With interest in sport climbing on the rise, a newly opened facility in the inner Sydney suburb of Annandale features the southern hemisphere’s biggest-ever bouldering gym.
Offering over 1000 metre² of rock climbing wall (with a 2D curve and 40-degree system wall), the Nomad Bouldering Gym presents an example of how those with an interest in recreational climbing are freeing themselves from ropes and belaying, and making the most of the ‘short-wall’ version of the sport.
With participants able to free-fall from just a few meters onto thickly padded mats at the base of each climbing surface, the Nomad Bouldering Gym offers the ‘Earth’ (a giant surmountable globe with 360-degree climbs), a long, arched feature and an impressive variety of styles and difficulties.
In all, the gym has 11,000 holds with climbing experiences varied with a section changed each week.
The light filled facility also offers table tennis, retro arcade game, a well-stocked climbing store, a corporate meeting space, a gym, yoga workshops and a café.
Sydney hasn’t previously offered had a huge range of bouldering options - just Bloc Climbing in North Parramatta and the 9 Degrees Climbing Gym at the Sydney Corporate Park in Alexandria (with a second 9 Degrees facility set to open in Parramatta in the coming months).
However, some commentators expect facilities such as Nomad to thrive as a result of sport climbing becoming an Olympic sport and as Australia’s climbing scene undergoes a generational shift with many climbers preferring to stay indoors at purpose-made gyms than to head outdoors.
Nigel Benton, Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management.
For more information go to www.nomadbouldering.com
Image courtesy of Nomad Bouldering Gym.
About the author
Nigel Benton
Co-owner / Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management
Nigel Benton is the co-owner and publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
As of 2020, he has launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.
Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.
Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.
Read more from this author
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