Popular Rokt Climbing Gym gives update on its opening status

The ROKT Climbing Gym is based in the former Sugden’s flour mill – which was a disused husk of a building until money was invested in it to bring it back to life in 2011.

After being hit by devastating flooding for the third time back in February 2020, the centre closed its doors on March 20 2020 under a government mandate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

An an update from ROKTthey said: "It's been a challenging last two years for ROKT Climbing Gym and family of businesses

"Unlike many other climbing centres, we were not only fighting the subsequent economic impact of the pandemic, but also the huge cost of the flooding in 2020 - and still recovering financially from the flooding of 2015, such was the impact of it on us.

"It goes without saying that we want nothing more than to throw open our doors and have you amazing people back in here climbing seven days a week. But sadly that's not possible and we'll try to explain why, so bear with us. And remember, if we could we would.

"As it stands, it is still not financially viable for us to open up the building to the public for general climbing. The costs associated with reopening this very old, unique building on a daily basis - such as additional insurance, heating, lighting, staffing, route setting etc - when combined with the uncertainty of visitor numbers means that from a business point of view it’s just not possible right now.

"Given the losses we've sustained thanks to Covid and previous flooding, the business can't keep taking more hits so we have to manage the risks.

"This isn’t unique to us as a business, but it is when it comes to climbing as very few centres face our unique challenges. So what we need to do is offer things where we can manage the unknowns. And we are not ruling out fully reopening at some point in the future, but not for some time yet."

What is Rokt offering?

Corporate & group bookings - The centre is offering new pre-bookable corporate and group bookings that allow groups of between six and 50 people the chance to come and rope climb, boulder, cave, abseil and take on the escape rooms. By limiting the group size and having it as a pre-bookable, pre-payable experience, the centre can manage and plan for this.

School trips & groups - The centre can now also welcome school bookings offering the same experience as above - or a mix - from rope climbing and bouldering to abseiling and escape rooms. Again this must be pre-booked.

ROKT Foundation charity work - The centre has been able to effectively restart its charitable work thanks to the ROKT Foundation which has already helped hundreds of children, young people and adults improve their lives - including mental and physical health - thanks to partnerships with a dozen or so charities, funders and providers.

Project Breakout - The escape rooms inside ROKT remain fully operational.

R1DE - the indoor cycle studio fitness classes are rolling again inside ROKT,

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