And finally… up the wall
Plans have been lodged for a temporary climbing wall to be installed at Sheffield’s Park Hill, ahead of September’s Climbing at the Sky’s Edge event.
Urban Splash Park Hill, advised by made it together, is the applicant for the project, which will see a climbing course set out on a lift tower at the listed housing estate.
Lined up to deliver the installation are Percy Bishton and Rob Napier of The Climbing Works, both well known route-setters in the world of climbing, Bishton having been the chief route-setter for the climbing events in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As outlined in the project’s design & access statement, as well as being one of the UK’s most experienced and well-respected route setters, Napier is also the designer and creator of climbing holds and volumes, and has designed ranges of climbing holds based on the gritstone rock that has made Sheffield a destination for climbers from all over the world.
The route will be created by installing wooden structures to the exterior of the tower.
As a visitor economy project goes, it all gets a big thumbs-up, shining a light on the Sheffield area’s climbing community and its all-round excellence in the field, with an obvious link to the successful Standing at the Sky’s Edge musical, which featured the music of Richard Hawley. All very Sheffield, all very cool.
