[unclesomebody]

I think this discounted membership is a good thing but it is still quite pricey. I'm sure it will be worth it, but it's still a £200 outlay. I was kind of hoping for something a bit cheaper, more in line with school fees. I know that's super cheap but a man can hope...

I'll have to think about it before sending my cheque. I'm sure i'll miss out on this offer because everyone is so psyched to send you their money.

[Percy B]

How dare anybody even compare this project with the school - grotty little dump that it is! Its about time you guys stopped pisssing about and went to a proper training venue. The Climbing Works will be worth £300 a year for unlimited use - unlike most other walls who provide an annual deal but don't deliver the goods. The opening offer is a bargain, but I know its a big chunk of cash to stump up in a oner. Think of it as an investment. It will be worth it. If you don't believe me, give us a bell and arrange a visit..........

[fatboySlimfast]

codfat on slim fast log in:

WHAT THE F*CK

£200 for an unlimited gym of the best calibre in the WORLD

try another sport mate......... virgin gyms etc....... LOADS more (40 a month basic unless i'm miss taken)


try DH MTB, costs me 100 a MONTH to get the bloody bike moving

for gods sake, the concept of climbing for a cheap sport still runs true here - this is not a huge price for what you get.......... think about £s per minute..........

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

this could be the last place of male solidarity... presuming the only women allowed in are to make any meals or drinks for us fellas....
do i hear a second for this motion????

Not from me oldfella.

Obi = No. 5
Mrs Obi = No. 6 and first female member to sign up. (Give it a few years and we'll be dining out on that fact)

Personally I'm well psyched for a wall that caters for all at the same time. Isn't elitest yet has grade for everyone from the youngest beginner to the oldest wad. There's a huge buzz down there already and its not even open yet.

Can't wait. Tis gonna be a good winter.

[Aussiegav]

can you put a big thick lead wall around the unit to stop mobile phone signal?
 so my missus can't call and ask how much longer i'll be.

this could be the last place of male solidarity... presuming the only women allowed in are to make any meals or drinks for us fellas....
do i hear a second for this motion????

jeez, hasn't anybody got a sense of humour??? well i thought it was after a bottle of bubbly...

How dare anybody even compare this project with the school - grotty little dump that it is! Its about time you guys stopped pisssing about and went to a proper training venue.

you can go to the best venue in the world or the worst, but if you don't train hard, its irrevelent where you go . as they say, you can take a horse to water, but you  can't make it drink.

but good luck boys, this opening will be the biggest event in sheffield

[unclesomebody]

Still thinking Percy, but just a small question. As someone pointed out above, this will be a universal institution, catering for all abilities, from punter to pro. In my experience, this mix has nearly always led to frustration. Perhaps I can comment on my own (prick like) behaviour. When I've been at any normal wall, if it's busy, you get people climbing next to you, climbing accross you without realising they were doing, climbing  under you without realising, etc etc. This is just a waste of time. From the pics I've seen and what people have told me, your new establishment will be HUGE. So, already this has gone a long way to solving the problem, but what about the next problem. Say you have a specific training section (which I believe you do), what is there in place to stop a punter going on that section? I don't want to sound elitisist, but inevitably will... I don't want punters getting in my way. There, I said it. In exactly the same way as I wouldn't want to get in the way of beasts. If i was at a training facility with Fred Nicole, Jacky Godoffe etc, I would know better than to go over to where they were climbing and try a measly v9. I would just amuse myself somewhere else. Or I would make sure I wasn't getting in their way. So what are you going to do to stop punters getting in the way? Will the training part be set too difficult for punters? maybe only problems above a certain grade like v7/8???  Am I simply imagining a problem? Is this wall so big that this just won't happen???

also, do you have any idea what opening times will be like?

oh, and will you be endorsing font grades or v grades? 

[LucyB]

In my experience, this mix has nearly always led to frustration.

 ??? In my experience, when ever I've been climbing around some of the best people in the world. who climb way harder than me, most of them have been nothing but encouraging. In the same way that I try to be encouraging to people who don't climb as hard as me. It's all about climbing.

I doubt you will ever have your training seriously disrupted, I really think there will be enough room for all. Anyway, by the time you've had one attempt at the comp wall, I reckon you'll be glad of the chance to use 'punters in the way' as a good excuse for a sit-down 

[Percy B]

The Climbing Works will have a training board. This part is already built. It overhangs a mere 30 degrees and is 4.6 metres in vertical height, so gives a massive climbing surface (it is 8 metres wide). It will be covered in a selection of very nice holds (stored away be myself and others over the last 15 years) and will cater only for those who want to train hard - at a level of Font 7a and upwards. There will be no big holds on this board as there is another square kilometer of climbing surface with 350 other problems on from font 1 to font 8a to warm up on. All the holds will be bolted and screwed on so there will be no spinning holds. I hope this meets with your approval Uncle. Check the Climbing Works blog for a picture of Longy stood under this board. And then send me your money.

