Depot Climbing continues its commitment to advancing indoor rock climbing in the UK by opening one of Europe's biggest mixed-use climbing centres in Wythenshawe, South Manchester.

The new state-of-the-art climbing centre will become one of the UK and Europe's largest facilities and be fully equipped to cater to climbers of all experience levels, from first steps on the wall to the next generation of Olympic gold medalists.

The latest edition of Depot Climbing's BIG Depot centres will house roped climbing, auto belays, bouldering and children's climbing walls, a fully equipped gym, yoga studio, cafe, climbing shop, and remote working spaces.

This latest climbing wall will not only complement the excellent existing climbing options in the North West but also provide a step into the future of indoor rock climbing walls utilising over 15 years of experience building and running climbing centres, with thorough research and understanding of the new trends in a rapidly changing indoor climbing environment.

The climbing style will take in the current and future indoor rock climbing trends and will be built to Satisfy the IFSC standard for both World cups and Olympics lead walls, creating a state-of-the-art climbing experience that will satisfy all climbers, from those chalking up for the first time, through to elite athletes and lifelong climbing enthusiasts.

A bespoke and spacious layout of the climbing wall areas will provide a comfortable space to enjoy a more 3D approach to indoor rock climbing, providing a coherent parallel with outdoor climbing.  Depot Climbing's classic brand of strong climbing will be complemented with an investment in quality route setting that focuses on movement.

A purpose-built junior area will provide better-defined climbing for the younger climbing community, aimed at developing their indoor rock climbing skills in an area suitable for their requirements.

With a focus on accessibility, BIG Depot Manchester will host a beginner-friendly area that will contain routes created to hone skills in the early stages of the climbing journey, alongside up to 25 auto-belay lines and a wealth of courses suitable to equip anyone to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of indoor rock climbing.

Depot Climbing's latest climbing centre will be fully wheelchair accessible, with designated parking, and easy access to the main climbing areas, toilets, changing rooms and hospitality areas in multiple areas around the centre, while wayfinding signage around the centre will contain Braille 2.0 to aid those with visual impairments to navigate the site.

On the importance of increasing accessibility and inclusivity, Depot Climbing's Group General Manager Dan Crossdale offered:

"From the initial design phase, we have worked towards our philosophy of Making Everybody Strong. For us allowing everyone the opportunity to experience climbing is of the utmost importance."

Once open, BIG Depot Manchester is expected to attract climbers from all over the UK and beyond, with Wythenshawe having excellent transport links from both the city centre and surrounding areas by car, bus, and tram, with Manchester airport is situated nearby.

Plenty of parking spaces will be available with overflow capacity that will provide ease of access to the facility.

Depot Climbing is also excited to host both the British Bouldering and Lead Climbing championships at BIG Depot Manchester in early 2025.

The centre has been a large undertaking and has not been without its challenges during the building process, with an opening date finally scheduled for Saturday 21st of December, Depot Climbing cannot wait to open the doors on its latest flagship climbing centre and is confident that every climber who walks through the door will find the facility well worth the wait.

The centre will initially open with full-capacity climbing areas, a cafe, working spaces, accessible toilets and changing rooms while also providing a dedicated climbing shop.

This will be followed later in 2025 by the addition of a fully equipped gym space, further toilets and changing rooms and a climbing-specific equipment and development training area.

As a company run by climbers, for all climbers, Depot Climbing is dedicated to providing not just a space for everybody to enjoy climbing, but services for everybody to improve their climbing regardless of ability or experience level.

BIG Depot Manchester will provide a comprehensive offering of instructed climbing courses, with its Learn the Ropes pathway classes available to guide anyone from 0 experience to a competent roped climber in a series of digestible group instruction sessions.

Boulderers will also enjoy Fundamentals and Performance climbing classes, suitable for those who have recently found indoor rock climbing and would like to improve their performance on the wall, through to those looking to break into the upper echelons of bouldering difficulty.

With a passion for building community, BIG Depot Manchester will also provide a range of free-with-entry social climbing sessions. From Women's and LGBTQ+ nights to Belay Buddies and Open Socials, instructor-led casual coaching socials provide a space for every climber to expand their community and enjoy the social benefits of climbing.

Junior climbing classes are on offer for all abilities and age levels, with climbers aged 4+ through offerings such as the national ward schemes of Wild Climbers and NICAS, school groups and half-term holiday camps.  The dedicated junior climbing area is conveniently located by our temperature-controlled cafe area for the comfort of parents, who can enjoy refreshments while keeping an eye on their children's progress.

Depot Climbing look forward to bringing the UK's newest and biggest state-of-the-art climbing hub to Wythenshawe, where climbers of any background and ability can enjoy a space to socialise, relax and climb as part of the ever-growing climbing community.

Welcome to the future of British climbing.