Data comparison, regional coverage and gym selection
Owen is an enthusiastic indoor climber with a particular interest in how the UK's bouldering and climbing gym scene has developed across different regions. He uses the publicly available data behind Beta Spot to compare venues by factors such as wall height, grade ranges, membership options and geographic spread. His work helps readers make informed choices when weighing up multiple gyms or planning a climbing trip across the country.
With 229 indoor climbing venues spread across the country, England has one of the densest concentrations of climbing gyms in the world. Choosing where to go is not straightforward, so here is an hones
Wales has thirteen indoor climbing venues scattered across a country better known for its outdoor crags and mountain ridges. That spread matters: a climber based in Cardiff faces a very different set