Climbers have launched a petition opposing High Life Highland’s decision to close the 25-year-old climbing wall at Inverness Leisure Centre.
The charity, which runs the majority of leisure services in the city, says the facility needs “significant investment”.
The climbing wall has, until now, been the only one in the city. However, this is due to change with the opening of The Ledge at Telford Retail Park in March.
In response to the closure, an online petition was started by climber Claire Sutherland to gage the public mood and is “amazed” that it has already surpassed 1,600 signatures.
She and other climbers have been “deeply disappointed” by the proposed closure and say users were not consulted on the decision.
She also points out that climbers will not be able to compare the climbing wall and the Ledge as one is due to shut before the other opens.
A group of 35 climbers want to open a conversation with High Life Highland (HLH) to find a solution that saves the old wall from being “torn down”.
One solution could be to keep the climbing wall open for a year following the opening of the Ledge to find out each facility’s strengths and what each offer and to who.
A protest was staged at the climbing wall when a large orange banner was held up by a climber that read “Save our wall, we demand a consultation”.
Could both climbing walls survive in Inverness?
The current Inverness facility is used by experienced climbers and families who use their leisure passes, making it cheaper and more accessible than in other places.
Ms Sutherland notes that while the cost of the Ledge is unknown, any added costs may dissuade people from taking up climbing.
She said: “It’s important to have the option, using the High Life membership and the cost that comes with that.
“With the membership you’ve got the pool, the gym, classes and the wall and it’s all inclusive so its really nice to think.
“So suddenly thinking about the time and now the cost of going climbing, it makes me a lot more hesitant to go.”
However, Highlife Highland said it was not viable for two charity-run indoor climbing walls to compete for funding.
The climbing wall at the Leisure Centre has been open for 25 years and will continue to need investment.
A HLH spokesman says the decision to close the wall “did not come easily” and stressed the wall will remain open until the new facility is open.
He said: “This moment in time is an extremely challenging time for publicly funded charities, and with our wall being almost 25 years old, it would continue to need significant investment in an area of the building that has been subsidised by other sections of the leisure centre for many years and is unaffordable in the current economic climate, especially when considered in conjunction with the reduced usage expected when The Ledge opens.”
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