In reply to duchessofmalfi:
Bollux it may be to add some arbitary annual fee in order to gain entry.
But at the end of the day these are commercial businesses not charities for some greater good of climbers.
How much Capex and inital investment is needed to set up a good wall with good leading bouldering and facilities? What are the bank repayment costs (even with the recent low rates)? How much money do walls make from average climbing punters if they don't have commercial franchises to lure in Joe Public? How much rent, staffing costs (even if using younger staff, minimum wage and zero hours contracts to try to minimise costs) etc etc? I don't know. Many on here will have a better clue.
Would you complain similarly if instead they added an extra amount to the per session, per month or per year fee rather than charging an additional annual membership fee on top?
If one wall gets its pricing out of sync with other local walls without being able to justify it (ie better location, better climbing facilities etc) people will vote with their feet. Which may mean additional fuel and parking costs for them to go somewhere else etc.
If there are 6 or 7 walls around you that don't charge the annual membership fee why don't you go to them instead?
The monthly cost of my local wall is similar to a chain gym membership. Only one gets me climbing fit and has a good craic.
If saving money is important, climb outside more and/or build a woody.
Personally, I think it's great to have lots of well designed, modern climbing walls which are better and more numerous than the crap, dark hovels I infrequently endured in the early 90s. So I'm willing - up to a point (which hasn't been reached yet - to stomach the price so I can climb on weekday evenings after 8 when I get back from work and when it's raining.