[mrjonathanr]

I do understand that climbers who were quite experienced before bolts arrived haven't always made the adjustment to accept sport climbing and sometimes bouldering as distinct and equally valid pursuits and younger climbers now find a more atomised sport where it's perhaps easier to be more niche in your outlook.

I do get that some who just trad climb may feel a little bit of a minority nowadays because people can come into the sport through the safety of walls and just never grasp what it is to go tradding. Somewhat older climbers (ahem) had to survive their apprenticeship and that is less true nowadays.

That said the drive to just go out and climb whatever's available usually overcomes any petty jealousies in most who are keen I think.

re prices, I was until recently a member of a gym. I had an incredibly good deal which equated to £400 annually. My mrs gave up her membership elsewhere as she felt that approx £1000 annually to go to the pool once a month was relatively poor value. Either way, £300 to go to a wall for a year looks pretty good compared to equivalent gym membership.

[a dense loner]

I don't know about pretty good comparably, one of them you can climb on holds at and the other you can use a multitude of differing fitness machines, punch bags, free weights, weights machines, the latest fads of the day, sauna, steam room, warm room, jacuzzi, free classes ie yoga for the sake of this forum

[James Malloch]

I don't know about pretty good comparably, one of them you can climb on holds at and the other you can use a multitude of differing fitness machines, punch bags, free weights, weights machines, the latest fads of the day, sauna, steam room, warm room, jacuzzi, free classes ie yoga for the sake of this forum

I'd say they're pretty comparatable. A gym might have 30 machines and a sauna etc. A wall will have maybe 50 lines, and some bouldering. Probably some finger, campus and system boards. Some will have weights too (I think kendal has a training room with various bits in). Also, depending on how you look at it, they cater for all abilities (free weights and machine weights verses lead and top rope walls). 

Then if the route setters are good, then the different routes and problems will use different strengths and muscles, okay it's not as obvious as a machine which tells you what muscles you're working, but you can give yourself a good, varied training workout.

For what you (generally) get, I think most walls are great value!

[a dense loner]

I think most walls are decent value, down south doesn't count since the place isn't real, however comparably I think you get a lot more for your money at a good gym. I say think I don't think at all I know. I'm a member of a good gym and a good wall and if i had to sacrifice one it would be the wall and I'd just hang on my fingerboard

[psychomansam]

There are two problems that I see:
1. Gym value is increased a lot by huge numbers of infrequent or no-show members, which are much rarer for climbing walls.
2. Climbers have to subsidise walls to stay open when we're all out climbing.

So yes, I do think you get more for your money at a gym. My membership has mainly been to S10 health in Sheffield - gym, classes, pool, steam, sauna, decent showers, amongst other on-site paid-for activities.

On the other hand, you could look at it like this:

Gyms and walls are generally both pretty pricey to go to once a week. Gyms are often a bit pricier at this frequency.

Going twice, it's generally worth getting membership for either, and prices start to come down quite a bit. At this frequency, gyms might work out a bit cheaper, but walls don't look too bad either.

Going three or more times a week, both are brilliant value and both are heading towards losing money on you.

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The issue for me is that I live in different cities midweek and at the weekend. This makes it pointless for me to get membership anywhere. I'm also pretty skint and currently have to avoid climbing midweek in Derby because I can't afford to pay £8 for a shit, tiny bouldering wall. Which sucks doubly. At the weekend, I can almost always justify at least the £3 for a less shit, still tiny bouldering wall (Matrix), if not somewhere better.