It doesn't look like much when you walk in, but don't let that fool you. This place is massive! It's bouldering only FYI. First thing you do when you walk is check-in and you'll see the first boulder. It's built with wood so it's slick, but the rest of the gym is much better and textured. Upstairs there's loads of lockers, feel free to bring your own lock. There's an entire built in table that goes down quite a ways with stools and outlets so you can study there or downstairs by their little shop/cafe. As you walk in more you'll see the training area, with a great board, loads of campus boards, bars and other essentials ya need. There's a slab wall, on the other side has a traverse area and next to it is a circuit wall. As you go further there's more variety, loads of overhanging, slab, and good features. Their system is on the V grade and by colour. Overall a pretty cool place to check out! Not too far of a walk from the Bermondsey station. read more

This is the best bouldering gym I've ever been to. This place just opened three months ago, and according to its website has "over 11 000 square feet of bouldering, dozens of circuits offering hundreds of climbs" and "is one of the biggest climbing facilities in the UK." Which I definitely believe - I've been to 20 or so climbing gyms in the US, Canada, and the UK, and this is definitely the biggest bouldering gym I've ever seen. The staff's friendly, the prices are normal, and the facility is just so friggin' enormous, I still can't get over it. They lay their routes out according to color, so basically there are eight or so colors of holds, and all the routes set within each color fall within a certain range of difficulty (e.g. V1-V2). Each color has 30 or so routes associated with it, so you're looking at 240 total bouldering problems right there (assuming that I remember the number of colors correctly). 240 bouldering problems! That's fucking insane! The gym I go to in san francisco has, like, *maybe* sixty! And that 240 figure isn't even counting the ~30 bouldering-comp problems The Arch had up when I visited! They've also got plenty of other training gear - a bunch of hangboards, a moon board, a training board, just all sorts of crazy stuff. If you like bouldering, you have got to go here. This place is the best. read more

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This was a great find, recommended by a couple of friends who had started bouldering. It's a sizeable place with plenty of routes (for bouldering only). It's got a great atmosphere - really relaxed and fun. There's an area for chilling out in, should you wish, and tea and coffee available. It's also got facilities, so you can shower, change, lock your stuff away and rent shoes or chalk. Basically, everything is really easy! The routes change regularly and it's clearly marked how difficult they are. I think there's an app where you can check off which routes you have done, which sounds like a good idea though I haven't used it. There's a good variety of walls. I'm no pro, but there is a mix of terrains, inclines and techniques and the types of routes cover all of them, so even if you're a beginner you can take on diverse challenges so it isn't tedious. I think it's one of the reasons bouldering appeals to me - it requires logic and routes are different, so you need to keep thinking about your approach. Top marks for atmosphere and size, probably the most important elements of a bouldering gym. You can get one off entrances, monthly/annual (and I think quarterly or six monthly) passes, or buy 10 entrances for a discount. You also get some vouchers if you take the introduction class there, which gives you a half price monthly pass, for example. read more

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I love this place. Have been going here for two years now. The people are friendly. And you rub into so many helpful compatriots here, it is almost not difficult to not like this place. It opens super early, which makes it ideal for me before I head to work. The problems are rotated often enough to keep you happy. And the consistency maintained by the setters is commendable. The best part is, with another facility opening up at building one which is two minutes away, all covered under the same membership, it'd be crazy not to get one. read more

The Arch Climbing Wall - The Hendrix circuit - Climbing Near Me - London, XGL

Reasonably priced for a day pass, I came to the Arch during a London trip. It was January and I'm not sure if there's heat or not (or maybe I'm just cold blooded) but man, it was so cold inside here. After a while it became difficult to climb with cold fingers and toes. But before I became too cold to climb, I was fun exploring the routes. The grades are indicated by color, makes it hard to figure out the rating without looking back at the wall charts. Otherwise solid climbing gym, almost as good as Touchstone's and Brooklyn Boulder's places. read more

The Arch Climbing Wall - Climbing Near Me - London, XGL

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I went here last Saturday with a group of friends. We booked an introduction class (via e-mail) in which there were around 15 people and 2 instructors. The class lasted about an hour and then we were let loose on the facilities, though the instructors were around if we had any queries on how to handle a route. The instructors were very friendly and engaging (as were the rest of the staff). We spent a good 5 hours overall there and were definitely tired by the end of it. There are various routes you can take on the walls (which are colour coded). The routes are moved every 6-8 weeks to keep things fresh. Every one of our group said they would definitely love to return. read more

