Purpose and goal of operation: Cofinancing of individual exhibition on the international fair HALLS&WALLS 2019

For the third time, Halls & Walls took place on 22 and 23 November 2019 in Nuremberg. The industry meeting place for indoor climbing has meanwhile developed into the largest relevant trade fair – and continues to grow significantly: Compared to the previous year, 25 percent more exhibitors from 23 nations were represented and occupied an exhibition space one-and-a-half times larger than the year before. The number of visitors also increased by more than 50 percent.

INVESTMENT IS COFINANCED BY REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA AND EUROPEAN UNION FROM EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND.

More info: www.eu-skladi.si

Why fiberglass climbing walls?

To properly answer this question, we need to go back a bit. Rock climbing undoubtedly stems from nature, from climbing on real rock, more precisely from mountaineering. Alpinists trained for the hardest mountaineering expeditions by climbing shorter climbs, on natural rock closer to their home. Here they were able to practice extremely difficult movements, sequences and combinations that could not be safely trained during a expedition. The result was that they could easily, or with less effort and consequently with greater safety climb on highland expeditions. To put it bluntly, we could say that because of this, sport climbing was born. Gradually, the difficulty of sport climbing routes increased, and in many cases the biggest problem was concentrated in a single sequence or in several movements. Many times, one extremely difficult move decided, if a climb would be completed successfully. Therefore, the climbers started training on the lower stones – boulders. Here they could repeat these individual moves without first climbing a great number of easier moves, and this approach allowed them to progress extremely fast in strength. The result was an quick progression in difficulty and more and more dedicated individuals dedicated time to bouldering. The problem, however, was the weather. When it rained for several days in a row, it was impossible to maintain form and level of strength, and thus the first artificial climbing walls developed. In most cases it was a few square meters of overhanging wood, with wooden holds.

And in this point the evolution of the climbing walls somehow began to bloom.

The small walls in the various cellars of the super enthusiastic climbers began to grow slowly, and the first larger indoor climbing walls began to develop. The wooden boulder and lead climbing facilities started to grow in number, but soon the need for climbing walls that resembled nature

walls emerged in the artificial wall market. The wood made it impossible to create cracks, tuffas, scraps and other forms that can be found in nature. Artificial climbing walls that were stationed outside were also exposed to extreme conditions, like rain, snow and ice and this damaged the wooden walls in the long run.

The solution was fiber glass climbing wall. These walls are made of fiberglass reinforced plastic, which offers incredible durability, impact, damage and abrasion resistance, while making the walls extremely resistant to external factors. Suitable for swimming pools, outdoor climbing walls and for military climbing walls, these walls are as close to real rock as it gets. They are also an very interesting addition to an climbing center, since climbing on such surface is more three dimensional and more varied. You can always find additional cracks, bulges or edges to help you continue your climb.

In summary, climbing has evolved from nature, but has than distanced it selves from it in the evolution of climbing walls. Fiberglass products are as close to real rock as it gets and are bringing climbing on artificial walls back to the roots.