[Paul T]

Just to let all the boulderers north of the border know, lawyers are just finalizing the contracts for TCA Glasgow. We hope to be in the building and starting construction in June, and to be open early autumn. More details can be found at http://www.theclimbingacademy.com/glasgow.
Further enquires can be made to glasgow@theclimbingacademy.com
Paul

[Adam Lincoln]

Nice on Paul. What's wrong with Manchester? 

You down in Pembroke at Easter?

[SA Chris]

Nice one. Next step Aberdeen? Please????

[magpie]

I was going to post about this the other day, looks good. 

[BB]

If Bristol is anything to go by, you're in for a treat Magpie. 

[Fultonius]

For about the last 3 years (basically since I left Uni and started working for a living) I've been thinking that there were enough climbers in Glasgow for a dedicated bouldering wall.  Right across from my flat in Cowcaddens is an old bus depot and I kept thinking "that would make an awesome bouldering wall".

Then "The Depot" was built in Leeds and I thought again "that is exactly what I was thinking off".

Buuuut....I never got round to actually thinking about it seriously ( I mean, where do you even start!?!?!)

So, these guys have done it, good on them - I'll be well up for it once I get my knee sorted!

[GCW]

I remember when KHISA was the dedicated bouldering centre.  When it was featured an' all.

[Fultonius]

I remember when KHISA was the dedicated bouldering centre.  When it was featured an' all.

I've got to admit, I've never even been!

[magpie]

If Bristol is anything to go by, you're in for a treat Magpie. 

I have high hopes, BB, I reckon I could accidentally jump at least 3 grades fake training while I am actually just perving. 

[GCW]

I remember when KHISA was the dedicated bouldering centre.  When it was featured an' all.

I've got to admit, I've never even been!

I'm talking about the glory days before they put panels on it.
Polish, minging crimps, Andy G sweating and swearing, Fatty Rudden being denied, Parnaby doing massive circuits, Exchequer/ The Aragon afterwards for many pints.
Aaaah, those were the days

[marty]

Just to let all the boulderers north of the border know, lawyers are just finalizing the contracts for TCA Glasgow. We hope to be in the building and starting construction in June, and to be open early autumn. More details can be found at http://www.theclimbingacademy.com/glasgow.
Further enquires can be made to glasgow@theclimbingacademy.com
Paul

YYFY! Finally a decent bouldering wall north of the border!

[SA Chris]

Howls of protest from rodma and other ARII devotees.

[rodma]

Howls of protest from rodma and other ARII devotees.

 

Nah, I'm well chuffed, definately worth driving past Ratho for and will make a nice change from AR2 

[SA Chris]

Iwas referring to the

Finally a decent bouldering wall north of the border!

comment.

[marty]

Iwas referring to the

Finally a decent bouldering wall north of the border!

comment.

Thought that might get a reaction. TBH AR2 p1ssed me off after turning me away with my son  because of some rediculous policy of excluding kids. Evidently some parents dont supervise their kids which has caused problems, but my view is that THEY SHOULD BAN THE PARENTS!

.. and compared to what I've seen from the likes of the works, the depot and the climbing academy, they spank over AR2.

... and it will beat driving to Ratho for a half decent workout.

[SA Chris]

I think it was after several near miss incidents and a raft of complaints that they imposed the ban. Agree it is a bit shit though.

[rodma]

Iwas referring to the

Finally a decent bouldering wall north of the border!

comment.

Thought that might get a reaction. TBH AR2 p1ssed me off after turning me away with my son  because of some rediculous policy of excluding kids. Evidently some parents dont supervise their kids which has caused problems, but my view is that THEY SHOULD BAN THE PARENTS!

When did they stop letting children in (there were certainly children in last week)? 

I know they restrict the hours that children are allowed to use the centre.

Chris, I like Alien2, but it was built about 10years ago (at the time I believe it was the biggest dedicated bouldering facility in the uk). The setting (and therefore climbing) is a little basic, but that merely reflects the large uniform angles of board that they have.

I really enjoy the variety that the more modern bloddering centre has to offer, so am excited that the climbing academy are opening up so close by.

[Paul T]

Nice on Paul. What's wrong with Manchester? 

You down in Pembroke at Easter?

Hi Adam, hope all's good with you. Manchester will be getting saturated over the next few years if everything we hear down south is to be believed...
Off to Phuket for a few weeks r&r so will miss the Pembroke action. Have fun though and catch you soon x

[Fiend]

If Bristol is anything to go by, you're in for a treat Magpie. 

I have high hopes, BB, I reckon I could accidentally jump at least 3 grades fake training while I am actually just perving. 

Hmmmm. Hopefully it will be plastered with wall to wall flange like The Works 

Paul, some requests yo:

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).
Plain panel colours, sponsor's logos aside. Kiddie playground colours look hideous and....just detract from the training vibe.
Lots of slopey and small holds.
No tweaky / pointlessly complex holds.
Strict brushing policy to reduce hold smegma (Works falls down here too).
Good coffee (cappucino with proper foam).
Regular tech-house / deep techno / downbeat soundtrack (Works definitely succeeds here, perfectly balanced training music)
Reasonably well insulated in Winter (i.e. Not Ratho!)

errrr. That's all

[rodma]

Paul, some requests yo:

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).

 

Please don't do this, this is where Ibrox falls down (and it's virtually on the same street after all, no need to copy it) 

[slackline]

You never smear on flat surfaces?  Very tricky if its polished wood, far less so if there is textured paint.

[dontfollowme]

I think the issue with textured panels rather than just painted is its very easy to run your feet up a panel once you get to a postive hold.

