How To Set Up A Climbing Fingerboard

Using a fingerboard (sometimes called a hangboard) is one of the best ways to maximise training and take your climbing to the next level. Having risen in popularity since their first appearance in the ’90s, training on a fingerboard is now a staple tool for most serious climbers.

If you’re thinking of purchasing a fingerboard, or perhaps you've just ordered your first one, you may be wondering how to set it up. Unlike a pull-up bar, it isn’t ready to hang on a door frame out of the box. There is no one way to mount the board, and the best option will depend on your own situation and level of creativity. However, to help get you started here are our top tips for setting up a fingerboard.

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Preparation

If you are in rented accommodation then your options for mounting are slightly limited unless you have your landlords all clear to drill holes into your wall. However, there are ways around this and we’ll run through a couple of drill-free options below.

If you own your accommodation then before you get the drill out, take some time to consider where you are going to put the board. You need to ensure that the board isn’t flush to a wall to allow you to hang underneath, and it also needs to be placed somewhere where you can use it easily (it’s a good idea to minimise any potential excuses to not train!).

Importantly, it is crucial to ensure that wherever the board is installed, it is completely vertical. Even just a few degrees of overhang can dramatically increase the difficulty of the holds

The four main mounting methods are:

• Mounting above door frame with permanent fitting
• Mounting within door frame without any screws or drilling
• Mounting on a beam (typically in a cellar or attic)
• Mounting set away from a wall (indoors or outdoors)

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Mounting Above A Door Frame

Mounting your fingerboard above a door frame is one of the most popular options. All you need to do is attach the fingerboard to a plywood sheet which you can then screw into your wall. Ideally this needs to be an internal brick or breezeblock wall rather than plasterboard. If you are working with a plasterboard wall, then you will need to locate the studs in the wall and screw directly into those.

If you need to get extra clearance from the doorframe, you can attach the plywood backing to thicker wooden blocks at either end to move the board out from the wall.

Remember to follow usual drilling standards, using rawl plugs when screwing into walls.

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Mounting Within A Door Frame

This is the best option for anyone who wants to avoid drilling into walls and instead create a temporary fixture. There are many different ways of achieving this, some more creative than others, although the most straightforward method is to adapt a door frame pull up bar.

For this you’ll need a pull up bar that hangs from the door frame on one side, has a horizontal bar across on the other, and two ‘handles’ that point out away from the door. You will also need x2 ½” x 4” galvanised nipples, x2 ½” galvanised floor flanges along with screws and plywood big enough to mount your fingerboard too.

Attach the nipples into the flanges before popping the end caps off the pull-up bars that point forward. Insert the nipples into the hole. If there is some movement, you can either wrap the nipples in duct tape to widen them or alternatively, drill through the nipples and handles when inserted and place a bolt through to secure. From here, attach the plywood to the mounts before screwing your fingerboard to the wood.

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Mounting on a beam

The easiest option of them all, if you have a horizontal wooden beam in your home you can directly screw your fingerboard onto it.

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Mounting to a wall

Mounting your fingerboard to a wall is one of the tricker options, but allows you to mount it outside if wanted. To create some distance from the wall, allowing you to hang underneath, you will need to build a frame that separates the board from the wall.  30cm is generally considered to be enough clearance to freely hang, but you’ll need to brush up your carpentry skills to get everything sitting just right.

Fundamentally the mounting process remains the same as with other methods. Attach the fingerboard to plywood before then attaching to the frame.

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Hopefully these tips help get you started with mounting your fingerboard. Remember to not be afraid to get creative. Whatever method you choose, just ensure that the board is plumb vertical and securely attached to your chosen mounting surface.

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