Climbing boost: New bouldering hall opens in Aalborg

Life and excitement are back in the old Fun Center on Eternitten.

Over the past few weeks, craftsmen and volunteers from Aalborg Climbing Club have been working hard to build a brand-new bouldering hall with over 300 m² of climbing walls in the old concrete building.

Now, only the climbing holds and the very last details remain before two years of hard work by the club’s volunteers culminates in a grand opening on Wednesday.

“I’m so proud of this! And proud of everyone’s effort and perseverance. Our project committee has done an outstanding job,” says Vibeke Rødsgaard-Mathiesen, chairperson of Aalborg Climbing Club.

Room for More Members

For many years, Aalborg Climbing Club has been based in the Sports College’s facilities on Annebergvej in Vestbyen.

They will continue to do so.

At Annebergvej, members can climb both with ropes and on bouldering walls. With 900 members, the location had simply become too small.

“We can feel that this sport is growing. And with our new hall, we again have the opportunity to welcome even more members,” says Vibeke.

The peak usage of the climbing walls is usually “outside work hours” – especially between 4 and 9 PM, when the walls are very busy.

With the new hall, the club is also working to establish collaborations with local schools and institutions, so the facilities can be fully utilized and even more children and young people can discover the sport.

Behind the project are two years of work, countless grant applications totaling millions of kroner, and massive volunteer effort from the club’s own members.

Built by Members

This first phase includes, besides the climbing walls, two brand-new changing rooms, a “social area” on the first floor overlooking the climbing walls, utilities, and plumbing.

“When we took over the hall, it was nothing but raw concrete. There wasn’t even a faucet,” says the chairperson.

The first phase of the hall has been built for 4.7 million kroner, financed through equity, grants, and municipal support – all managed by volunteers from Aalborg Climbing Club.

And it is precisely this volunteerism and sense of community that is at the heart of the project.

“This is a club. Everything is driven by volunteer work. And it’s the members themselves who have made this happen,” Vibeke explains.

Today, the climbing club has around 900 members, who for 200 kroner a month get access to both locations and free coffee – available around the clock via a chip system.

Space for Sport and Community

The new hall will not only be a place for sport but also a social gathering spot – just like the hall on Annebergvej has become.

In addition to climbing, the club organizes board game nights, community meals, and parties, and many also use the space as an informal study area.

“We want to be Denmark’s most social climbing club,” says Vibeke.

In the next phase, the plan is also to create a larger lounge with kitchen facilities, giving members space to “hang out.”

“We have a number of students – including international students from countries where climbing is much bigger. Many of them meet here in the hall, write projects, and climb occasionally. We want that to continue, so we are making extra space for it in the new hall,” says Vibeke.

The second phase will also include more restroom facilities and a room for washing and storing climbing holds.

Ambitions for a National Stadium

Even though the new climbing hall at Eternitten is a massive project, the club’s ambitions don’t stop there.

The climbing club has a vision of establishing a national climbing stadium in Aalborg within the next 10 years.

“We believe it can be done here. We’ve already presented our vision to the mayor. And this new hall is a step on the way,” says Vibeke.

The mayor has so far shown interest in the club’s visionary plans.

He will also be the one to cut the ribbon for the new hall on Wednesday, April 1.

Afterward, the mayor and Vibeke Rødsgaard-Mathiesen will give speeches.

Føtex at Eternitten has sponsored five large cakes, and one of the club’s members, owner of Risteri Tierra Kaffe, will brew free coffee for everyone.

There will also be beer and water.

“And we’re just looking forward to seeing people jump on the walls,” says Vibeke.