UKC

Hi
I was told today that the price for a monthly pass at Westway has gone up by £7. So it's now £47.00 thats a 15% increase i think. There doing a direct debit option to make it £40.00 a month, but some times I don't use the walls as much like in the summer and around Christmas so stretch my monthly pass out a bit at the end of its life, (around those times any way). But more to the point, were in a recession with pay cuts, job loss etc. so money is tight!
What do you think or am I on my own thinking this is a bit steep for the times were in.

http://www.westwaysportscentre.org.uk/climbing/climbing_prices_and_programm...

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax: I believe it doesn't cost anything to climb on crags. If you're daft enough to live in London...

In reply to Andy Long: Very true mr longy.

In reply to Andy Long:

Difference is he can work all day, then climb to 10pm at night, on an ever changing selection of sport lead routes, pre-placed top ropes and boulder problems, ranging from smooth slabs to steeply overhanging competition walls. At the end of it, an array of pubs awaits and probably a short ride home again. Not to mention a London wage (being in London, he's probably a banker and on 50k+) that makes outdoor climbing in exotic locations all the more accessable.

Same can't be said for much of the UK outside of London, so perhaps £40+ isn't so bad.

In reply to fred_stone: wait a minute, that's not mr. longy, that's another mr. long. Unless longy looks really, really good for his age... :-p

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax: I'm of the same opinion. 15% is a big increase. As the wall is council run do they have to be transparent with their finances? It would be interesting to see how this 15% is used. Maybe it's needed to pay for the star-trek style entry barriers that have only worked a handful of times.

In reply to boxj: hah,, those are really useless!

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

Yeah, the barriers are a joke, and 15% is a big increase. That said the castle is more expensive for one-off and monthly visits and also have the off-peak concession thing. They only thing that they break even with is the direct debit monthly thing. I like to think that the westway gets slightly less crowded though, but there's only a rizla papers difference in it I suspect...

Off course there's always the Sobell centre for long polished traverses and a decent lead wall. As easy to get to as the westway for me.

http://www.aquaterra.org/sobell-leisure-centre/climbing.aspxall...

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

At least you get the option of a monthly pass - my climbing wall costs me about £75 per month (depending on how enthusiastic i've been that month)

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

You have to remember that the wall is also trying to survive "in the times we're in". I suspect money is tight for them too.

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

Yeah 15% is a pretty big price hike. And the barriers are a complete joke. I've only seen them working 3 times in 6 months, and I've been going 3x a week.

For 15% more I hope we get 15% better service - routes changed 15% more regularly, set 15% more creatively/accurately. Or maybe we'll get 15% more routes. However, I strongly suspect not.

In reply to GrahamD: Very true, but normally people drop prices to cope with these times. Putting the prices up surly puts people off?
It’s like HMV having a 15% extra sale.
But it would be interesting to here what westway have to say.

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

Forgot to add that Sobell is £4.50 for non-members. Not as flash as castle/westway, but enough to get your fix. You get what you pay for by and large.

In reply to Andy Long:
I believe it costs the petrol or train ticket to get there.Unfortuantely I fill the "daft" category then,but if I had the option I would not live in London!

Anyhow 15% increase is a lot in these dire times. We aren't all on 50k a year either!
And yeh the barries,wtf?Completely pointless.
One last thing,does this affect the student price too?

In reply to Mazza: Yes £7 for you as well by the looks of it.
check out the bottom of the page.
http://www.westwaysportscentre.org.uk/climbing/climbing_prices_and_programm...

And no were not all on 50k+!!

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:
that is a big increase. is still just about worth it if you go 5 times in a month...but they do need to fix the gates...and more lockers....and etc etc etc.

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

That's absurd.

I'd like a transparent explanation of this. It's really pushing the cost up, bearing in mind I moved from student status recently. How they can think of themsevels as affordable at that price I don't know.

I hope they get enough serious complaints that they rethink

In reply to fred_stone: noticed he's definitley mellowing with age, but 60 seems a little harsh that would put him in the realms of Rockfax guide book writers

In reply to ClimberEd:

Given that any mention of a wall in London is generally accompanied by complaints about peak-time overcrowding, am I the only one baffled as to why they all seem to be keeping their (peak-time) prices so low.
By low I mean such that they are rammed to the point where people avoid them.


Possibly this is required of the charities but the private ones???

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

UPDATE: Dropped by there last night and there are signs at the wall saying that they are getting more lockers both short-term and rental ones. Wether this justifies the cost of the increase can continue to be debatede by the great unwashed I'd imagine. The only other justification would be if there insurance (public liability) has been hiked. Witholding my written complaint for the time being.

In reply to Gasmerchant: If it’s something like that then I have no problem with it. But what is odd is that its still £40 a month if you do Direct Debit. So it’s obvious what there trying to get people to do. Still I think the westway should explain is the reasons for such a large increase.

Also if you pay by direct debit they could give you a card to show to security so you don’t have to wait 45min to get in.

In reply to Gasmerchant: would probably be good if they just made sure all the current ones worked + had keys..

hell if it were me i'd just have open fronted wooden lockers as it's not always secure storage that people are after - just space to put gear that isn't in everyone's way! I appreciate that some peeps will have laptops so need secure ones - but for the majority i'd have thought it's not overly an issue.

In reply to Gasmerchant:


I think I will make my complaint - 17.5% increase seems totally out of order, even if they are applying the principle that "the market can bear it".

I doubt that there has been a massive insurance rise, I don't think rates have jumped hugely.

In reply to Daimon - Rockfax:

I went to Westway on Sunday and was surprised when they charged £9.25 for a one off visit. I have the good fortune of living in Manchester where the walls are all around the £6-7 range.

A three month unlimited pass at the new stockport wall is £105.

I would also point out that all the big walls around Manchester are far better both in terms of design, route setting and environment.

In reply to Mark Grist:Long live the North!
I know,, and people seem to think that because you work in london you get payed more etc etc etc. But we all know that is not true. So Climbing walls need to remember that and stop charging large amounts of money to climb. I remember when Huddersfield wall was £3.50 to get in. good old days. lol