[rodma]

You never smear on flat surfaces?  Very tricky if its polished wood, far less so if there is textured paint.

I always paste my feet on flat surfaces (cos I'm really short). When it's just normal paint you just pull harder to make your feet stick, don't you?

[Fiend]

Paul, some requests yo:

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).

 

Please don't do this, this is where Ibrox falls down (and it's virtually on the same street after all, no need to copy it) 

Dude, textured panels have been around for decades. It's only recently that places like The Works have had smooth polished skiddy wood, and it's shit, unrealistic and bad training for anything except slate.

I don't mean hideous OTT feature-fests like those horrible upstairs wall or Ratho boulders, I mean something perfectly fucking normal - a bit of texture, just like, errr, 95% of rocks have outside.

Don'tfollowme - if it's overtextured, yes. But anyway, you just need worse holds - which is better training.



Edit: Christ, I was so appalled anyone would think shiny wood was better training than a decent texture, that I fucked up the quotes, go me.

[rodma]

Paul, some requests yo:

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).

 

Please don't do this, this is where Ibrox falls down (and it's virtually on the same street after all, no need to copy it) 

Dude, textured panels have been around for decades. It's only recently that places like The Works have had smooth polished skiddy wood, and it's shit, unrealistic and bad training for anything except slate.

I don't mean hideous OTT feature-fests like those horrible upstairs wall or Ratho boulders, I mean something perfectly fucking normal - a bit of texture, just like, errr, 95% of rocks have outside.

Don'tfollowme - if it's overtextured, yes. But anyway, you just need worse holds - which is better training.



Edit: Christ, I was so appalled anyone would think shiny wood was better training than a decent texture, that I fucked up the quotes, go me.

I don't mind textured panels at all, but covering a wall in even the smallest of features makes it a real pain for routesetting.

[slackline]

You never smear on flat surfaces?  Very tricky if its polished wood, far less so if there is textured paint.

I always paste my feet on flat surfaces (cos I'm really short). When it's just normal paint you just pull harder to make your feet stick, don't you?

Well I try, but am rather shit 

[Fiend]

Rodma, so we're not actually at odds over this then 

By small features I mean small features i.e. nothing you could actually use for your hands even if it were allowed. Smears and nubbins and shit. Nottingham wall has some good examples of this, as do the Ratho lead walls.

[rodma]

Rodma, so we're not actually at odds over this then 

By small features I mean small features i.e. nothing you could actually use for your hands even if it were allowed. Smears and nubbins and shit. Nottingham wall has some good examples of this, as do the Ratho lead walls.

No, we're not at odds at all 

I'm just really excited about the prospect of this place opening, but would be disappointed if there ended up being loads of features-for-feet style problems 

[jim.macp]

absolutely delighted to hear that there will be a dedicated bouldering centre in glasgow!  if this were a perfect world it would act as a spur for the existing GCC to improve their facilities to try to maintain a share of the bouldering market (though i suspect it will do the opposite) and offer glasgow a choice of quality venues.

improvements on the current provisions that i would like to see, vaguely in order of importance:

1)  reasonable height climbs (ratho and kelvingrove being much better than GCC)
2)  problems that my girlfriend would enjoy, i.e., interesting problems that are less than vertical.  virtually non-existent in glasgow currently.
3)  a decent cafe.  if i could get a bowl of pasta (rather than just a burger or cheese toastie) for a couple of quid i would eat there 3 nights a week
4)  a good place for doing circuits (less than 45 degrees)
5)  a variety of surface types..  i personally love the combination of bolt on hand-holds and numerous feature footholds on the free standing boulders at ratho


and now the wishlist:

a few free weights and other conditioning tools
lounging area
heavily discounted prices to pull punters in off-peak
slack line
how about a connected climber's bar serving local microbrews like they do in prague?

[Percy B]

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).

No, you mean you fall off on this. We use lots of little screw-on holds which we can move around when we reset, instead of permanent smeary features which we used to use before we knew any better and which are there for ever and just get polished.

If your eyesight wasn't fucked from painting all those goblins, you'd have seen the screw-on foot holds too......

 

[magpie]

I think screw on foot holds are better, as Percy says, they can be moved about and changed moer often to suit different routes and also they are more positive to stand on, I find. [/punter] 

If you require something other than the screwed on holds to help do the problem then it should be harder work / less friction-y to use the rest of the wall cause otherwise you are getting too much help and cheating. 

[Plattsy]

........... and which are there for ever and just get polished.

Sounds like rock to me.

[SA Chris]

Percy, it looks like establishing outposts of bouldering centres across the UK is the thing to do. I reckon you should get the Works II in Aberdeen before you miss the chance (please!).

[Cheesemaster]

Have you got a venue lined up. Any hints on its location

[magpie]

For the Glasgow one?

Portman Street, in the old News International Building just beside the M8, 200m from Kinning Park Subway station.

[marty]

Any firm dates yet ??? Given that the scottish summer is over by the 3rd week in June before is lashes down for 8 months, it can't come too soon!

[magpie]

3rd week in June?  'Summer' is the two nice weeks in the middle of May, surely?

[Fiend]

Textured panels with subtle smears on (The Works falls down on this).

No, you mean you fall off on this. We use lots of little screw-on holds which we can move around when we reset, instead of permanent smeary features which we used to use before we knew any better and which are there for ever and just get polished.

If your eyesight wasn't fucked from painting all those goblins, you'd have seen the screw-on foot holds too......

 

Haha I have 20/20 dude. I haven't been to the works since last September so you must have added them since then. Screwons are fine but it's still not as good training as subtler smears, unless you have LOADS of shite screw-ons.