December Gym Round Up
Welcome to the December Gym Round Up!
Even with the busy winter season in full swing, gym owners were still busy behind the scenes with new developments. There were several large projects showing notable progress across the continent, plus a transition for Mountain Network, a power move from The Font and a bold one for UpZone360!
We wish you a Happy New Year wherever you are celebrating and cheers to a strong 2026.
For those attending Salon de l’Escalade in Paris, we will be roaming the show and are keen to talk with gym owners and brands. IF you see us please do say hi!
As always, if you have announcements to share with the industry, be sure to tag/email/DM us.
We are still eager to hear from gym owners for their view on our article Soft Grades, Hard Realities - even if you would prefer to remain anonymous to preserve reputations and not give away strategies, we are keen to get your opinion.
IFSC Rebrands
World Climbing is the new name for the International Federation of Sport Climbing, the organisation has undergone a full rebrand to modernise and appeal to a rapidly growing, global audience.
Austria
A New Laboratory
Salzburg climbers can look forward to Boulder Lab opening next Spring. Whilst no details are available, a video showing the site was also shared, it appears to be a small industrial unit ideal for a training space. We look forward to seeing their progress and reporting back with an opening date and further details.
Czechia
Big gets Bigger
Full-service gym Lezeckastena Trinactka announced an expansion to their already large facility. Situated in a multistorey building opposite the existing site, it will feature an extensive bouldering space, 10m rope walls, changing rooms, and a balcony space.
Hangar Upgrades
Adam Ondra’s home gym, Hangar, is undergoing significant upgrades to offer great wall space for customers. The space next to the KilterBoard has been stripped out and replaced with large wall section featuring and impressively steep prow.
France
BS29
Finishing the year with yet another gym announcement, Bloc Session revealed their 29th site will be coming in Paris. The city has seen multiple new entries in 2025, the new BS gym will continue their current formula of well appointed gyms within a more compact footprint. Situated in Marne le Vallée, on the eastern outskirts towards DisneyLand, the gym will presumably aim to capture commuters and local residents.
All-Star Build Takes Shape
A new build which started back in early 2024, stalled for a year, and picked up again a few months ago has gained some steam and is now progressing to a 2026 opening. Backed by Mel Sandoz and Guillaume Glairon Mondet, and contractors Simon Favrot, Matthieu Dutray and Blok Corp, Boulder Factory is geared up for success! Located in a new commercial complex in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Bois, south of Paris it is sure to be a destination for the surrounding residents.
Bold New Entrant
UpZone360 will be joining the French market in 2026 with 2 small bouldering gyms 380km apart - because opening a single starter gym is apparently too easy! The gyms will be located in Rodez and Dole in the south of France and both feature an adjustable KilterBoard, compact bouldering walls, training and cafe spaces.
Germany
A Kid’s Paradise!
The large climbing gym Griffwerk, in Ludwigsburg, has announced an expansion to offer an equally large space just for kids climbing. The area will include bouldering, an extensive tunnel network, slides and seating. Not forgetting the more training-focused customers of the gym, there will be an adjustable KilterBoard tucked into one corner. The space will open on January 18th.
Amberg Awaits its own Bouldering Gym
Project Boulderhalle Amberg has been making strong and consistent progress towards an early 2026 opening. The 300sqm gym will feature an enticing array of angles, designed by Problemkind Rotenbau, to suit all climbing abilities in a compact space.
Sudden Stoppage
Stuntwerk Troisdorf announced a sudden and immediate closure on December 9th. Owner, Pascal, shared a heartfelt message alongside the announcement stating that the landlord had restricted access and that a solution was in the works. The gym reopened on the 19th much to the relief of gym staff and patrons.
Olympic Ice Rink Reborn as Action Park
Olympiapark Munich has formally opened the Action Park in the former Ice Rink. the 2000sqm facility features extensive bouldering walls, ninja warrior space, parkour, calisthenics, dedicated kids area, and a bistro. Produced by ArtRock, the bouldering section features walls suited to a wide audience and climbing styles.
Boulderstube For Sale
The owners of Boulderstube, situated in Laufenburg on the German-Swiss border, have announced that the gym is for sale. The reason for the sale was private and also a ‘reorientation of their lives’. We wish the Boulderstube team the best and hope for a good outcome for the whole team.
Heibronn Refurbishment
The DAV Kletterhalle in Heibronn is preparing for some redevelopment work commencing January 12th. The ‘mushroom’ freestanding boulder has been dismantled in preparation, presumably for a modern rebuild!
New Element
Construction has started on a new Element gym, the second for the city of Cologne, next to the Cologne Congress Centre. The bright, modernist building offers ample space to cater to Element’s signature go-big style, and includes a newly-built mezzanine to maximise the building’s footprint.
Italy
Ragusa Renewed
Italian independent bouldering gym Red Rocks Ragusa has undergone a complete rebuild, and reopened to the public on December 5th. The 250sqm gym features a customer-friendly range of angles, thoughtfully designed into a compact footprint.
