[i.munro]

Obviously location is important.  But what would motivate you to travel that bit further.

I've discovered that  for  me the main "avoiid!" factors seem to be overcrowding & excess heat & the main "go to" the quality of setting.

Reason I'm asking is that I've been visiting a  wall that opened about 10 months ago & it's pretty underused while the local competition is rammed & generally  stupidly overwarm.  So what's going on? Are climbers social animals & like people standing on their fingers?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Stubbs]

From the pictures I've seen of West 1 it doesn't have anything to counter the Wave or the mezz at the Castle, and for me it is about three times as far away to cycle.

Plus Cowboyhat doesn't go to West 1 so I would miss my chance to worship at his feet.

[chris05]

Have to say I'd travel further and actively seek out a quiter wall, even if it was a bit worse. I'd like to claim that this is because I'm not a sheep but its probably due to being unsociable!

[i.munro]

Have to say I'd travel further and actively seek out a quiter wall, even if it was a bit worse. I'd like to claim that this is because I'm not a sheep but its probably due to being unsociable!

That makes at least 2 of us then 

[Lund]

I've got an annual pass at the castle, so it'd be daft to go somewhere else.

If we're on about west 1, from the photos it looks log.  I was going to bang on about that, and then... I discovered the link to ROCKFIT!

http://www.high-sports.co.uk/neil_gresham_rockfit.php

"Reach new heights in extreme fitness!"

Jesus Titty Fucking Christ.

[Stubbs]

That makes at least 2 of us then 

you should probably stop going on about how amazing your quiet wall is the whole time then, unless they've got you on a spam payroll 

[Paul B]

Jesus Titty Fucking Christ.

almost correct!

at least he's got his marketing down:

[i_a_coops]

Skin-friendliness is a main issue for me, if I trained at West 1 regularly my hands would look like kebabs.

Also there aren't enough holds on the paltry quanity of steep bit to make up your own problems when they take down the only problem above V6 because 'no one is using it'. At least, that was my experience about 4 months ago.

I was working in London this summer and gave up on West1 pretty fast, moved onto the westway (where there is a LOT of steep board which makes you strong! and unlimited access is much cheaper)

The rockfit thing is an absolute joke...

[i.munro]

[
you should probably stop going on about how amazing your quiet wall is the whole time then,

Err there was no mention of any particular wall or indeed area of the country in my post. It was you that  decided to make a general enquiry specific.

[Stubbs]

I've seen your posts on the other channel

[Jaspersharpe]

at least he's got his marketing down:

That's fucking dynamite!  Go Eggbox. 

[tomtom]

Neil Greshams presenting style is a tad scary... the eyes of a religious freak with the background music from a gay chat advert... 

Oh, more seriously...

Quality of the problems (most important thing)

Ambience (every wall has its own different vibe)

People who go there... similar to above - but bouldering's a pretty social thing and its crap if everyones ignoring everyone else. A good gender balance helps (ie not just all bluurks).

Convenience

Price

[fried]

It's raining. It's not raining.

[mrconners]

Cost.
 Nearly £8 fucking at most walls now and as i'm shit I manage about an hour and a half and I'm fooked.

[gremlin]

Cost:
West View in Preston has gone from £4:70 to £6 in one fell swoop! That's big price hike!
Still, I guess it's cheaper than most other places.

Luckily there's a decent supply of DFBWGC 

[BB]

Neil Greshams presenting style is a tad scary... the eyes of a religious freak with the background music from a gay chat advert... 

Oh, more seriously...

Quality of the problems (most important thing)

Ambience (every wall has its own different vibe)

People who go there... similar to above - but bouldering's a pretty social thing and its crap if everyones ignoring everyone else. A good gender balance helps (ie not just all bluurks).

Convenience

Price

I go down to the Swindon wall this evening and who should i find there? Only Neil fucking Gresham hogging the bouldering wall whilst giving a 'masterclass'. Not best pleased! So, to answer the OP's question. Neil Gresham makes me avoid the wall!