[mark]

All sounds terrific, looking forward to seeing it and climbing on it. Couple of questions...

What will the opening hours be?
Is it going to be cool and pleasant or sweaty and vile in the summer?

[Moo]

That's quite a biggy I reckon but it being a big space should make it easier to keep it cool, think about sunderland wall that got a huge amount of air inside with a high ceiling so that helps it stay colder. is there going to be some sort of air conditioning jive happening?

[mark]

I wrote "summer" but this is pertinent year round. It's the humidity that sends me running from the Matrix whenever I've been. I fondly remember early days at the Foundry when it was so cold you used to wonder if you'd be able to warm up.

[GraemeA]

Percy is brill at builing walls and setting problems, he is however not so good with figures 

We don't have a square kilometre of walls as that would be 1,000,000 sqm of climbing surface, which would be the equivalent of something like the equivalent of 6-10 Stanages all in one nice little building tucked off Woodseats rode. Longy is ace but he ain't no Timelord.

The training wall is about 4m climbing height and is 7.32m long (ie 3 8ft boards).

Get back to your gardening Percy!!

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Longy is ace but he ain't no Timelord.

  gotta be quote of the project so far...

[Bubba]

WHAT THE F*CK

£200 for an unlimited gym of the best calibre in the WORLD

try another sport mate......... virgin gyms etc....... LOADS more (40 a month basic unless i'm miss taken)

Virgin is even more than that now but I don't think you can do a direct comparison. Virgin includes swimming pool/saunas/free personal trainers/unlimited free classes from Pilates to Ju-Jitsu.

But that said, I don't think £200 is a lot for a year's worth of training on what promises to be an extremely good venue. If I had £200 spare then I'd be signing up myself, but I don't so I can't

The climbing works team are obviously putting a lot of graft/cash/time/risk into this - they need to make this venture pay and earn some money from it, so you can't expect it to cost fuck all.

Anyway - one question, will there be a monthly payment/DD style payment facility?

try DH MTB, costs me 100 a MONTH to get the bloody bike moving

you know what I could say here, but I won't after my little bump in France



(edit: punctuation)

[GraemeA]

Yep, there will be a DD option for the 'normal' full membership once we open.

[Percy B]

Some new pics on the website. Blog has been taken off temporarily whilst we find a free blog provider that isn't completely shite!

[Bubba]

Looking good!

[vivahate]

looks amazing! 200 a year sounds very reasonable to me as well considering the quality of the place and prices elsewhere, £300 a year for Awesome Walls in Liverpool and the new one in Manchester, and a direct debit option as well!

[unclesomebody]

doesn't sound cheap if you're used to paying less than half that for something damn good.

If it's alright Percy, I might pop down tomorrow. It depends if I can make it accross in time.

Are you painting it that shade of green so you can use it as a greenscreen during live broadcasting of bouldering events? What will you put onto it?

[vivahate]

ahh is the foundry much cheaper?

[Dr T]

a slab???? 
for indoor bouldering??? 
quality.....       

(or is it waiting to be tipped) 

[Bubba]

Photo is tilted, not sure if it's vertical or less than.

[Dolly]

One thing I didn't ask the other day Percy, which I meant to - is there going to be a "woody" board ? - ie not too high, wooden holds etc. The place looks awesome as it is, or will be, but one of the great things about the Office and Edge Woody was the attraction of 4 moves on just wood.
I'm sure its great for pure power as well

[Paul B]

another question about the board style section: What do you intend to do holds wise and numbering/naming/grid for problems? I loved the setup the woodie had before its paint job however after that I thought that the holds (a lot being entreprise) although being nice for outdoors in kind of climbing, werent the best to train on? depending a lot on holding them correctly etc.
Will there be any wooden holds? and im not on about those metolius varnished ones (whose bright idea where those?)

[dobbin]

doesn't sound cheap if you're used to paying less than half that for something damn good.

As our little home from home is not a publically available facility its not an option to most, to whom the cheapest year round is probably £250 at the Foundry. Plus, you have to like chalk dust and small holds at our place, and its hardly user friendly! (all the more reason I love it).

Do you know, when the other BM saw Percy (et al)'s venture, he suggested we close the board! I punished him most severely I can tell you. The scars have only just healed.