A university climbing centre has expanded to meet rising demand.
The bouldering wall at Oxford Brookes Climbing Centre has doubled in size following a recent refurbishment.
Bouldering is a free form of climbing which doesn’t involve ropes or harnesses.
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The climbing centre now boasts brand new bouldering walls built in a former squash court within the Brookes Sport facilities on the university’s Headington Campus.
There are still squash courts at both of the Brookes Sport centres in Headington and Harcourt Hill.
The extension means the entire climbing centre is now 750 square metres in size.
It includes a new piece of equipment that can measure a climber’s individual finger strength and it produces a tailor-made training plan for them.
Richard Cole, climbing centre manager, said: “As climbing has gained popularity we have had to expand.
“We’d already taken over a squash court to expand in 2009.
“In 2017 I had made a plan for further expansion. This was gathering pace until 2020 when Covid hit and the work was delayed.
“The bouldering wall was 14-years-old and needed refurbishing so we’ve taken over another squash court to create a much bigger facility.”
With between 5,000 and 6,000 visits per month, the centre is used by Oxford Brookes University’s climbing club and the University of Oxford’s Mountaineering Club.
The nearest alternative climbing facilities are in Reading and Bicester.
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