[GCW]

Luckily there's a decent supply of DFBWGC 

Really?  I think I need glasses.

Although the incredible heat in West View may have warped your perceptions........

[GCW]

Holy shit, I just watched the Gresham video.  I have no idea WTF that was about, but I feel violated.

[Adam Lincoln]

Luckily there's a decent supply of DFBWGC 

Where are they then?

[cheque]

Quality of route and problem setting and variety of holds, particularly in their applicability to rock climbing.

I want to climb around people who are psyched, keen and see the indoor environment as a training tool/ wet weather fix rather than bumblies who stand around chatting and complaining how hard everything is.

Surely no-one likes to climb when it's hot and you grease off the holds! I like the movable fans they have at the Foundry.

[Muenchener]

Have to say I'd travel further and actively seek out a quiter wall, even if it was a bit worse.

Turns out not to be the case for me. Due to regular business travel, combined with a desire not to let travel disrupt my training too much and an aversion to long boring evenings in hotel rooms/bars, I have been of late intensively researching The Climbing Walls Of Lower Saxony And Eastern Westphalia.

The walls at home in Muenchen are all absolutely rammed all the time on midweek winter evenings, to the point that I've almost entirely given up on queuing for routes at one of them. That represents one extreme of the scale. Here in t'north, where there are fewer climbers, we have within semi-reasonable reach of where I'm working:

- the other end of quietness scale: two quite big, new, shiny commercial walls in Ahlen and Paderborn. Nobody there on winter midweek evenings - hurra, no queuing. The route setting ain't great but it isn't *that* bad. But, as it turns out - also no atmosphere. Emptiness to the point that it's spooky turns out to be somewhat demotivating too.
- Escaladrome, Hannover. A good bouldering wall, but a bit too far away unless I happen to fly via Hannover which I usually don't
- a wall belonging to the German Alpine Club in Bielefeld. The routes bit looked no great shakes and was crowded, but I really enjoyed the bouldering area. Scruffy, improvised feel with unpainted rubber-steaked plywood: always a good sign. Enough people for there to be a bit of atmosphere and craic, friendly. The style of bouldering there absolutely plays to my weaknesses: lots of very steep, body-tensiony stuff on big round holds - so very good training. I could see it getting monotonous if I lived here, but I don't, and for occasional visits it's definitely become my #1 choice in the area.

Tonight, however, I'm facing hotel room yoga boredom - after three days on, the third of them on the brutal roofs of Bielefeld, I have to reluctantly rule out another wall visit. 

[Muenchener]

... so to summarise, my "visit" criteria would appear to be:

• busy
• scruffy
• climbing style doesn't suit me

 

[Richie Crouch]

Anywhere that plays Johnny Cash or Fall Out Boy on repeat for 8 hours!

[gremlin]

Luckily there's a decent supply of DFBWGC 

Really?  I think I need glasses.

Although the incredible heat in West View may have warped your perceptions........

I have low standards

[slackline]

Anywhere that plays Johnny Cash or Fall Out Boy on repeat for 8 hours!

Would that make you visit or avoid? 

[ducko]

for me,
weather if its nice ill go outside,
distance is always a factor except all the walls by me are the same distance away
quality of the problems and variety in the area is the main thing

[Jim]

cost is a big factor and weather or not my mates were there but the biggest one would be the conditions at the crag

[Richie Crouch]

Anywhere that plays Johnny Cash or Fall Out Boy on repeat for 8 hours!

Would that make you visit or avoid? 

Ah... I didn't read the topic title very carefully. This situation is clearly to be avoided at all costs!

Things that make a good wall are:

Posh toilets, good coffee, campus board, BM2000, Lots of wide compression problems and some minging board style crimping.

[slackline]

Will post it in the syphoned thread!

