The Sprout

Climb Boulders

Posted by archifCLICarchive from National - Published on 07/09/2008 at 16:27
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The new Boulders indoor climbing centre at St Catherine’s Park in Cardiff is now open to provide the largest, combined bouldering and lead wall in Wales and the South West. This new facility promises an exciting training opportunity for climbers competing on the international sport circuit.

Boulders boasts over 2000sqm of climbing surface and routes that soar up to 12m.A huge amount of space has been dedicated to bouldering which includes a 16 ft wide wall set at 45 degrees ? which is right on the legal height limit for bouldering.All the problems are set up in circuits so they’re really easy to follow.

Managing Director, Rob Lawrence, says “Finger strength is what sets good climbers apart from great climbers and our cutting edge facilities include a 45 degree, 100 square metres Moon Board. You can use in conjunction with training tips and routines from Moon's website, or create your own problems from the 100 plus holds. We’ll soon have climbers feeling the burn.”

“At Boulders we realise that setting excellent routes and changing them regularly is at the crux of any good climbing centre. We have Neil Gresham-designed routes to work with his Masterclass DVD programmes. Plus, between our staff we have over 14 year’s route setting experience up to 8a. Not content with this, we have invited guest route setters for special events like our winter bouldering league, sponsored by Red Chilli. Gaz Parry has already been confirmed.”

For those that prefer BMC routes they’ll be taking part in this year’s BMC lead ladder routes. They’ll also have a monthly 8b for those ninjas out there, with the chance of winning 20 free entrances for those that get a clean assent. Music and fresh coffee from the caf? ensures the atmosphere doesn’t get too competitive.

Directors Rob Lawrence and Ollie Noakes first met in 2000 when training for an expedition to climb Mount Everest. Their enthusiasm for mountaineering inspired the concept and creation of Boulders Limited. They feel the crucial difference with the Boulders centre is the level of strategic thinking invested into the design, location and range of experiences on offer.

Managing Director, Rob Lawrence comments, “It’s fantastic to finally see our vision becoming a reality. It’s been a struggle to get this far but very soon we’ll be delivering a range of adventure activities and fitness opportunities that will see all types of people from climbing. St Catherine’s Park ended a long search to find the ideal premises. We have always considered Boulders to be a ‘must have’ for Cardiff and now looking forward to fully opening in late August. Our website has already generated significant interest. The increasing demand for extreme sports seems to be a backlash to the sedentary nature of modern life. Ollie and I recognised that people’s interest in sport, plus trends towards outdoor pursuits and healthier living, could be combined with our climbing expertise to deliver opportunities for individual and corporate events in this rapidly growing sector of the leisure market. Our dream is to get more people climbing so the sport continues to grow and develop.”

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