Metolius Simulator 3D Training Board

Very good product, useful for climbers for increasing finger and grip strength. This product definitely outclasses other training boards in terms of variety of holds. This training board also has a great grip and really feels like a hold you would have in a climbing gym.

My 5’11 155lb. son is into rock climbing and wanted a hanging wall. Having no idea what it was, I ordered this Metolius Simulator 3D unit seeing that it had great reviews. It arrived within 2 days through Amazon. I inspected it before I put it up on our wall. It was very heavy, like cement, and had no cracks. The marbled white, gray and black design was a hit with my son. We picked out a perfect spot for his hanging unit in our basement that had studs in the wall to secure it to. Used a stud finder to mark the studs.I wanted to make the wood board backing so I went to Home Depot and had them cut a pine board: 9”X”48”, 3/4” thickness. I then sanded all the sides and corners, stained it and sealed the board. I also bought 4 #12 - 3 inch screws to screw this board into the studs in our wall. I marked the board’s center spot so I could match it up with the center of the hanging board. Using a bubble level tool, drill, measuring tape and ladder, I hung the backing board securely to the wall in the studs.Next was hanging the hanging unit to the backing board. This was the hardest part since I was doing this by myself standing on a ladder. I had to hold the heavy hanging board up to the place where it was going to be screwed to the backing board while trying to drill. Lined up the center of the board to the center of the hanging unit. Screwed in the top, middle hole first and then screwed in the other screws using the bubble level tool to make sure it’s balanced. Bam!!! Done!!! Best thing is, you get to hear, “Wow, thanks Mom!”Tips:•Find out where your studs are in the wall, that will determine exactly how long your backing board needs to be.•Try to put your hanging board in a place where you have enough room on both sides of the hanging board, not too close to a wall. You may require a little elbow room•Put your hanging board where you have enough head room for those pull ups. Also, too close to the ceiling will limit your finger room to grip the top.•I wish I made the backing board a little bit taller than 9” (just for the esthetics). So make sure you measure the height too, specially if you need the height to drill into a stud.Tools used:LadderBubble level toolDrillPhillips screw driverMeasuring tapePencil

I had no trouble mounting this hangboard to a board I picked up at the home center. I then mounted the board with the hangboard attached to the studs above a door opening. It is super solid and has no problem holding a large friend of mine at 250lbs.The texture of the board is excellent. I like to use chalk with it to make the tougher holds a bit more manageable, but that adds another degree of difficulty to go without chalk.The variety is excellent with a variance of 2, 3, and 4 finger holds from easy to super-hard difficulty, one hand holds (in the center), and 2 degrees of slopers on the top (med & hard). The hard sloper really is tough and has definitely improved my ability with slopers in the gym. You can also do pull-ups on the jugs at the top left and right.I was peaking around 5.10c/d before spending 6 weeks doing workouts on this hangboard. Spending 10-15 minutes a night on it before bed (just about everyday) has allowed me to advance now to 5.11a/b. You will definitely improve your contact strength and forearm endurance.If you are a climber looking to improve and break through a plateau, you will definitely be glad you spent the money on this.

The Metolius Simulator 3D is a durable and well-built tool that is great for increasing your strength and grip. The design and quality are second-to-none, and I love the real-feel texture. Even my kids love challenging themselves and seeing how long they can last on the multitude of different holds.I bought a 3/4" x 12" x 36" wood panel at my local hardware store for about $6 and mounted the panel securely to the wall studs using #12 3" screws. Then, I mounted the training board to the panel using the screws included with the training board. It holds all 180 pounds of me without budging. I can honestly say the family and I having been having a lot of fun with this board.There's a great video on YouTube that provides an overview on the versatility and usefulness of this board. It's titled "Training Board Basics for Beginners" and it features the Simulator 3D with demonstrations by Beth Rodden, a world-renowned climber.Thank you, Metolius, for an excellent product!

Arrived cracked in half. So I wouldn't say this thing is very durable, however how often will you be banging this thing about like shipping does? The texture feels great. Rougher than wood but not so rough you wont need some chalk from time to time. Groove depth is fairly nice, with some good variety. Color is VERY white with hardly any blue, VERY different than advertised photo. I don't mind much though. I tried screwing it to my wall to try it out and it works because it has a lot of screw holes, but I dare not hold the middle until this thing is replaced, because there are chips missing that will cut me. Its quite heavy. I'd still recommend it. Hope you have better luck with transport than I did.