[tomtom]

I guess access is decent from the West (M56) and South and West Manchester - but I'd have thought its catchment area overlaps quite heavily with the Trafford Park Depot. Its also in a shit area. I wouldn't want to walk too far around there after dark. Strange they didn't go for the East side of town.. Maybe not as many wealthy suburbs that side - but would tie into the Stockport/Ashton side of town.

Who knows - maybe they got the lease for a steal!

I like BlocHaus too.

[T_B]

Do people care about walls being in dodgy areas? Depot Sheffield isn’t exactly in a nice area. But you can store a bike inside so whilst it’s a bit of a weird place to walk to, once you’re there it feels very secure. Obvs most ppl drive. The Hanger and Awesome Walls also in fairly grim locations. Seems to be less crime around the Foundry nowadays (my office is next door).

These new walls should have dedicated stretching areas. The amount of stretching that now goes on blows me away!

[remus]

Pondering whilst resting... Do people enjoy these massive walls? I have found with the modern larger centres I don't enjoy them as much as smaller venues.

RIP Broughton.
I like Blochaus in Openshaw, for the reasons you put above.

(although the Depot is quite good

What even was Broughton? Seen loads of nostalgia for it on ukc as well.

An old wall, never visited myself but some reminiscing here https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8313.0.html

[SA Chris]

These new walls should have dedicated stretching areas. The amount of stretching that now goes on blows me away!

I find this fascinating too. Pay a tenner to use a bit of floor for half an hour. Guess i am time poor though..

[chicane]

hopefully will take some strain off the trafford park depot which is rammed in the evenings.

[steveri]

Pondering whilst resting... Do people enjoy these massive walls?

I walked into the new Onyx for the first time recently and thought “this is a bit small”. That was the last time I thought about it.

Admittedly, a rainy midweek afternoon, might be more crammed at busy times but no shortage of problems to keep me busy.

There’s probably a market for both independent corner shops and hyper markets.

[mrjonathanr]

What even was Broughton? Seen loads of nostalgia for it on ukc as well.

Steep Bendcrete spray on concrete/resin onto mesh with loads of stone edges inserted. Picture Rubicon, with more pockets, and always dry. And crap footholds- like a crag. Numbered holds so it had a guidebook full of eliminates.

I guess access is decent from the West (M56) and South and West Manchester - but I'd have thought its catchment area overlaps quite heavily with the Trafford Park Depot. Its also in a shit area. I wouldn't want to walk too far around there after dark. Strange they didn't go for the East side of town..

People managed to survive visiting Loiwer Broughton…
Wythenshawe location is minutes off the M60, M56, M6 and as someone posted above, the airport. It’s a killer choice for access.

[Muenchener]

People managed to survive visiting Lower Broughton…

And before that, Cheetham Hill for the Abraham Moss

[Fultonius]

I reckon some folk come down TCA just to do frog stretches and some muscle ups then go home. I swear I've never seen some of them on a problem.

[dunnyg]

I used to love the bendcrete panels at Huddersfield leisure centre, and the taped on circuits from Carl. That and the old roof at the OG depot.

[Fiend]

Irony is that before they built the wall, Ratho quarry was a really nice midwinter perma-dry suntrap venue (and free to use too obviously).

It still is - or at least was 5 years ago! Some genuinely great routes in there.

I think I prefer medium walls - like Rock Over Shartson (RIP as they will be ground into loose scrittle under the tank tracks of the Depot behemoth), or at least spacious ones like Bloc Haus (I like Bloc Haus too). I don't need Depot Manc giga-size and can find it a bit overwhelming and hard to focus. Onyx is tiny and could be a nightmare when busy but nice when quiet. Pudsey I find a bit pokey. I think I prefer openess to overall wall surface area.

I like having a stretching area as I am 427 times more likely to motivate myself to stretch at the wall or gym than at home. And goddamn do I need to keep doing it.

[teestub]

[Rock Over Shartson (RIP as they will be ground into loose scrittle under the tank tracks of the Depot behemoth)

Are there any walls that have actually had to close due to a competitor opening close by? For example Depot Armley opened about 500m from the Lab and maybe 1km from City Bloc, but all 3 seem to be doing well.

[Bradders]

hopefully will take some strain off the trafford park depot which is rammed in the evenings.

Was going to say, the big plus point for big walls is we desperately need them given the sheer number of people climbing now. Having three Depots and three independents all within about three miles of each other in Leeds seems to have caused no problems whatsoever.

