UKC

Climbers in Bristol and the South West will soon be able to look forward to more variety and choice as Redpoint Bristol Climbing Centre begins construction in Bedminster, south of the city.

The new centre is an initiative from local climber Tom Gape, who is collaborating on design and construction with the experienced climbers and wall designers who already operate the much-loved Redpoint Climbing Centre in Birmingham.

Inspired by years of climbing on rock and indoor walls all over the world, Redpoint is well known for incorporating inventive structures, shapes and angles into their climbing facilities to create a really 3D climbing experience.

The art deco cinema building offers plenty of scope for the designers to allow their imagination full rein. Climbers can expect plenty of creative top roping and lead climbing facilities; up to 12 metres on 75 lines, plus bouldering areas. Added to this there’ll be a comfortable café, changing facilities and the friendly atmosphere regulars in Birmingham have come to expect.

The centre will be opening early 2013 and we'll shortly begin a construction blog. In the meantime you can follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RedpointBristol or Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedpointBristol

In reply to Redpoint Climbing Centre:

I'm glad there is another lead climbing wall opening, it will give ucr a kick in the pants. I'm tired of going down there and the same old routes in the 6a to 6c category. That black and red spots 6b, the blue 6a+, the 6b's on the fin, the orange 5c even, some of those routes been up for over a year. And then you go down and find, on the best part of the wall, two new 7b's and a 7b+ - what the hell is all that about? Less than 5%, probably 97.5% of climbers who go in there can't do those and are excluded...I've yet to see anybody on any of them. The vast majority of climbers, those who pay the wages, expenses, profits, should be better represented, because sure as hell they will vote with their feet when the new wall opens...and also, don't come back saying the bouldering wall has been overhauled - stick to what you should be good at, a lead climbing wall, TCA is where people go to boulder...

In reply to HappyTrundler:
I agree mostly. If i still lived in bristol I would be very fustrated. Come on UCR pull your socks up, you've got an amazing place. I wish I had a wall it would be amazing. New wall should be higher though. Come on this is 2012. I wonder if there will be a wall for lower grades and one for higher?

In reply to HappyTrundler:

Many thanks for the encouragement. We're hoping to be friends with everyone really, we reckon there are more than enough climbers in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas to go round. However, we've taken on board what you say, and are going to offer a good range of routes, many with both lead draws and bottom (top) ropes, and regular route changes. I'm a happy man if I manage to lead a 6b, so I have every sympathy with what you're saying!

Keep an eye on http://www.facebook.com/RedpointBristol for updates, photos etc,

Cheers,

Tom

In reply to Redpoint Climbing Centre: I utterly agree with other comments that have been made, particularly with regard to the current routesetting regime at UCR. I have been a regular there, from Oct to April at least, since it opened quite a few years ago, but, like a large number of users, I view walls as a means to an end rather than an end in themselves. ie as a training aid for the 'real thing'. Therefore we want routes that reflect techniques that we would use outside. A lot of climbing wall routesetters seem to believe that climbing should consist totally of jumping from one hold to another on an overhanging wall, which is certainly not the case with outside climbing in the majority of cases. I used to hold up Bristol as an exception to this attitude in that it's configuration allowed the setting of imaginative and technical routes up its grooves and aretes, and these features were exploited by routesetters who new how to set such routes. Alas, over the last few years it has deteriorated into the 'thugging' up overhanging walls mentality with routes lacking imaginative use of the features and with grading all over the place. Also, outside of the climbing experience it is not an awfully welcoming place with a poor cafe that closes 'on the dot' of 9pm unlike other walls where the facility is available till closing time.

Consequently, I and a number of my climbing acquaintances have migrated to other walls such as Cardiff and Reading where the routesetting is somewhat more imaginative and the overall experience is far more welcoming. I would particularly commend Cardiff in this respect where decent routesetting and a nice ambience makes the most of what could otherwises be a very ordinary wall. (I would add that I do know a bit about climbing walls having worked with Bendcrete over a number of years, including involvement in design and construction and and I have also run one for a year, including carrying out a lot of routesetting).

So I look forward to this new project to see if it is really something a bit different that can satisfy the needs of the large group of climbers that want a varied and interesting training aid and not a vehicle for egocentric routesetters with one-dimensional mentalities and poor customer service skills.

In reply to Redpoint Climbing Centre: Haha i remember when this building was a kids play centre, it was terrible then, very excited about it being a climbing centre. I live about 5 minute walk away

In reply to Pete:

Spot on with all that....

Here we are a couple of months later and nothing has changed down there, two or three new routes, the ones I mentioned still up....oh, but they've added some 'awesome artwork to the bouldering wall', according to the website...yawn...

Another thing that gets on my wick is when you find the staff have left four ropes hanging in one of the leading bays, abandoned after some kids party or instructing course...

In reply to Pete:


SO true. That's exactly what I thought when I went there. Although I did find the bouldering problems technically nice. Hate the routes there and I swear at least one of the staff has no clue what he is doing.
Gave up trying to chat to him about how the outdoor british tech grades are easier in the south (compared to the north). Just was clueless and didn't seem to give a sh*t. Sorry, bone to pick. Generally found UCR a crap climbing wall and miss Leeds Wall whenever I'm back in Bath.

Thank god a new wall is on the way!

In reply to HappyTrundler:

"left four ropes hanging...."
they do this pretty much every time I'm there - which is once per week. When you ask if you can remove it with the promise that you will reinstate it when you have finished with the route; always a no.

I could rant about the elitism there - but I won't, instead I'm just going to look forward to the opening of Redpoint