This is to a certain extent a follow up to my post about the climbing scene, that post generated some interesting discussion and I hope this one will too.
Above is a chart I did up of IBL attendances over the last four years. From October ’09 up to yesterday. I couldn’t find the results for a few so they are missing. The point is that there is certainly no uptick in attendances at IBLs. The IBL is supposed to be the people’s competition. Informal and social.
So where is the bounce caused by the opening of the two new walls in Dublin? I don’t think it really has materialised? Has there been an increase in the numbers going bouldering? I haven’t seen it but that doesn’t mean anything as I’m rarely in Glendo at weekends? Can anyone comment?
The bouldering forum on theshortspan is very quiet, the climbing.ie forum is mostly all lost+found and stuff for sale.
There is a lot of talk about climbing getting into the Olympics and how great this will be. Debatable I would think. In reality, from what I have read, climbing doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting in. I have heard a lot of talk – from climbers – assuming it’s a certainty. At best it’s a 1 in 7 shot but in reality the odds are longer than that.
I don’t see a lot of new routes been done. I was in the quarry a bit over the summer and it never seemed that busy.
Is Irish climbing in hibernation? Does anyone care? Do I have a point? No.
EDIT added chronological chart.
