get your rocks off
Long time since your last belaying? Scale the walls at one of the city’s rock climbing gyms. They cater to all, from gravity-defying hot shots to the very vertigo-stricken.
TEXT MATT SIEGEL feedback
When one thinks of Moscow, concrete jungle that it is, just about the last image that would ever come to mind is that of a lone climber, pitting himself against mind and body in a stoic union with nature. But here’s a secret for those craving the adventure of the outdoors without a bottom-numbing ride on the electrikhka: world-class climbing has a home in Moscow, and you never even have to go outside. Located on Rabochaya Ulitsa inside the monolithic Soviet-era Dvorets Detskogo Sporta, the DDC Climbing Club has everything needed for an afternoon of punishing physical exertion. The 44 routes on their nine climbing walls, which reach a maximum height of 12.5 meters, along with two walls for extra practice, should be able to accommodate everyone from the absolute beginner to the absolute pro. Don’t worry if you’ve lost your Petzl harness, or if your chalk bag’s in a bind — they’ve got it all here. In fact, renting a complete set of equipment will only run you 130 Rubles. DDC Climbing Club offers unlimited-duration morning sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m on weekdays for a trifling 70 rubles, while weekday evenings 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and weekends will set you back 150. There are passes available for 1,000, 2,500 and 8,000 rubles, which buys you one-month, three-month and one-year “VIP” memberships, respectively, for unlimited climbing and access to all three walls. A team of experienced pros are always on hand to give lessons as well, 400 rubles for one lesson or a set of ten for 3,600, with lessons available for both adults and children. If you’re looking for something a little more intimate and a lot more elitny, head down to Skala City on Kutuzovsky Prospect, which, along with the aforementioned DDC Climbing Club, claims to be the first gym in Moscow to specialize solely in climbing. Located between Park Pobedy and Kutuzovskaya metro stations, Skala City offers more amenities and services than DDC Climbing Club, among them a well-stocked bar-restaurant — with sushi, of course — on the second floor that could just be the way you bribe your non-athletic friends to belay you on a Sunday morning. The third floor houses a good selection of exercise equipment, in case climbing up the walls has got you, well, climbing up the walls and in need of a change of pace. A quick shvitz in their steam sauna is just what the doctor ordered after a punishing climb on their psychedelically multi-colored walls. Like DDC Climbing Club, Skala City’s well-furnished selection of routes — that’s 432 square meters of climbing surfaces, reaching a height of 12 meters with roughly half vertical for the amateurs and half inclined for show offs — offer something for everyone, although you might feel a little out of place if you don’t have the latest climbing gear, or model of Rolex. If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry: Skala City has everything you need for the avid mountaineer look available for rent, and if you feel like throwing your gas money around, there’s even a store with the latest equipment for purchase. Prices at Skala City are a bit more than at DDC — 180 rubles weekdays before 5 p.m. and weekends before 11 p.m., and 290 rubles all other times — but it’s a much better place to be seen when you work out. Monthly and quarterly passes are available, starting at 1,600 and 3,880 rubles, respectively. If you’re feeling thrifty, another option is the newly opened Dubrovka, located in the vicinity of Dubrovka metro station. A little more difficult to find than the others, the gym offers a no-frills approach in terms of decor, while sacrificing nothing immediately detectable by way of quality. Substance before style! One-time climb rates are 70 rubles, and 1,800 ruble three-month unlimited memberships are also available. Another plus of Dubrovka is that it offers a school where climbing novices can quickly improve their ability with the aid of a professional instructor. For 3,200 rubles, the client receives ten classes in one month, at the rate of two to three sessions per week, with a personal trainer. Think that’s alot of time to commit to rock climbing? In that case, Dubrovka admits that even one 1.5 hour session (500 rubles) with a trainer will dramatically improve one\'s technique. If you get a group of more than five together, the climbing gym\'s enthusiastic trainers will give lessons free of charge. So, with all that forearm-punishing equipment just a stones throw away from the Circle Ring, what’s your excuse for laying in bed all morning? Grab life by the lapels and experience all of the beautiful nature Moscow has to offer in its climbing gyms. |
