Onyx, Blackburn

[andi_e]

Currently enjoying a session here. Wow, what a place, an homage to the early 2000s PE grip-flecked first bouldering walls, with excellent setting, good vibes, and a cool aesthetic. The perfect antidote to the modern wall! Anyone else a fan?

 

[Will Hunt]

Andy H and Julie have been going. Heard very good things.

 

[andi_e]

Yeah I was reading the reviews on Google yesterday and noticed Julie had left a glowing review! Seems popular with the, er, slightly less young generation...

 

[yetix]

My partner loved it when she went a few weeks ago. She was gutted it wasn't closer to us.

 

[spidermonkey09]

Yeah, really good. Nice and clean, hard problems on fingery holds rather than conditionsy slopers...great stuff. I went for a session at the Depot last week and it reminded me why I'd gone off the place.

 

[James Malloch]

I might check it out next week. Have a half day free and it’s the same drive for me as the Leeds walls.

Hadn't heard of it until now.

 

[Fiend]

So many rat crimps they're gonna need the Pied Piper!

 

[brbushell]

Definitely worth a visit. Quality spot, would expect nothing less from Gill & Ian.

Is great to have so much variety and quality in the NW these days, plenty to be doing when the weather refuses to play along.

 

[steveri]

Rained off last week and paid a visit, agree with all the above. Not massive but quality, great to have a wall not afraid of ratty crimps and finger injury complaints

 

[abarro81]

great to have a wall not afraid of ratty crimps and finger injury complaints

Mmm... Lovely... (For the avoidance of doubt, that most definitely is sarcasm; I love indoor climbing that feels like outdoor climbing - like the wave - but not if it's tweaky ming)

 

[spidermonkey09]

I haven't found it tweaky, the wave is a decent comparison.

I've never been back to the climbing station at Loughborough after I tweaked a finger on their shit setting at the start of 2020

 

[moose]

I've been a couple of times and really enjoyed the old-school vibe and the setting. Lots of crimping and less of the running - jumping, volume wrestling that's now prevalent. I found the problems interesting with good moves, yet also satisfyingly basic - forearms and fingers felt worked afterwards - like after a brutal limestone session.

 

[dunnyg]

like after a brutal limestone session

Could there be a higher praise?

 

[gardinrm]

Hadn't hard about it either. Sounds great. I love the Boulder UK wall in Preston too, for similar reasons. Maybe not quite so 'old school' (need to visit Onyx to know) but I really like the route setting, and the vibe is so much more relaxed than other (previously mentioned) Manchester walls.

Andy - just live down the road in Chorley if you are around the area at the moment?

 

[rginns]

:agree:
Yep, a decent wall, great asset to the Lancs/N Manc area. Good setting from Ian as is to be expected and it's also nice to see both Gill and Ian at the helm of a wall again. Some varied problems, I've really enjoyed when I've been

 

[steveri]

Mmm... Lovely... (For the avoidance of doubt, that most definitely is sarcasm; I love indoor climbing that feels like outdoor climbing - like the wave - but not if it's tweaky ming)

For the avoidance of doubt and any possible legal action, Onyx is definitely not tweaky ming and seems like good prep for outdoors. Not all walls manage this - jumpy/compy seems to go hand in hand with an aversion to smaller holds. I backed off one pockety problem that seemed a bit risky on an old injury. ;D

 

[andi_e]

Andy - just live down the road in Chorley if you are around the area at the moment?

Sorry, just a flying visit to the folks before a conference in Manchester!

For the avoidance of doubt and any possible legal action, Onyx is definitely not tweaky ming and seems like good prep for outdoors. Not all walls manage this - jumpy/compy seems to go hand in hand with an aversion to smaller holds. I backed off one pockety problem that seemed a bit risky on an old injury. ;D

Yeah totally, I think because the holds actually have friction you don't actually need to pull that hard on them, thereforeaking them safer and more realistic to outdoor climbing.