A new sports venue opens in York today (mon), allowing people to climb to new heights in health and happiness.

Freeklime is based in Kettlestring Lane, Clifton Moor, in the former premises of a double glazing manufacturer.

The York outlet is the second outlet for the small company, which opened its first climbing centre in Huddersfield in 2019.

Freeklime York promises a mix of activities, from National Indoor Climbing Award Schemes (NIBAS) to one-to-one climbing tuition for children and adults and from corporate events to monthly membership set at £28.

The venue also aims to work with local groups to host inclusive climbing socials for neurodivergent children and adults, the LGBTQIA+ community, over 50s groups, business networks, etc.

Chris Whitehead, managing director of Freeklime said: “I am so pleased with how the York site has turned out. One of my favourite areas within the centre is the climbing archway, the inspiration for this came from the York City Walls. There are many subtle nods to historic York throughout Freeklime which I hope visitors will notice over time.”

Freeklime York is a one-level indoor climbing gym which boasts over 200+ climbing routes within 9,657 square feet of space.

The climbing routes are changed weekly to offer visitors new and exciting challenges.

The new facility also has an accessible route path throughout for people (such as parents and carers) who wish to watch instead of taking part  themselves.

There is also a light refreshment area for drinks and small snacks as well as private space for those wishing to host business and social events as well as amenities for schools, home education programmes and youth group-based provisions.

Chris added: “The centre will offer something for everyone to enjoy. We’ll continue to evolve the space as much as we can to ensure our visitors always have the best experience when they visit us.

 We have a brilliant team on-board which is headed up by Max. The team has a vast amount of experience and are looking forward to creating climbing communities and social events.”

As previously reported, the Centre manager is Max Toothill, 24, who lives in Easingwold.

Chris, 27, is originally from Harrogate but now lives with his partner Anna in Brighouse, near Leeds.

He created Freeklime after a career in outdoor retail, believing climbing improves mental health.

His ambition is to establish Freeklime as the leading climbing brand for the novice climber.

Chris plans to continue to expand throughout Yorkshire with a particular focus on smaller niches, predominantly overlooked by the larger operators.

Freeklime York opens weekdays from 10am to 10pm and from 10am to 8pm on weekends.

For more details go to www.freeklime.co.uk or www.facebook.com/freeklimeyork and www.instagram.com/freeklime_york