The Arch Climbing Wall - Climbing Near Me - London, XGL

The Arch is a fun climbing gym that specializes in bouldering (no top roping here). They have over 200 mixed level problems on different terrains and inclines which they rotate every few weeks to keep people engaged (they bring some famous names to help them design the new routes) and they even made an app so you can track your progress. The rest of the facilities include a dedicated stretching/gym area with hangboards & fingerboards, low walls for traversing etc. Free showers & bathrooms which are always in excellent condition. And also a lounge area and a cafe were you can rest for as long as you like. They also do plenty of lessons & workshops every week but i haven't tried those. Finally, you can rent shoes & chalk if you don't have your own and you can ask for a key for the free lockers. read more

The Arch is my local climbing wall and it's the biggest bouldering venue in London. Since January 2015 it's comprised of two centres on the same complex which offer routes of varying difficulties (v0-v8) and across a mix of different environments. The staff are friendly and helpful and avid climbers themselves. Routes get reset every 6-8 weeks and both centres include a training area for those keen beans. It's a gym that offers solely bouldering with no options for top ropes or lead climbing but always good to work on your strength and technique. read more

The Arch is fantastic. I am relatively new to bouldering, but I've already been here 3 times and can't fault the place. The Arch is in a small industrial park in South Bermondsey, and is a gem of fun activity in an otherwise boring area with a lack of exciting pasttimes. A large space with very high ceilings, the first thing you notice upon entering is a cloud of chalk dust (at first I thought it was smoke!) that hangs heavy in the air, coupled with a background of usually great music ranging from hip hop, to disco to 1993 jungle classics. The friendly staff are more than happy to sign you in, off peak entry (between 10am - 4pm Monday - Friday) is £7 and on peak entry (Weekends and 4pm - 10pm week days) is £10. Shoes can be rented for an additional £3 if you don't own a pair, and chalk bags for an additional £1. Lockers are free, you just exchange your house key for a locker key. There is a handy stretching area to warm up on, and once you're out on the climbing space there is a raft of routes to choose from. Routes are marked out by coloured handholds, and once you have selected a route you are supposed to complete it using only the hand/foothold colours corresponding to your selected route. That said, beginner climbers such as myself are encouraged to use other hand and footholds to complete their climbs, if it makes life easier. There is an excellent range of climbing here, from beginner stuff on a straight vertical, to advanced overhangs and upside down climbing to really test your core and upper body strength. Climbing routes are set out by grades of difficulty, and a handy picture chart on one wall shows you the different grade levels each hold colour is. A weekly challenge circuit encourages climbers to push themselves to try new things. A lot of the bouldering is pretty high up here, higher than I have seen at other places, but the crash mats are soft and provided you know how to fall safely, you will probably be ok. Safety is of course encouraged but all climbing is undertaken at your own risk! One thing I really like about The Arch is that they offer a complimentary group lesson for an hour on Monday and Friday evenings. This is taken by a qualified instructor (who for a 1-1 lesson would normally charge £50 an hour!) who splits the group into levels of ability and guides them through various routes, giving tips and advice along the way. This is an excellent boost for new climbers and more experienced people, and also creates a great social setting in which to progress your fitness and most importantly have fun! For more serious climbers than I there are some extremely challenging routes and a training wall allowing some serious overhang work, as well as pull up bars, a tricep dip bar and finger boards to build strength. Monthly competitions are also held. The people who attend this wall seem to be really friendly, and within two visits I had already met several climbing enthusiasts, something that will definitely keep me coming back. The overall atmosphere is great, and being able to climb to some of my favourite 90's hip hop tracks is a real pleasure. I hope to become a member and regular here soon! read more

Popped in here to buy a first set of climbing shoes for my girlfriend after she completed a beginners climbing course up at the Castle. They had a tiny selection of kit and when she did take a pair to the counter to ask to try them on in her size, was told they were too busy letting more people in to climb and couldnt serve us. I doubt we'll bother climbing here if the only objective is to cram in as many customers as possible. The Reach and the Castle get my vote every time! read more

