A brand new, world-class centre of excellence for climbing and bouldering has just opened in Deeside setting a new standard in excellence and innovation for climbing walls in the UK.
The Boardroom Climbing Centre, based within Deeside Enterprise Zone, will be supported by £50,000 from the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund to create 10 new jobs and is already attracting climbers of all abilities to North Wales.
“The Boardroom” is a state-of-the-art indoor facility that features an international competition standard Bouldering Wall, a Speed Climbing Wall, Roped Climbing, Children’s Climbing Wall and Europe’s first “Psico Bloc” wall – where people can climb to 8m without ropes.
The new climbing centre has been created in a 1388 sq metre unit on the Rectors Lane Industrial Estate near Queensferry to provide over 1000sq metres of artificial climbing surface.
The ‘Psico Bloc’ wall (Spanish for Crazy Boulder) reaches 8 metres (26ft) in height while a mat with twice the thickness of a pole vaulting mat provides protection on the floor.
The only other similar wall in the world is known as the Snake at Hoosier Heights in Indianapolis, USA which was built by ‘Enterprises’ the company that constructed the North Wales Centre.
The initiative is the brainchild of Lee Browning and David Thomas, who between them have 30 years’ experience, working as senor instructors in the outdoor leisure industry.
David said: “This is the realisation of a dream for us. For the last ten years we’ve talked about what our ultimate climbing wall would look like. In the end we knew there was no way around it, we were just going to have to build the thing ourselves!”
Within days of opening the centre has attracted numerous group bookings including local schools while the first college group came from the University of Central Lancashire.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said:” It’s good to hear the Economic Growth Fund is supporting the creation of a brand new business start-up in the Deeside Enterprise Zone.
“The new centre has the potential to become a great indoor all weather tourist attraction for visitors as well as providing the local community with a new specialist activity centre.
“The Fund is proving to be extremely successful and playing a key role in supporting business growth and creating new jobs throughout Wales and I wish the Boardroom Climbing Centre every success.”
Lee Browning said: ”We are delighted at the interest the centre is creating and funding support from the Welsh Government was extremely helpful as in the current financial climate it is difficult to get funding – particularly for more unusual projects like the Boardroom Climbing Centre.”
The centre is open seven days a week, weekdays 10am – 10pm and weekends 10am- 8pm.