UKC

What with all this bollox dumbing down with bolts and mats and shit, isnt it about time some rich bastard opened up an indoor trad wall?
With lots of loose holds and a midge and mosquito dispenser and one of those systems they have in public mens' urinals so every now and then same water comes down the route.
Could open one in Spain or even better Kalymnos.

Anyone remember Reggie Perrin's shop 'Grot'?

In reply to Urgles:

A non starter due to insurance I suspect. There used to be walls with trad possibilities (Moac slots etc).

In reply to Urgles:

I heard rumors that there was some rock climbing inside of Ratho? Not sure whether trad or sport. There is trad and sport outside, but that's not what you ask.

I also heard rumors that there was a wall somewhere in the UK where you could practice placing the protection at ground level.

I also realize that this is a troll post and hence "I heard rumors" as I am too lazy to Google any facts.

In reply to Urgles:

Go to a regular indoor wall. If you don't want the bolts then you can just not clip them.

In reply to Offwidth:

I seem to recall that the Enterprice realistic walls, had reinforced cracks. So allegedly suitable for trad protection.

Also have a faint recollection that perhaps in SLC one wall has possibility to use trad gear on their wall. Or something like that.

In reply to Urgles:

I think the original wall in Birmingham had an area with cracks in a moulded section where you could place nuts.

Al

In reply to HeMa:

Do crag swag rules still apply indoors?

In reply to PPP:

Of course

In reply to HeMa:

Our old uni wall had some metal moac slots, and lots of brick 'cracks' and 'breaks' that would take cams. It also had a pull-out multi-position wooden slab. It was bloody brilliant for teaching climbing and ropework and the cavers used it for ropework stuff as well. We didn't lead much but the simulated leading was useful for beginners. Now we have a pretty but small trophy wall in the SU atrium that is a waste of space for real training. We also dry tooled on the old wall at the end of its life: which was good for getting people to realise how to use rock hooks (carefully!) for real winter routes.

In reply to PPP:

There is rock inside Ratho, but not really to be climbed on, imagine how quickly it would polish.

Alien Rock in Edinburgh has nut slots for placing on lead, but I have only ever seen it used a couple of times in years.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Or just treat all the bolts as threads.

In reply to Urgles:

The edge in Sheffield had a trad wall and you could belay from the top too.

In reply to PPP:


You can do so at Beacon in North Wales

In reply to Urgles:
Well with the progressive failures of the lights at the Westway, a headtorch is increasingly becoming must-have equipment to climb there on certain lines in the evenings. When the wind blows from some directions, it goes through the gap at the top and gets very cold and blowy.

Just needs a few snow making machines and the wall management to accept the use of ice tools and crampons and we can have a full-on Alpine practice wall.

In reply to Urgles:

There are some slots, a spike and possibly a thread (can't remember) at the Inverness Leisure Centre wall. Also an old granite wall in the Peterhead Sports Centre, which was reputedly built by inmates at the nearby prison back in the 1970s or 80s, has slots for nuts to be placed.

In reply to Urgles:

There is a trad bit on the Kendal wall, its got threads and reinforced cracks for nut placements

In reply to Urgles:

Not been there for ages, but there are a couple of lines at West View in Preston with nut placements and places for rigging 'threads'.

In reply to Urgles:


I didn't get where I am today shopping at 'Grot'.
Stringless racquets, square hoops, Really!

In reply to Urgles:

West View in preston has a wall with slots for placing trad gear.

In reply to PPP:




The Barn has such facilities.

In reply to GridNorth:


I think the original wall in Birmingham had an area with cracks in a mouldy section where you could place nuts.

In reply to Urgles:

There were definitely slots for nuts in the Hull wall (Rock City) with in-situ quickdraws a few years ago. No idea it they are still there.

I recall having a go as a beginner, but found that the routes were all a bit too hard. For example, outside, you'd generally practise placing gear on a Dif/VDiff with lots of ledges or places to stand in comfort while you got to grips with fiddling wires in etc. The indoor set-up had very few easy routes, so you'd effectively be starting off on an "E1" and have to rest/fall off after the first placement after your forearms and calves siezed up.

In reply to deacondeacon:

My friend said he saw a couple turn up there in full trad rack and the guy led it then belayed from the top. When he was telling me this, it wasn't retold with admiration; it was get a load of these idiots I saw indoors!!!!

Why would you pay to trad climb indoors??????

In reply to radddogg:
Well perhaps he saw me and Phil climb it. As for not achieving your friends admiration, well that is a shame but I'm sure I'll get over it. And as for his opinion that we are idiots, he may well have a point, but not for anything climbing related at The Edge.

I suppose you could say the same thing about climbing indoors at all. We climbed it because it was a laugh, fun, enjoyable, that sort of thing.
Not every climbing session needs to be spent under the Beastmaker with a stopwatch, washed down with a protein shake.

In reply to deacondeacon:
I'm sorry but you won't convince me that trad climbing should ever be necessary indoors. If you're a complete novice on a climbing intro course then I can understand the instructor explaining how to place nuts but paying to climb indoors using trad methods is just ludicrous.

In reply to Urgles:

Up untill it closed this year the Link Center in Swindon had slots for gear in one of its feature walls. Maybe someone should approach the council and buy that section of wall.

In reply to Urgles:

Indoor trad???? That is an oxymoron.

Traditional climbing is done outside as you point out. Perhaps it'd be cheaper and still have all the benefits and features you mention, to simply purchase an existing crag, such as Froggat or Harrison's rocks, within easy reach of the idle masses and roof the crag over. Job done!

In reply to radddogg:

Did you actually read my post? I wasn't trying to convince you of anything and I also didn't mention anything about it being benificial to beginners, I simply said we climbed it because it was a laugh.

In reply to deacondeacon:


Why let the facts get in the way of a good opinionated venting?

In reply to Urgles:

Well having scanned the responses so far it seems there is plenty of trad action at walls so job done, thread closed...

In reply to Ramblin dave:


actually you may be able to sling some jugs and i would definitely recommend a rack of sky hooks for the nice foot chips.

In reply to Dave Perry:

roof the crag over.
Anyone else think this is a really good idea ?

In reply to Wsdconst:

It's a brilliant idea, a couple of years without rain to wash the chalk off and I'll be able to go dry tooling!

In reply to EddInaBox:

I've always fancied a go at dry tooling so bring it on I say

In reply to Urgles:

Didn't Ken Wilson once get thrown out of Leeds wall for protecting a route with slings on the hugs and threads?

In reply to Urgles:

Sid's climbing wall at Staylebridge was quite traditional, though no roped climbing. The wall would seep and ooze wetness after/during rain and could be freezing cold in winter. The landing was onto concrete.

In reply to PPP:

I think The XC in Hemel has a wall where you can place trad gear, but you have to clip the bolts as well for safety reasons.

In reply to 3leggeddog:
Ken Wilson and Martin boysen.