The best place to start conquering your fear of highs or shall I say ME.! The Arch indoor climbing wall in Bermondsey @ the biscuit factory you be amazed by now massive it is from easy climbing circuit route to get round, to the most difficult routes and a lot of training gear too. Great induction classes for beninners like me very, very helpful and fully experienced instructor to help and guide you through the one hour induction class and even after the class where you can have time to explore the routes you might fail or conquering getting up to the top but you're encouraged and praised for doing it to trying. I wish I could tell you what happening before I got to the site but that will have told face to face. I'll be back... Definitely....! O.K a few things to do before climbing: STRECH.....! Or you will be feel the PAIN the next morning. Take your time no need to rush. And listen. read more

The secret is out! This is the best climbing spot in london. It has everything you need, from places to warm up, practice your technique, and chill out with a hot drink and a power bar. The equipment on sale is also very reasonably priced, especially when there is a sale on! Come and meet others who are passionate about the sport, especially the awesome staff. read more

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A few months ago I was lucky and could go with some (Google+ Local) reviewers to try out The Arch Climbing Wall bouldering facilities at the Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey. It was not that I never scaled a climbing wall before, but to be honest, the last time I did try to get up a wall was a number of years ago. And I was never very good at it anyway. So this was a great opportunity to try it again. Looking back, it was one of the best Google+ Local events I attended so far. We got a good introduction and then started climbing various routes. It was intense and the following week was quite painful. But it was a great experience and definitely something, I should do again. It is a great alternation to other workouts. read more

The Arch is awesome!. It has all difficulties. It was my very first time and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely come back. read more

The Arch Climbing Wall - The chill area is cool. - Climbing Near Me - London, XGL

Before going the The Arch, I had never climbed in a formal training atmosphere such as this. I had heard about climbing from a friend, and although this is not even the same place I'd heard about, I liked what i saw on their website, so I went to check it out. I started off with one of their daily group introductory classes (£20) for an hour and a half. You can just show up and start climbing, but I figured I could learn a little before I threw myself into climbing. They teach you about basic technique, safety, awareness, and provide a lot of encouragement. We also learned about the different puzzles/problems, which are vertical routes and are climbed via colored holds. Each route has its own color, and each color corresponds to a difficulty level. The lesson is also cool because the instructor will clear an area for the class to learn and practice without interuption from everyone else. This is a good thing because the lesson is at 6pm or 730pm, and is really busy compared to the rest of the day. I enjoyed myself a lot, and went back the next day. After a few times, I bought my own shoes, and I am now on my second membership month. Bouldering is a really good way to work out your upper body, and you will definitely appreciate the strength and dedication it takes to become an advanced climber, the more you go. My forearms feel so alive! The advanced climbers will blow your mind with the puzzles they are able to do with such ease. It is a really chill place, with an area for stretching, showers, lockers, mini café, and couches to lounge on. You can go at your own pace. Many people are very friendly and are willing to help figure out a puzzle if you get stuck. I have heard mornings are the best, with free coffee before 9am and very few people. Although, seeing as how I live on the other side of London, it will be hard to get there for that coffee! For both ladies and gents, there is a lot of eye candy, so be careful not to stare too much at the people standing around instead of the walls! Hope this was helpful. Now get out there and unleash your inner Spider-man!...or woman. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to sign up for the introductory lesson on a Saturday at 4 pm because we'd never gone rock climbing and wanted to give it a try. We figured we should at least learn the basics before jumping right in. On weekends, I believe they offer intro classes 3 times: 12, 2, and 4. I don't know if there is a size limit, but our group was a total of 4. I think this is the perfect size. It was another couple and us. The facility has changing rooms, toilets, and showers, although the day we went they were out of clean towels, so we weren't able to shower. They also have lockers for use if you leave an ID. Upon arrival, you have to fill out forms. Then we changed in the changing rooms and met our group for the lesson. It started about 10 minutes late. The instructor first led us up to the second floor sot hat we could stretch properly and get the blood flowing, particularly in the hands and legs. This was about 10 minutes or so. Then we went downstairs to the climbing area to give it a go. We went over to the beginner wall area and we first practiced how to jump off/land properly in the event we ever needed to. Of course it is never recommended that you jump off, but rather that you climb back down. Inevitably, though, there are some times you have to and jumping/landing safety is important. He explained the different nobs on the wall and what the colors meant. The explained different paths and levels. Then he demonstrated climbing a basic path and had each of us try it. We did this several times on increasingly difficult paths/walls. He taught us about chalk, shoes, and also showed us one of the stretching/muscle development walls where serious climbers try to tone their fingers, hands, and all kinds of muscles you don't normally use. The lesson lasted an hour and was really fantastic. I think it's a great idea to take one of these if you've never climbed before. It really lays the groundwork. But then you're free to stay and climb as long as you want. The lesson is 20 pounds per person and includes the hour long class, shoe rental, and climbing after the lesson. read more

