about us

The Arch was started in 2008 by Fred, a climber from London. The first centre was the only dedicated bouldering centre in London at the time. Hidden underneath the railway arches in London Bridge, it grew to become a small but legendary part of the early climbing scene.

Fast forward nearly 15 years, bouldering has gone from fringe activity to mainstream sport, and The Arch has grown into 2 full-sized London centres in Bermondsey & Surrey Quays.

What hasn’t changed is the original vision - to provide the best climbing possible to customers… to be friendly and welcoming to everyone from beginners to world class athletes… to create climbing spaces inside interesting urban buildings… and most of all, to give Londoners a space where they can escape everyday stresses, reconnect, and become healthier and happier simply by doing something enjoyable.

This shared vision is what keeps us going and makes The Arch feel special to the team of people behind it and to the community who climb with us.

about our health

Climbing is an amazing sport that gives something different to everyone.

Climbing is a simple way to get strong and mobile. The beauty of climbing as a way of “working out” is that, unlike going to the gym, climbing is immediately fun to do, so it takes very little willpower to want to keep going once you’ve had a first taste of it.

On top of this, climbing is also a path of personal development. For many people, confronting a fear of heights might be a big initial step, but other mental challenges also emerge which climbers learn to deal with: overcoming self doubt, stressful situations, and achieving things which feel impossible at first.

Loneliness is a big problem in the modern world. According to recent figures, nearly 1 in 10 people in the UK describe themselves as feeling lonely. Research links loneliness to higher risks from a variety of very serious (some life threatening) physical and mental conditions. Climbing centres offer a social environment - in a fitness gym people wear headphones and run on a treadmill, shower then head home without talking to anyone else, but in a climbing centre people interact with each other as members of a shared community, exchanging advice, commiserations and encouragement.

about you

Climbing is a great equaliser. You don’t need to be very strong or have the flexibility of a gymnast to start. People of all ages, backgrounds, shapes and sizes are discovering climbing for the first time every single day. People just like you.

If you haven’t tried climbing yet, we would love to help you discover this amazing sport.

To get you started you can register for free in just a few minutes here and visit any of our centres, or you can book an Intro Lesson here and one of our friendly instructors will show you everything you need to know.

If you’re in London you’re always welcome to drop in at one of our centres for a free coffee, a look around and a chat with us - we like meeting new people!

Or you can always get in touch here if you have any questions or need any help getting started.