such fond memories of the foundry. first route, first lead, first fall, first boulder problem, first slab, first vert, first overhang, first shoes, first wall membership, I can't wait to come back
Back when lead centres where great and focused on climbers, now most centres are all about kids party’s and clip and climb. Really really really really hope the Depot open a centre in Liverpool or even better a Big Depot, Would love to check the foundry out though looks awesome but a long way to go for me to climb indoors.
Very cool to see this.. I never knew Jerry was the founder !. I used to climb there in 1992. Was given a life long membership! God knows if it actually still is ?? Even climbed next to the one and only johnny dawes in there. Must have been a wet day ? Lol
this person's dad // Do you know what type of chicken? I mean, I can't imagine their using a Orpington chicken, because we all know how clumsy those guys can be. Perhaps a Wyandotte or Dorking chicken?
Wow it's hard to believe that UK was four years behind the U.S. for indoor climbing (Vertical Club, Seattle 1987). Want to guess where my "hometown gym" is?
There were climbing walls here before the foundry... the famous Leeds University climbing wall of late 60s - 70s fame, for example. They were pretty crude though, tended to be modified brick walls in gymnasiums - still responsible for pretty big advances in climbing and training.
Same in the U.S.. VC was the first fully-dedicated gym setup though (by today's standards pretty comical, but it got us through the winters). I think there was already a gym or two in France maybe, as Enterprise had a pre-fab wall in 1987.
you guys certainly have winters alright! mad to think how much the indoor culture has advanced in a relatively tiny period of time... 5 bouldering walls have opened up in my home town in the last 5 years!