For Building One- Pluses: 1) fine bouldering gym with friendly staff, lots of different problems and a good training setup including traverse walls, rings, campus boards, climbing bars and stretching area. 2) Gear and coffee are reasonably priced. 3) The Arch managed to get my lapsed climbing buddy back into the sport and for nothing else I am grateful for that. 4) It's close to town and convenient to get to. 5) Good tune selection on the stereo 6) Opens early closes late 7) virtually empty before 5 on a weekday Minuses: 1) At peak times there can also be large groups of people who stand around and watch their mate climb, which is a safety hazard because it limits the space to move around. As far as I know there isn't a max limit of how many people admitted to the gym so really there's nothing to disincentivise the front staff to pack people in. This wasn't an issue with Biscuit next door but I can see it becoming so once Building One becomes the only Arch location in Bermondsey. 2) Also it can get very hot inside during the summer. 3) Sometimes the kids who run the front on Fridays/weekends will give keys to a small locker when there are large lockers available, which seems senseless as it means more gear will be left out and could possibly be nicked. 4) Speaking from experience, don't forget your water bottle as it will likely disappear forever. 5) Some routes are set very closely together, which turns into a problem when one is trying to do a certain route and then finds that a hold from another route is blocking movement upward. Many is the time when I have knocked a knee or hand on an in-the-way hold from another route...another one that I've found out the hard way through multiple cuts and bruises to beware of is that if you lose a foothold and come loose from one of the vertical or positive routes, you may hit a protruding hold from another route on the way earthward unless you bail early, so bear this in mind when going for a difficult section and climb safely! NB: I would say that in the past the grading on some of the problems was more 'confidence building' than realistic (and have confirmed this with a climbing buddy during a recent session), recently though I have noticed that whoever is setting has upped the difficulty a bit and has started adding more crux moves into the routes. Summary: Currently a total regular here due to multiple friends' preference for this gym, but am now looking into other locations to mix things up a bit. read more

It says safe for children, it really ain't. Extremely over crowded at peak, and it is not safe. The staff were usually friendly until I started climbing with socks only, I am a barefoot athlete. I paid for the shoes still to show respect and then climbed. The staff who was with a class told me "your feet are greasing up the ...". Which is ironic I wash my feet more times than the average man due to my excessive use of my feet. They told me that their terms and conditions did not allow it and I promised the next time when I do go I will respect their policies, however was very blunt in expressing dissatisfaction at the etiquette of how the staff handled the whole matter. Politeness is not only taking a customer to the side to spare him public embarrassment which they did not do, it is also about cleaning the image as the most arrogant staff members in the game (check the street gossip lads I didn't do it rest assured). Politeness is also the aftercare of such a situation their apologies were done through gritted teeth apart from the original colleague who instigated the matter, his apology was genuine and heartfelt which I genuinely expressed my appreciation for. In short.. Spacious, great fun, in fact the best. But overcrowded, safety is good but needs a touch up here and there, and most importantly the staff need to stop smoking pot! Or whatever it is sulking them :-) xxx read more

Brilliant climbing wall really well set routes at the moment a must go to if you want to lose weight and keep fit.

The place offers a different and fun experience. Although, it's very exhausting climbing a wall, the exercise is great. Also, you should go easy if it's your first time or you may end up unable to move freely for a few days from muscle stiffness. read more

This place is nothing special in my opinion. The atmosphere is not like at mile end. Everyone seems to be in their own little groups. The wall is in a giant warehouse like place with no windows so it feels a bit stale and the place doesn't have character. Also the changing room facilities are rubbish! There is a tiny box with one tiny bench to change on. If that isn't scrimping on space I don't know what is. There are some nice routes in the centre but the place is a bit too open and exposed and very little privacy. You get the feeling people are always watching you as you can't hide away and work on your own problem in a hidden corner. This is my personal opinion. For me climbing is not just about the climbing but about the people and atmosphere and this place doesn't quite cut it for me. It's like marmite - go and find try it and find out for yourself. :). read more