Rock on: London Climbing Centres celebrates reaching 10-year milestone
In recent years, the ascent of climbing as a popular sport has been reaching new heights.
According to the Association of British Climbing Walls, 1 million people take on the challenge of indoor climbing each year, with a dedicated 100,000 enthusiasts scaling the walls at least twice a month.
Surprisingly, over 75 per cent of climbers prefer the controlled environment of indoor facilities, hinting at the evolving landscape of this sport.
London Climbing Centres (LCC) is at the heart of this revolution. From the solitary Vauxhall-based centre which kick-started this trend in May 2014 to a network of eight venues a decade later, the capital has witnessed an impressive surge in climbing culture.
According to LCC, daily visits have soared by an astonishing 121 per cent from October 2015, with membership numbers skyrocketing by a remarkable 734 per cent within the same period.
These figures, amidst stiff competition, underscore the burgeoning appeal of climbing as a recreational pursuit among Londoners, with a striking 60 per cent of monthly check-ins coming from the 18 to 30-year-old demographic.
This surge in popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed on the global stage, fuelled by documentaries such as Free Solo, Dawn Wall, and The Wall: Climb To Gold, alongside its inclusion in the Olympics from 2021.
Nowhere is this more evident than in London, where the number of climbing centres has soared from a modest 10 in 2014 to almost 50 this year.
What is LCC?
LCC forms London’s largest group of climbing centres, with members unlocking access to all eight sites as part of their subscription.
Founded, owned, and run by climbers since 1995, the team are committed to bringing a premium experience and a supportive community to those living and working in the city.
The group’s core mission is simple; to get more people into the fun, exciting sport of climbing.
Join a bouldering basics class
Instructed Bouldering Basics classes are the perfect introduction for newcomers. Climb alongside others discovering the sport for the first time.
Private sessions
Climb with an instructor for an hour and learn the basics of bouldering to discover why it’s one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Tickets to events
LCC hosts several national-level events at HarroWall, our flagship site and London’s only BMC National Performance Centre. Take part in events such as The London Climbing Festival and the LDN Big Comp (previous winners include future Olympian Toby Roberts).