UKC

After 3 lockdowns, It is looking increasingly likely that things ever returning to "normal" will be some way off (like years) and liable to screeching u-turns. Which leads me to wonder if anyone has looked at having more top-rope/lead climbing actually out of doors where the risk is obviously lower? Can't find much info on it. Except one article which said holds got slippy due to rain. Of which we seem to be getting quite a lot lately.

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

I think there's some walls in Austria (Innsbruck maybe?) that have big overhanging lead walls, with roofs but no walls. Can't imagine it would be ideal for the sideways rain of British winter though!

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

Westway used to have an outdoor section (maybe still does - not been in years). Lots of outdoor centres too, and used to be all we had before climbing centres proliferated. The weather in Britain tends to be against us though...

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

There’s a bouldering wall in the Wokingham area (Oakwood Climbing Centre, a nice set up).  I’ve only been the once but it has both indoor and outdoor bouldering.  Indoors was relatively busy but nobody was climbing outside - that I could see anyway.  That day was a nice day to be outside.

I’m not so sure market is there to make is financially viable, especially on a dark winters evening.

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

Did the article also tell you about the toilet habits of bears?

In reply to Removed UserMeshachAt the very least some outdoor bouldering circuits like that one near Glasgow. 

In reply to TomYoung:

Most lead walls in Austria & Bavaria have outdoor sections  - the new one in Innsbruck is definitely the most impressive of them all. 

As you say though, might be less of a viable option in British weather

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

I think there must be a lot of potential by placing bolts and bolt on holds on existing structures like bridges etc.. I've seen photos of good examples abroad and there are even bolted routes on old viaducts on the western side of the Peak District (New Mills).

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

Traditionally, you should wait until the start of April before starting a thread asking if anyone's thought of climbing outside.

In reply to C Witter:

To be fair, I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to outdoor artificial walls.  Seems like a pretty reasonable thread topic to me.

In reply to stp:

Copenhagen has 'Copenhill' which is the city incenerator with a dry ski slope down one side and  multipitch plastic climbing up the other (80m in 4 pitches):

https://www.copenhill.dk/aktiviteter/klatring

After the indoor walls there shut early Dec we were using it semi-regularly, quite fun but often frickkin freezing. Holding onto plastic seemed harder than climbing rock in the equivalent temperatures but I guess I was also trying harder routes than I would rock climbing in winter, all in all not a replacement for the wall but an enjoyable diversion

In reply to Blanche DuBois:

I guess there are some poor unfortunates who live in abysmal places like London and Cambridgeshire, and railway bridges have their limits...

Poor things.

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

TCA are building a new place with an outdoor lead wall. 

TBH, if it's grim, people will want to climb indoors. If it's nice, people will want to climb on rock. I don't think outdoor artificial walls really serve a purpose. 

In reply to Removed UserMeshach:

The highest artificial wall in the UK is at Rokt in Brighouse West Yorkshire at 36m high.

It's a cracking view of the town from the top of the old silo.

Sadly Rokt has been closed since the first lockdown.