Indoor climbing

the resurrection of this thread has me about to book a beginner course, the two closest places to me are westway and swiss cottage. Any recommendations between the two?

Westway.
Far superior facilities although for a beginners course this may not be as important as you'll learn similar things on either. Beginners courses are there to teach you to use the equipment and place safely with less teaching around the techniques itself, most of which you learn on your own. Then maybe take another course a little later to improve your balance/movement skills if you get keen
Oh, and climbing shoes suck and hurt for a while til they're broken in. Htfu required.

I climb with brute force and ignorance, not graceful but it does work up to a certain point. Considering a couple of one on one sessions in a month or so to get me back up to pace. Good social scene as well similar to fixie skidding. Castle pub does a monthly buffet and you can take bikes into the garden.

thanks for that, westway is the closer option so that's the one.
If you don't have a partner are there auto belay systems that you can use there?
Can't say i'm always the most social ("outgoing") person when if comes to new people and often like doing things on my own.
my feet have done alot of battles with shoes,flippers and now tattoo needles I think I can deal with it.

I'll be going to westway hopefully next week now I seem to have a partner... We can make it a group thing Scrapper, if I ask?

Ok finally got chance to do a course through the Castle so if anyone doesn't mind climbing with a straight up novice from next week I'm keen.
I live really close to westway but I can't to to other places pretty easy depending on time.

I live round the corner and am always up for a climb money depending. Not much above a novice myself so no worries.

Ok I'm fully hooked on this climbing thing now so if anyone is up for Climbling or Bouldering let me know I'm 5mins from westway but happy to goto the castle as well (that is where I did my course).
I'm happy just mostly belay for you as well while I learn.

pm'd you edmundro.

There is a new climbing wall in Woolwich, I saw the sign this weekend when walking by, I ride by every day but have missed it.

http://www.thereach.org.uk/Infoandprices.html

anyone fancy going with me? I've only just learnt the basic climbing stuff last year but just have not got round to doing any more sessions.

I just thought I'd opportunistically dive in here and say I'm keen to go climbing/bouldering at Mile End, but don't have a regular partner. I've realised that I try a lot harder if there's someone there to show me up - so if anyone's interested PM me.

Tentatively thinking about some kind of cycling bouldering excursions in Dartmoor this summer. So it would be good to find someone interested in both activities.

I have all the basic gear now, except rope, which I will have by next sunday, and posh shoes, which I can't afford at the moment. I'm often game for climbing, westway is nearest for me (Uxbridge based)

In case it bothers you, I have never taken a climbing course, but have done plenty of climbing, throughout my time in the scout association, and more since.
If this bothers you, don't bother me...

Im up at Westway about 3 times a week if anyone fancys a session. Can usually be found looking quizzically at the improvers league problems, but need to get my lead head back on......

I just thought I'd opportunistically dive in here and say I'm keen to go climbing/bouldering at Mile End, but don't have a regular partner. I've realised that I try a lot harder if there's someone there to show me up - so if anyone's interested PM me.

Tentatively thinking about some kind of cycling bouldering excursions in Dartmoor this summer. So it would be good to find someone interested in both activities.

Is mile end wall good? Im only 5 minutes away but have never been. My shoes are up in Edinburgh and always forget to bring them down.

mile end is great for bouldering, particularly if you are a fan of pretty committing highballs. The roped routes are quite short, which has meant that I have generally preferred the westway or castle.

Is mile end wall good?

It's really good for bouldering. Most of the routes are quite tough though - at least for me anyway! As it's near and I don't have a climbing partner it's where I go a lot.

Also up for The Castle if anyone needs a partner.

There is a new climbing wall in Woolwich, I saw the sign this weekend when walking by, I ride by every day but have missed it.

http://www.thereach.org.uk/Infoandprices.html

anyone fancy going with me? I've only just learnt the basic climbing stuff last year but just have not got round to doing any more sessions.

I'll quote you on both pages, i'll be up for going here sometime. I'll probably go and check it out one evening next week or next weekend, i've only just started climbing though and am not great.

I'll quote you on both pages, i'll be up for going here sometime. I'll probably go and check it out one evening next week or next weekend, i've only just started climbing though and am not great.

Same like the same situation as me, let me know and I might come along, even if it's just for bouldering , it's only 500m from my flat.

Same like the same situation as me, let me know and I might come along, even if it's just for bouldering , it's only 500m from my flat.

I'm abbey wood so add a couple of miles for me, still close enought i guess. Any idea if they have anywhere to lock bikes, I was gonna send them an email to find out.

Went to check out the reach in woolwich this afternoon, they are still building some of the bouldering stuff (some giant boulder that tilts/leans - on a pivot). so there isn't massive amounts at the moment although this should get better over the coming weeks.

Quiet a lot of top roped and leading routes though and it was pretty empty so no having to wait around. Pretty high roof space though so the climbs are much higher than mile end (no idea about the other walls as i haven't been).

They have loads of space to expand though as I think they only used about half of the space they have.
There is some secure bike racks there, not indoors but in a covered area near the reception, they aren't the best but they seem to be putting in more but to lock too, beside it's in a culdisac with a security hut (all industrial units) and it's out of the way so it should be a pretty safe place to lock up.

There are a few pictures on thier facebook page which will give you an idea of the size just search for The Reach - Climbing wall

I'm going to make another request for people to climb with just registered at westway today as I went to have a play with the bouldering wall. If any of you are down to climb with someone just doing the beginner routes let me know. I'm free most evenings and only live 5mins away.
pm'd a couple of you off this.

It's really good for bouldering. Most of the routes are quite tough though - at least for me anyway! As it's near and I don't have a climbing partner it's where I go a lot.

Also up for The Castle if anyone needs a partner.

Apparently Mile End has one of the highest bouldering walls in the UK - it was built shortly before new regs came in making it illegal to build walls that high for bouldering.

flagrant disregard for H&S FTW :D

ps. will be down the Mile End wall on Wednesday from about 5pm if anyone's about. look for the skinny kid with a brown side-parting and Red Chilli shoes.

ps. will be down the Mile End wall on Wednesday from about 5pm if anyone's about. look for the skinny kid with a brown side-parting and Red Chilli shoes.

cool, i usually go down Wednesday afternoon, probably a bit before 5, but might see you.

also red chilli shoes, and brown hair, though i could do with a haircut.

Another climber here! Well more of a boulderer, I'm at the Arch (near London Bridge station) 2-3 times a week, usually monday, friday, Sunday and at the Castle on wednesday afternoons.

Fixies seem to be pretty popular among climbers, seems to be a deluge of them around 5-6pm at the castle on weds.

I'm down at Mile End a few times a week too. Seems like we might have enough people here for a wee meet up?

Another climber here! Well more of a boulderer, I'm at the Arch (near London Bridge station) 2-3 times a week, usually monday, friday, Sunday and at the Castle on wednesday afternoons.

Fixies seem to be pretty popular among climbers, seems to be a deluge of them around 5-6pm at the castle on weds.

Just how rich are you?! I'd love to climb as much as that, but due to lack of funds I haven't climbed for over a year :-( This is also the reason I'll be checking out the boulder on Shoreditch Park this evening to see whether I can still climb and if it's actually worth climbing.