As the go-to climbing centre for professional and recreational climbers alike, Urban Climb knows a thing or two about providing the ultimate climbing experience. It’s just opened its largest facility to date in Melbourne’s East, with its new $15-milion-dollar Blackburn store featuring more than 200 climbing routes spanning 2800 square metres.
Urban Climb consulted a team of climbing aficionados from around the globe for help with climbing routes, equipment and the building of the walls in the space, including facilities for top rope climbing and bouldering, an Olympic-style speed wall and a 17-metre lead wall that is thought to be Australia’s tallest. The space also offers a yoga studio, weights area, sauna and café for that much-needed post-climb recovery.
“We wanted to set the standard for climbing in Australia, with lots of different climbing styles that mirror what you’d do in the mountains, including bouldering, top rope and lead climbing," says Urban Climb CEO Alex Cox-Taylor. "It’s hard to not get excited when you walk in and see the size and quality of the place – it really is the experience of the outdoors, indoors, right in the heart of Melbourne.”
If you’re new to the world of climbing, you can pay per visit before committing to a full membership, which lets you access Urban Climb’s five climbing gyms as many times as you’d like.