UKC

As someone who ambition is to one day lead a 7a I would say go to a centre and look at home many routes are set over 6C+ the answer is probably less than 5%. Most indoor climbers, who are the most climb up to 6a+ which is why so many grades indoor are 6a+ or less. There are a good number 6b/+ a few 6C and then very few 7a. Tells you all you need to know. If lots where climbing over 6C then there would be more 7a routes. At the castle in London, the main London climbing venue there are maybe half a dozen 7as less 7bs and I not sure I have ever seen higher. Though to even set a 7c takes serious skill

In reply to heavy Belay:

Que?

In reply to heavy Belay:

I like a man that lives up to his profile!

In reply to heavy Belay:

and?

In reply to heavy Belay:

And indoor grades, and grade densities have what to do with climbing 7a? You can still train effectively without hundreds of 7as to practice on. But I guess that's not what you had in mind....
Most harder climbers boulder lots indoors, and get outdoors as much as possible.
Personally, I find the lack of quantity and frequently quality of harder indoor routes a frustration, but it is a common occurrence and one which makes economic sense for the climbing walls. I'm afraid you'll have to improvise and accept it. Though you could go to the west way or the reach, as they have some steeper walls with routes into the 7s which will keep you occupied for a few sessions I'm sure.

Good luck on your quest for 7a. My tip would be to try one 7a a day (each day you climb that is). Indoors or out. On lead. No excuses.
It may takes some time, but you'll learn a lot along the way.

In reply to heavy Belay:

I didn't understand a word of that

In reply to heavy Belay:

Our local centre has quite a few routes at around 7a/7a+ grade, not much above that (one 8a maybe)

To be honest looking at your outdoor profile you are a long way from flashing 7a so I wouldn't be too concerned just yet *grin*

In reply to heavy Belay:

Depends how you go about it and climbing style If you can flash 6b+ at say Awesome Sheffield you should be able to work and redpoint Peak outdoor routes of 6c-7a But that doesn't take into account ability to read a route as opposed to following colour coded plastic Indoor leading walls equal stamina but for power bouldering So do both

In reply to heavy Belay:

Consider yourself fortunate, one of the climbing walls I´ ve visited 6a put´ s you in the beginner/bumbly area and the main area goes up to 8c.
It´ s easy to make easy routes harder, just start using less fingers on the holds, missing holds out and so on. better still just get the mileage in on easy routes and boulder harder.

In reply to jimtitt:

Lucky you!!! But I realise its all horses for courses.
Sunderland was the wall with the most hardcore routes/topography I recall. But I was at a different time in my climbing then and am not so well travelled these days.

Ah, those were the days!

In reply to heavy Belay:

I see on your profile that a climb "scared the carp" out of you. That just sounds fishy to me.

In reply to heavy Belay:

To a certain extent the climbs they put up will determine who goes there. If most of the routes were 7a and up there would be far more 7a climbers visiting and very few 6a climbers. If there's not much to do at a wall you're unlikely to go very often.

At my local walls there's typically the same number of 6c's as 6a's. There are slightly fewer 7a's and the grades typically go all the way to 8a+, sometimes as high as 8c, so something for everyone (though I don't think the 8c was too popular, I only heard of Alex Megos trying it and he fell off).

But from memory the Castle is not a very big wall whereas my two local walls are much bigger. It's also really expensive isn't it - like £12 to get in? The two Sheffield lead walls you can get for a little as £4.50 if you go around lunch time.

I suspect the main problem is the fact in it's in central London and rental spaces are both limited and exorbitant. So the walls are more concerned about covering their rental costs than providing good training facilities. I've heard similar complaints about one of the bouldering walls down there too: lots of very easy problems and little in the middle grades.

It also sounds like there are a lot of non-climbers using the walls there these days simply as an alternative way to keep fit so I guess in terms of making a profit that demographic is probably far more wealthy.

Presumably there are good places to train there though. Have you been to Westway? Not been there for years but it was much cheaper than the castle and much bigger too with a decent spread of grades. London has produced some pretty good climbers in recent years: Jim Pope and Molly Thompson Smith for example.

But if you're serious about climbing the best solution I would say is to get out of London.