Founded in 1950, the Club Andino Buenos Aires (CABA) has been a cornerstone of Argentinian mountaineering, boasting feats like the second ascent of Cerro Chaltén (Fitz Roy) and sending the first Argentinian to stand atop Mount Everest. Yet the city’s connection to the mountains took a unique twist in 1982, when Julio Corradi, a passionate CABA representative, persuaded Argentina’s Secretary of Sports, Alberto Dallo, to support an ambitious idea: build an artificial climbing wall that captures the rugged feel of Patagonia’s iconic rock faces — right in the heart of Buenos Aires.

The result is La Palestra, a climbing center unlike any other. Constructed from thousands of heavy slate chunks imported over 800 km from the San Luis province, these stones were carefully glued with concrete to mimic real rock formations — cracks, chimneys, slabs — that challenge climbers in ways no conventional gym can.

Rising 55 feet, La Palestra’s two parallel walls stretch outward for 130 feet of vertical terrain. On the outside, the walls curl with intricate cracks and hairline crimps, creating over 150 routes across 2,400 square meters. Stainless steel bolts start 10 feet above the ground, perfect for hands-on gear placement and anchor building, replicating the natural demands of trad climbing.

Inside, the walls smooth out with stacked concrete layers breaking into micro-edges every six inches. This space is perfect for slab climbing techniques, fingerprint cracks, and delicate balance moves. One split crack rises textured and inviting, a nod to Patagonia’s demanding vertical fingers.

More than just a climbing gym, La Palestra is "our mountain in the city." It draws over 100 climbers and instructors on weekends who practice everything from hand jams and chimneys to multi-pitch transitions, self-rescue, rappelling, and dry tooling. What starts as strangers warming up on sandy ground evolves into climbing partnerships forged by shared respect for the rock’s challenges.

Local climber Maria Perin calls La Palestra life-changing. Once an outsider to climbing, she now spends several sessions a week here, sharpening skills under seasoned mentors. “It’s a community. We all take care of each other,” she says, capturing more than a training center—a thriving culture rooted in mutual growth and passion.

For adventurers thinking beyond city gyms, La Palestra is a rare bridge to Patagonia’s fierce terrain — a place where urban stone dares you to learn, fail, and triumph. If you find yourself in Buenos Aires craving the grit of rock climbing’s wild heart, this is where you start.