UKC

I was wondering what other folk who were there thought of the opening day at TCA Glasgow?

Personally, I thought it was pretty damned impressive.

In reply to Fraser: without being biased....it would most likely be the best bouldering wall i have ever been to

In reply to Fraser:

popped down this afternoon and loved it. its got lots of really interesting problems at the easier grades. Am sure all the gnarly folks will come on and big up the more hardcore stuff but for people like me who are *happy triers* its great to be faced with accessible problems that aren't just boring ladders. big (and very sore) thumbs up.

In reply to Fraser: Big thumbs up from me! Great to see Scotland getting a facility like this.
Big up to the guys behind it for their vision and commitment.

In reply to Fraser:

Had a session there this avo. Absolutely mint. Knocks the socks of everywhere else I've been. More like it elsewhere please!

In reply to agibb:

I'm off for another beasting there today, now that I've almost recovered from Friday's session. Such quality problems - gotta love it!

In reply to Fraser: like nicolaw said, great quality of problems throughout the grades. Some of my favorites were some techy easy arete problems. But the quality continues into the higher grades.

Some of the holds are still a bit greasy, but they will undoubtedly soon get chalked up.

Atmosphere was great and friendly, everyone wanted to chat and share beta. Totally awesome, will be heading through regularly. Easily the best indoor venue I've been!

In reply to Fraser:

And for other folk building walls who want to find out what they did right, one thing I really noticed: The place is WELL LIT. I don't know why this is such a problem in indoor walls, but TCAWeeg has great lighting! This makes it a whole lot more of a pleasant place to be.

The endurance circuit borads are great too. It's a shame more places don't have the space to devote to that kind of thing.

The setting is really ace too. I've been to a couple of bouldering walls on the "virgin set" or problems, and others have been quite poor. It makes such a big part of one's first impression. I think other places would do well to aim for a similar set of quality problems.

Other walls I could mention have been setting for years, and still not set a really good set of problems...

In reply to Fraser:

Yeah, looks like a fine training venue.

Setting aside the many many great things about the centre...

I'd like to see more problems in the very easy purple circuit. At 12 or 13 problems it seems poor value if that is your grade. While the green and black circuits aren't desperate by any means I'd have though your average VS climber is going to struggle to get round a complete circuit.

I've only done the purple, green and black circuits. These offered a fair bit of pulling hard but I felt slightly disappointed more weren't in the style of "weird Johnny Dawes style" shape making that required more lateral thought than pulling hard... Perhaps that comes in next weeks red circuit...

In reply to JLS:

I'd have thought most if not all VS clibers could do most of the green circuit, but perhaps not. I can recall a couple in the red circuit which require a 'degree of flexibility', so give them a shot this week. There seems to be a good overlap between the various circuit grades, which does encourage you to push yourself a bit.

On another matter, I'm very surprised and disappointed that the opening of the biggest (and some have said best - and I'd not disagree) bouldering wall in the country hasn't made it to UKC News or the other channel. Why is that....?

In reply to Fraser:

>"I'd have thought most if not all VS clibers could do most of the green circuit"

My point is that due the lack of very easy problems, low grade climbers/beginners may quickly decide that this place is not for them rather than stick around long enough to learn that bouldering really means projecting problems.

Given that most climbers in the country struggle on a Brit 5a move it would seem like financial suicide not to adequately cater for that market. I don't think there are enough hard climbers in around Glasgow to keep the business a float - you'll need money off the bumblies (like myself).

In reply to JLS: Interesting reading your thoughts as despite having done almost no rock climbing this year, being a bouldering punter and carrying an awkward knee injury I came away surprised at how much easy stuff there was there that I was able to do. I did the purple and green circuits with a few blacks (and the odd route on the comp wall) on the opening afternoon in between a bit of work on the laptop and commented to friends on how much there was for those operating at easier grades.

In reply to AlH:

>"how much there was for those operating at easier grades"

Al, you're a professional climber with 20 years plus experience. I don't think you can pigeon-hole yourself with January Jig bumblies. :¬)

I'm just saying it seems strange to me, from a business point of view, to have more than 50% of facility set at a level beyond 90% of the potential market.

I'd have thought another 18 problems on the purple circuit to bring it up to a respectable 30 would make a disproportionally large financial return.

Still, if the guys have done their sums and know their market who am I to argue... broadly, the current set-up suits my needs.

In reply to JLS:


But someone with 20 years experience is in a good position to be able to determine how user-friendly a set of problems are to beginners/bumblies, particularly from an instructor's pespective.




I’d have to disagree pretty strongly there. I think another 18 problems on the purple circuit wouldn’t make the slightest difference whatsoever to TCA’s income.

From my observational experience, starter groups don’t like to limit themselves to stuff they can do. They quickly throw themselves onto problems which are often well beyond them at that point, but they still seem to have fun and enjoy it. I think the mix of the circuit levels is pretty good, as is their overlap.




Agreed, it more than suits mine! And I know it has already encouraged me to get onto the stuff I can't currently do.

In reply to Fraser:

>"I’d have to disagree pretty strongly there."

Oh well, just another fine example of me talking b0ll0cks. I hope you are correct, time will tell...

In reply to JLS:


Naaah, just my opinion. But for the sake of Scottish bouldering, I hope the place is a huge success.

And still there's nothing about its opening in the 'News' section.....hmmm, anyone would begin to think that something is being deliberately hushed up. Surely not.

In reply to Fraser:
Hi Fraser. It's not being hushed up but UKC have their reasons not to report it as news. All the keen Glaswegians and beyond should be well aware of it by now anyway.

In reply to JLS: I must say that I am very surprised at your comments john given that we have proportionally more low grade problems than any climbing wall I have ever been to. We would have loved to have more purples on the circuit but we actually ran out of holds. I find it hard to believe that as high numbers as you say will struggle with green. And in any case bouldering is about problem solving. Sure the steeper greens require arm strength but it is hard to escape the fact that you will struggle to set a 4a move on a 50 degree overhang.

Also I am pretty surprised you find fault with the lack of technical problems. The rest of the feedback has been that the problems are way more technical and interesting across the spectrum of circuits than what is to be found elsewhere. We shall of course take what you say into consideration in the next set. But devilish Dawes-esqu technicalities and 3b moves do not usually go together.

NB JLS: these are my personal views and not necessarily those of TCA.

In reply to Cassidy:

>"We shall of course take what you say into consideration in the next set."

Oh, I wouldn't bother. The consensus seems to be I'm talking rubbish ...which seems plausible. :¬)

In reply to JLS:


I think that you'll find that this is total bobbins. Especially indoors, where the holds are conveniently marked for you in bright colours.

Stop getting concerned about things on behalf of other people. If there really are a world of bumblies who can't climb more than 12 of the problems, then I imagine they'll make themselves known.

In reply to victim of mathematics:

>"Stop getting concerned about things on behalf of other people."

Society is dead. I'll tell my Mrs she should climb harder.