UKC

Anyone been yet? Looks massive!

In reply to Ysgo:

Going this week, looking forward to it as it's a ten minute walk from my house.

In reply to Ysgo:

ooh I move to Manchester on thursday and had totally forgotten this place was starting. thanks for the reminder

In reply to Ysgo:

I went Saturday, it's bloody ginormous. Nice setting and hold selection as well.

Also they sell brownies that are only like £1.20 and really good.

In reply to Ysgo:

Like £1.20 or actually £1.20? We need to know for our budgetting.

In reply to Rigid Raider:


Also, are they really good or, 'like' really good?

In reply to Ysgo:

I have been the day it opened. I thought it was excellent. It is really big.......but after reading somewhere it was the biggest in Europe it was maybe not as big as I expected.
The thing that struck me most was how well laid out it is. It feels spacious. It looks good with clean white walls and black mats. It had fantastic music. The problems were really well set and interesting. There are excellent and varied holds, some of which are really unusual.
It is very much aimed at established and quite good climbers. A lot of walls I have been to (Rockover in particular) will have a section aimed toward groups and kids. There is nothing like that at the moment. This does surprise me as I imagine there is a lot of money to be made in these areas. I do have a 6 year old and she likes to climb. I do not think it is suited to kids.............but part of me can see why they have not gone down this route.

I really hope it proves a great success. I am sure it will be.

In reply to Ysgo:

I went on Saturday when it opened.

It's huge - some well set problems over a nice grade range. The circuit training boards are awesome, and they have a 55 degree beastmaker board that makes your fingers hurt just looking at it. I avoided that.

In reply to Mark Grist:

Let me guess: all panels and bolt-on holds and no natural features?

In reply to Mark Grist:


I went on Sunday. I agree on the kids bit, like you say other places are doing that. However, I do think adult beginners would like the Depot. It's a nice space and I'd say the easiest routes are good and accessible to beginners.

In reply to Ysgo:

Anyone have a postcode for it please?

In reply to Mark Grist:


Well it is in Manchester... Having spent a bit of time climbing in Vauxwall, where the music is nauseatingly bad, I was quite happy when I moved up here and started climbing at Rockover.

In reply to Bulls Crack:

No natural features.
I did used to climb at Broughton and loved it and I still go to Glossop wall sometimes and it is great practice. Those are the old bendcrete style.

But would rather have this new facility to be honest.

In reply to Mark Grist:


Good. I'm really glad they've done that. My 6 and 3 yr olds enjoy climbing but what Manchester lacks (and lets face it we're already spoiled) is a high class bouldering facility. I doubt Rockover would survive without the 'youth' market, so I'm glad they might not be directly competing.

More importantly what's the coffee like?
Coffee in Manchester walls is abysmal - every time I visit The Works it enough to make me pine to live over there. Hopefully will check it out tomorrow.

In reply to Ysgo:

A really great wall! A step up from anything else in this.....Country maybe? Went over the weekend and it was full of strong people, they'd all come over from Yorkshire

In reply to greylag:

No postcode but a little map:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Depot-Manchester-406388142878412/


Sounds like it's worth a trip one soggy weekend.

In reply to Ysgo:

Just seen it on Facebook and I'm now trying to come up with a reason for going to manchester, I'm hoping someone needs me to pick them up from the airport in the next week or so.

In reply to Ysgo:

The location shown on the Facebook map is not quite accurate and you can't see it from the location shown. The following may help to avoid difficulties in finding it on first time visits. It is located on the road that runs S from Village Rd just to the W of the A5181 Mosley Rd. Confusingly this is also called Mosley Rd. It is not accessible from Village Rd but can be reached from either the main Mosley Rd (A5181) or Westinghouse Rd (the next E/W Rd to the S of Village Rd). The "lesser" Mosley Rd road kinks E just before meeting Westinghouse Rd. The Depot is located by the kink.

Reading this on its own probably doesn't make sense but it might with a Google map on screen.

In reply to Mark Grist:


Really? What about all the stuff on the flat walls opposite reception and all the auto belays. Tonnes for kids and beginners!

I think saying there is nothing for kids or beginners is very misleading.

In reply to Adam Lincoln: I was expecting a kids zone, but didn't see one. There were plenty of easy problems and angles which could be accessed by the younger (4 to 9 year olds), but given the height of the walls I'd be a bit wary of them falling uncontrollably and injuring themselves or others.

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:
Most of the greens (the easiest) finish well below the top

In reply to Mark Grist:

It had fantastic music.

Just why?

In reply to Mark Grist:



Me too but couldn't just one of these new walls put a boulder or two in - like Gloucester - and leave us old gits to enjoy ourselves making up our own problems. I get bored easily

In reply to harold walmsley: Thanks, didn't try or even look at them to be honest.

Andy F

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

There is plenty for beginners. I just think the wall is aimed towards quite good climbers. That is the way it should be.

With regard to kids I was thinking more about very young kids. My daughter is 6. Some walls have dedicated features like a crocodile they can climb up and a dedicated zone for them go play / climb. It will be great when she is older. For older kids it will be a very good wall.

As for the music...it is subjective but I liked what they were playing when I was there.

In reply to Ysgo:

Nipping to check it out tomorrow. It's about a ten minute bike ride from my gaff so quids in. I still see meself being a regular at rockover mind as my little'un is only wee and there are a good few years of soft play and ball pools in my future yet. The way bouldering is booming I imagine there's plenty of customers to go around. All the twenty summats at our work have all just taken it up, healthy young frips, flashing my projects, grumble, moan...

In reply to andy farnell:

I thought I saw a 'kids corner' in the second room. If you head through the entrance it's in the diagonally left corner? Like it was circuit boards - autobelay area - kids corner.

In reply to Removed User: I'll check that area out when I'm next in. Mind you, the place is so big, it's easy to miss stuff on a first visit.

Andy F