[Simon Brown]

Time constraints
weather
my health
variety of angles/styles
good cafe
showers
BM2000
The people there
Campus board
Space to stretch, do yoga

Which is the most important blend depends on how I feel that day.

[yorkshireman]

for me two of the most important aspects are customer servive(how friendly the staff are) and the standard/frequency of route setting.its also really nice if there are lots of good climbers there that arent quiet as good as i am 

[The Aaronator]

And another thing....People performing ridiculous feats of yoga most definitely makes me avoid a climbing wall. (Go to West View on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening and you'll see what I mean)

[webbo]

Munech
Is the wall in Bielefeld easy to gain entry.Is there any taxing regs that will stump an inability to speak German.My daughter moves there on friday so  I suspect I will be out there in the near future.
Do you know if there is any real rock in the area.

[i.munro]

So a couple of months in we have, on the "go to " side (with no of times mentioned in brackets)

good setting (2)
frequent setting
other people there/ambience (4)
good gender balance
variety of angles/styles
price(3)
scruffy
busy
posh toilets  -- really??
good coffee
good cafe
customer service
showers
BM2000
Campus board
Space to stretch, do yoga

on the "avoid side"  things are a bit less clear

crowding
heat
absence of cowboy hat wearers -- not sure if this is intended for this thread??
looking 'log' on website - I'm guessing  anti-log means tall & steep
skin unfriendly  -- don't get this. they all use the same holds don't they? Is sliminess a good thing?

So what seems to be the attraction for most is  other people closely followed by cheapness (which I suspect means the place being pretty crowded in order to make money).
Thanks everyone.

[Muenchener]

Munech
Is the wall in Bielefeld easy to gain entry.Is there any taxing regs that will stump an inability to speak German.My daughter moves there on friday so  I suspect I will be out there in the near future.
Do you know if there is any real rock in the area.

Bielefeld is super-easy access. Just stroll in, no front desk, just a ticket machine. Nobody checked my ticket; I guess as it's the Alpine Club not a commercial venture, they assume - hopefully correctly - most climbers are decent honest folk. Otoh: no drinks or snacks either, bring your own. Finding it is easy with google maps or a navi; I have no idea how far it from public transport as I was in a hire car. Note: only open in the evening on weekdays.

Depends what you mean by real rock "in the area". I've only been there a few weekdays in winter so didn't really have occasion to check anything out, but according to kletternimnorden.de/ there's a quarry with some bouldering right on the outskirts of Bielefeld in the Teutoberger Wald, and I'm sure there would be cragging somewhere within a hour or two's drive.

[Muenchener]

skin unfriendly  -- don't get this. they all use the same holds don't they? Is sliminess a good thing?

To a degree. I find that on plastic routes, it's best to get on them when they've just been set, the holds are nice'n'rough and the friction is good.

Whereas for bouldering, where one is pulling harder on smaller/slopier holds and making more attempts, a certain amount of smoothed-offness is indeed no bad thing.

[webbo]

thanks for the info .I had found the wall when i googled rock climbing Bielefeld.my daughters husband is in the army based out there,so hopefully ther might be the odd squady who climbs.

[i_a_coops]

They don't all use the same holds, I think Bleaustone holds are noticably smoother than Holdz for example. Also, if holds have been used a lot, i think they do get smoother (nothing to do with slime). Smoother holds means less pain, and you need to squeeze them harder - what's not to like?

[i.munro]

Also, if holds have been used a lot, i think they do get smoother . Smoother holds means less pain, and you need to squeeze them harder - what's not to like?

Sounds like polish to me & I'm not a fan.
However let's assume that your typical customer thinks as you do. What could  the owner of a new-ish wall do to address this?
Bit of a catch 22 isn't it? People are avoiding the wall as the holds haven't been worn by a lot of use & the holds aren't being worn because people are avoiding the wall ...

[slackline]

However let's assume that your typical customer thinks as you do. What could  the owner of a new-ish wall do to address this?

Wooden holds (ideally on a steep woody).

[i_a_coops]