Latvia
Falkors Goes Big!
On December 11th, Falkors Climbing announced a significantly larger site coming to Riga by the end of 2026. Falkors West will be ‘three times the size’ of the original site and feature 2 levels of bouldering, 2 standalone islands, training space, cafe/bar and multipurpose rooms.
Netherlands
One Chapter Ends, Another Begins
After 30 years, the original Mountain Network Nieuwegein site has closed its doors in preparation for transitioning into the new National Climbing Centre. Customers came for their final climbs and farewells on December 20th, the NCC will partially open on January 3rd allowing customers to experience the ‘beginners area’, the gym should be fully operational in May 2026. We look forward to being there for the grand opening!
Portugal
Oriente Opens
The second site for the Vertigo bouldering gym has opened with a soft launch on the 17th December and then straight into full operation. Oriente features a Walltopia QuantumBoard and an open-plan layout offering climbers a welcoming and relaxed space with walls ranging from slab to gentle overhang.
Spain
Seeds of a National Organisation
As reported earlier in the month, Neko Escalada in Logrono will be hosting the first meeting of Spanish climbing gym owners in what will hopefully evolve into an ABC (Association of British Climbing Walls) -style national trade body. The event will be held on February 6th.
Bigger, Better…Wetter?
Zaragoza-based Bulderland has shown the impressive progress made on their 2.0 site since teasing it back in October. The CityWall-built new build features a roped hall, a large ground level space and even a 5m deep pool which will be home to Spain’s first permanent psicobloc - rising ~8m above the water!
Getting Through the Crux
The group hoping to get BoulderCrux off the drawing board and in to reality made an announcement on December 4th, they are having trouble with both financing the project and finding a suitable location. This leaves the town of La Garriga, north of Barcelona, without a climbing gym for the foreseeable future until fortunes improve.
Bayyana Beckons
Baena-based Bayyana Climbing opened to the public on December 6th. Built by Relief Experiens, the bouldering and autobelay gym welcomed customers with speeches, ribbon cutting, and a party atmosphere.
Closure and Consolidation
The Sant Quirze site of Sala Batec closed on December 20th after 9 years of operation. No reason was given, but members will be comforted by the fact that resources from Sant Quirze will be consolidated into their Sabadell location, enabling the bloc count to massively increase from 150 to 350, plus installation of a spraywall.
Busy Barcelona
Bloc District has teased an impressive expansion to their marina site. Featuring 700sqm of bouldering wall space, it won’t be a small offering and a welcome addition for a community of enthusiastic climbers. Designs offer something for customers to look forward to; a standalone island, walls up to a customer-friendly 4.2m, and a range of angles to suit all abilities and styles.
Switzerland
Rollercoaster Ride!
Despite being ready to start building in Köniz, Swiss non-profit gym Chubu was recently forced to pivot. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the team had to secure a new home—but the setback hasn’t slowed them down. In a move that keeps the momentum high for their community, Chubu has announced a new site in Bümpliz South. Located just a short distance from the train station west of Bern, the project remains on track for a 2026 opening. The Chubu team continues to prove that resilience is all part of the process.
UK
The Font Acquires Parthian
London gym chain The Font has wholly acquired Parthian Climbing. Having already bought the Parthian Wandsworth, London site back in the summer, this deal puts The Font into the upper echelons of British climbing gym chains. Also announced was the closure of the ‘OG’ Wandsworth site on the 1st January in order to fully transition into the larger Parthian location.
Pro Climbing League to Launch in London
With the exciting launch of PCL by Danaan Markey and Charlie Boscoe, the first qualifier events will be hosted by The Font at the ‘OG’ - reopening purely for the event - before the main show at Magazine London, next to the 02 Arena. With the promise of a revolutionary head-to-head format and a potentially attractive payday we can foresee the world’s best climbers descending on the city for a chance at gaining a coveted spot on the line-up.
Rhi-Non Profit
Rhino Boulder Bromley, in south-west London, announced on 13 December that it will operate as a not-for-profit organisation going forward. Coming shortly after fellow ICWC member Boulder Shack made a similar transition in November, the move may point to a more sustainable long-term model for independent gyms facing increasing local competition. Could 2026 see more independents adopting the not-for-profit route as a way to stay open?
Feedback Sparks Improvements
Hot off of the Solihull refurbishment, Social Climbing has now turned attention to their original Coventry site for a bit of love. Following a round of feedback from staff and customers the gym will receive fresh matting and carpet, renewing the cafe and event spaces, and ensuring that the routesetting is consistent and engaging across the grades.
Multiple Floods Hit Dynamic Rock
South Wales climbing gym Dynamic Rock suffered back to back flooding events this month requiring assistance from the local fire services to clear the water. The team managed to clear the site and be back open the next day with a full instruction program!
