Climbing District Expands into London with Twin Acquisitions
Climbing District (CD), the Paris-based climbing gym chain, has announced its acquisition of two major London climbing businesses: Stronghold (Tottenham Hale & London Fields) and Arch Climbing (Bermondsey & Surrey Quays). The multi-million-pound deals, finalised in January, mark a significant expansion for the company, which now boasts four London locations in addition to six in Paris and a recently acquired site in Milan. With this move, CD cements its presence across three of Europe’s major urban centres.
Antoine Paulhac, co-founder of Climbing District, expressed his enthusiasm about the expansion, noting his personal connection to London, where he lived 15 years ago. Now set to visit the city regularly, Paulhac is keen to integrate CD’s ethos into the UK’s capital. The company’s Parisian gyms are among the highest rated in the city, with the Sèvres-Lecourbe location maintaining a five-star Google review rating. CD’s reputation for quality, and it's strength based on communities, weekly social club events and coworking spaces, cultivated by fellow co-founder Henri d'Anterroches, will be a benchmark for its London operations.
A New Era for Stronghold and Arch Climbing
For existing members of Stronghold and Arch, the acquisition brings notable benefits. All CD members, including those in Paris and Milan, will now have access to the expanded network of gyms. Paulhac has outlined plans for a significant upgrade to Arch Bermondsey, promising enhancements that maintain the strong community spirit for which London’s climbing gyms are known. A key focus will be improving back-office operations and streamlining the customer experience, ensuring a smoother and more consistent offering across all sites.
Another major shift will be in the approach to routesetting; Ben Bouissou, also a CD co-founder and Petzl athlete, has been analysing the London climbing scene with the aim of introducing a more ‘French-style’ approach to routesetting. His vision centres on movement quality and skill progression across all grades—eschewing the ubiquitous ‘jug ladders’ in favour of more thoughtful route design, whilst also keeping setting accessible to everyone. This shift may challenge London’s current tendency, in places, toward softer grading - which some gyms have adopted to cater to a broader, more casual audience.
Cross-Channel Collaboration and Future Growth
Beyond the immediate upgrades, Climbing District is keen to encourage collaboration between its London and Paris locations. With the two cities connected by a two-hour train journey, Paulhac sees great potential for cross-pollination between staff, allowing ideas and best practices to be shared more freely. This could lead to a fresh injection of training methodologies, operational strategies, and community-building initiatives.
Looking ahead, CD’s ambitions for London extend beyond these initial acquisitions. With substantial capital at its disposal, the company is already planning further site openings, potentially as early as the end of 2025. London climbers can expect to see a growing CD footprint, bringing a distinctive continental influence to the city’s gym scene.
As this transformation unfolds, we will be following CD’s progress closely, eager to see how its vision reshapes indoor climbing in the UK’s capital.
