    Junior Climbing Club: Progressive FUNdamentals

    Saturdays 11:00–12:30, Sundays 10:45–12:151½ hours a weekImprovers

    $33 a week

    By invitation, for juniors from FUNdamentals who are ready for a faster-paced team session, bridging the gap to the youth club.

Upcoming events

In the events calendar at Hardrock Melbourne CBD

As the wall announced them. Plans change, so check with the wall before you go.

  • Social

    Fem Sends Women's Night

    Free with entry

    Hardrock's monthly women's and gender-inclusive climbing night for every level, from first-timers up: a meet and greet at 18:30, a guided group warm-up, then climbing. No booking needed.

  • Social

    Fem Sends Women's Night

    Free with entry

    Hardrock's monthly women's and gender-inclusive climbing night for every level, from first-timers up: a meet and greet at 18:30, a guided group warm-up, then climbing. No booking needed.

  • Social

    Fem Sends Women's Night

    Free with entry

    Hardrock's monthly women's and gender-inclusive climbing night for every level, from first-timers up: a meet and greet at 18:30, a guided group warm-up, then climbing. No booking needed.

Key Features

Food & Drink

  • Cold Drinks
  • Snacks

Types of Climbing

  • Rope (any)
  • Top Rope
  • Lead Climbing
  • Auto Belay

Climbing Training

  • Training Walls (any)

Access

  • Memberships
  • Single Day Passes
  • Multi-day Passes
  • Student Discounts

Equipment Hire

  • Shoe Hire
  • Harness Hire

Other Amenities

  • Merchandise Shop

Classes & Programs

  • Classes (any)
  • Beginner Classes
  • Advanced Classes
  • Kids Classes
  • Team Building
  • Private Instruction
  • Women's Programs

Venue Type

  • Climbing Gym

What climbers say about Hardrock Melbourne CBD

4.5 out of 5from 676 reviews on Google

“Super fun route setting at this gym, also a huge fan that this place has not one, but TWO cracks to climb. … Also a big fan of having a ropes gym in the cbd.”

Google review,

“The location is very convenient right in the cbd and the staff are friendly. … The holds are, in general, extremely worn and slippery.”

Google review,

Ratings as each site showed them in October 2026.

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Beta videos

How climbers have done climbs at Hardrock Melbourne CBD, played from where they were posted. Walls reset their climbs every few weeks, so check when each was posted.

View in the video library at Hardrock Melbourne CBD

  • Top-rope climb on the main wall

    • Top rope
    • Ungraded

    By 10Zing45 on YouTube ·

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