The Foundry, Sheffield, celebrates unveiling of newly refurbished climbing wall

"Over the summer, here at The Foundry, we redesigned and built our top rope walls in the main hall." says Development Manager for the Foundry Karl Bacon.

"The new climbing surface has 19 lines, including three auto belays. There are a variety of angles from slab to gently overhanging. The new wall has allowed us to set routes from 3 to 7a/7a+ with a diverse hold type and climbing styles. Going home feeling excited, exhilarated and worked out is definitely on the cards after a session."

Since the setting was completed at the beginning of August, climbers from outside of the Foundry membership base have been in to check out the wall along with regular faces getting stuck in.

"We are very proud of the new climbing, in a large part because it was funded entirely from surplus generated from membership subscriptions. As a Community Interest Company, our constitution states that profits have to be reinvested back into the Club. This project along with the remodeling of the left hand side of the main wall in the summer of 2023 has seen £70,000 being reinvested back into the Club's facilities."

"Now the dust has settled on this project, we look forward to the start of the Autumn season and welcoming members back and climbers from further afield to experience what the Foundry Climbing Wall is all about."

BMC Members climb for less at The Foundry Climbing Wall

As a BMC member, you are entitled to:

• Reduced entry prices - £7 all day membership rather than £10. To claim this discount please show proof of your current BMC membership when checking in at reception.
• For BMC members who are new to rope climbing, you can access our instructed Introduction to Climbing sessions for £10 per person per session rather than £18. These sessions are ideal for upskilling and teaching the skills to top rope climb in an indoor setting safely and independently. To book on to one of these sessions follow the link below and use the code BMC25 to take advantage of the discount. Intro to Climbing
• If you wish to learn to lead climb, you can book a session with a 15% discount. If you wish to take advantage of this deal, email wall@foundryclimbing.com with the basic details of; date and time you wish to hold your session along with the group size and ages of the group and we will then get you booked in for your session.

This year the BMC re-vamped the Associate Membership scheme - open to walls, activity providers, voluntary organisations and schools - by offering an Enhanced package. The Foundry were one of the first walls to sign up to the initiative.

BMC's Climbing Development Manager, Dan Middleton, recently visited the Foundry to check out their newly refurbished wall space, drop off their Associate banners and posters and check-in with Karl about how the Foundry are finding the Associate Membership.

“As a one of the managers at The Foundry, I’m pleased we became an Enhanced BMC Associate Member. The enhanced-level benefits - particularly the professional safeguarding support and DBS checking service - give us essential frameworks and protections we might otherwise struggle to maintain. Meanwhile, the standard membership benefits - from 50% off BMC Individual membership for staff and 25% for Foundry members, free job listings, promotion of events via the BMC and more - all combine into real value for us."

Dan said about the BMC's Enhanced Associate member scheme: "We've been listening to walls about what they need out of a partnership such as this. As well as the safeguarding support and training, we wanted to help welcome their staff into becoming BMC members more easily. They can access Mountain Training Qualifications for their own professional development as well as the many other benefits such as personal accident cover for their own climbing. With the partnership also offering BMC membership discounts to climbers at the Foundry and a reciprocal offer in return, everyone is a winner and we're very excited about how the partnership will develop in the future."