26 Jul Indirock’s new mobile climbing wall hits Essex in time for Paris Olympics
Just in time for the 2024 Olympics, which kicks off in Paris this weekend, Indirock’s new mobile climbing wall has been hitting the streets of Southend-on-Sea.
Indirock, Southend’s own bouldering wall inside the Victoria shopping centre, secured a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to buy the wall. With the Olympics set to create a buzz around climbing, Indirock wanted to enable as many people as possible to experience climbing for free. And what better way than to bring the experience to them?
The mobile climbing wall, which is hard to miss at nearly 4 metres tall and is pink and yellow in colour, is one of only a handful in the UK. It works on a rotating system, similar to a treadmill, which means that the climbing never stops!
The mobile wall was a big hit at Manifest festival and Our City Around the World events, and can be found at Lazy Days festival and many more over the summer.
Kicking off this weekend, the olympics will see bouldering and lead climbing become an event in their own right for the first time.
Bouldering, a form of rock climbing stripped down to its rawest essence, demands a unique blend of strength, agility, and problem-solving. Unlike traditional climbing, bouldering routes, known as “problems,” are shorter but packed with intense challenges that test climbers’ limits. Competitors scale walls up to 4.5 meters high without ropes, relying solely on their skills and the safety of padded mats below.
This electrifying addition to the Olympic roster promises to deliver heart-stopping moments and jaw-dropping athleticism. The scoring system rewards not just the ability to reach the top, but also the climbers’ mastery over the routes and their strategic approaches.
The UK is represented by four athletes this time, a massive increase from only one GB climber in the Tokyo Olympics. The team includes Molly Thompson-Smith, Erin McNeice, Toby Roberts and Hamish McArthur. As we wish them the best of luck, we pose a question to you: Have you ever tried climbing?
So far over 100 people have enjoyed climbing for free through Indirock’s innovative new mobile climbing wall, and many more are set to do so over the months to come. Get ready for bouldering to rock your world – at the Olympics and thanks to Indirock, right here in Southend!