These new walls should have dedicated stretching areas. The amount of stretching that now goes on blows me away!

I find this fascinating too. Pay a tenner to use a bit of floor for half an hour. Guess i am time poor though..

I find it kind of inspiring in a way. There seem to be so many people all working away trying to do good things for themselves etc. Pretty cool I think. Although I do always wonder how much all the bizarre things you see people doing actually helps their climbing.

[stone]

Are there any walls that have actually had to close due to a competitor opening close by? For example Depot Armley opened about 500m from the Lab and maybe 1km from City Bloc, but all 3 seem to be doing well.

The Edge in Sheffield and the Matrix in Sheffield Uni both closed. In both cases it was due to dwindling custom wasn't it? Was it the same with the Broughton wall in Manchester?

[Bradders]

Rokt in Brighouse has had to close to the public. Last time I looked it was only open for specific bookings so very limited. Extenuating circumstances there though, not least the continual flooding.

[remus]

Are there any walls that have actually had to close due to a competitor opening close by? For example Depot Armley opened about 500m from the Lab and maybe 1km from City Bloc, but all 3 seem to be doing well.

The Edge in Sheffield and the Matrix in Sheffield Uni both closed. In both cases it was due to dwindling custom wasn't it? Was it the same with the Broughton wall in Manchester?

Given the success of the depot and the hangar, both of which opened relatively recently, I'd say competition was only part of the reason they closed.

[User deactivated.]

Although I do always wonder how much all the bizarre things you see people doing actually helps their climbing.

Agreed. Dangling off an edge to get better at rock climbing is a waste of time 

[IanP]

The Edge in Sheffield and the Matrix in Sheffield Uni both closed. In both cases it was due to dwindling custom wasn't it? Was it the same with the Broughton wall in Manchester?

Broughton was very much an old school wall in a sports centre (in the 90s we used to share the hall with the badminton players!), it's closure was related to the closure of the school on the same site and the subsequent decline of the sports centre.

[Fultonius]

I would guess that the Hangar opening near an axjsitnf wall is probably bad news, as there middle seems to be a race to the bottom. Basic wall, lower price membership than the incumbent.

I've not been to a depot, but by the sounds of things they're trying to go for quality and expansion of provision  over undercutting? So maybe more likely to lead to the market growing and other walls continuing to manage?

[stone]

I would guess that the Hangar opening near an axjsitnf wall is probably bad news, as there middle seems to be a race to the bottom. Basic wall, lower price membership than the incumbent.

I've not been to a depot, but by the sounds of things they're trying to go for quality and expansion of provision  over undercutting? So maybe more likely to lead to the market growing and other walls continuing to manage?

The Matrix Sheffield was the arch undercutter though. It was £60 per six months for <5pm weekdays (ie 16:55h entry then stay as long as you want) plus weekends, £80 for peak times included. It was the only wall I've been to since 2010 I think 

[Bradders]

Health club clientele need health club level facilities.

Speaking of, the bouldering at this place opens today in Huddersfield:

https://www.bigboxleisureclub.co.uk/

[teestub]

Health club clientele need health club level facilities.

Speaking of, the bouldering at this place opens today in Huddersfield:

https://www.bigboxleisureclub.co.uk/

A place like that with a couple of boards rather than a terrible looking bit of wall would be decent. There seems to be a few places like this in the states https://adventurefitdojo.com/ which must have a pretty high monthly cost to make business sense. Would love something like this locally

[Muenchener]

The Edge in Sheffield and the Matrix in Sheffield Uni both closed. In both cases it was due to dwindling custom wasn't it? Was it the same with the Broughton wall in Manchester?

Broughton was very much an old school wall in a sports centre (in the 90s we used to share the hall with the badminton players!), it's closure was related to the closure of the school on the same site and the subsequent decline of the sports centre.

I made one nostalgic return visit this century, just before it closed, having previously been there regularly in the early 90s. It had become appallingly polished, which is always going to be an issue with walls where the climbing is on permanent features, especially natural stone.

The only wall of that kind that's still in use that I'm aware of is Glossop, which still seems to have a following. I wonder what state that's in?

[spidermonkey09]

60 quid a month for that Huddersfield one seems a lot of cash, even if it did have a couple of decent boards. You'd have to be going minimum twice a week to make it worth it I'd have thought. Admittedly it would be nice to have a board session and then a nice swim though!

[teestub]

They’ve got a sauna and plunge pool too, they’re the sort of warm down facilities I’d pay extra for!