This month we’ve spoken to Ged MacDomhnaill at The Climbing Hangar to find out a bit more about the organisation and what they do.
What do you/your organisation do?
I’m the CEO of TCH, a multi-site indoor bouldering brand. Our walls also double as cafes and retail spaces with a deep focus on social events which bring people together to enjoy climbing and its culture.
How long have you been an AIM Member?
Since we started in 2011
What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job… this is a tricky one, actually. My team are hilarious and wonderful people who make work a genuine pleasure, so that’s pretty good. But then making great facilities that allow me to share climbing with as many people as possible, the thing that changed my life for the better, gives me tremendous joy.
What issues do you think the industry faces this year?
Professionalisation is everyone’s challenge right now. The market is growing and our new customer is coming with expectations of service standards and consistency that indoor climbing is not used to – we are used to ‘climbers’ who we perceive to care only about climbing. Offering a great value proposition that stays fresh and remain safe as numbers grow will be tough. But we are up to the challenge.
What benefits have you gained from being an AIM Member?
Let’s be frank, insurance normally turns people off, calling an insurance company, even more so, but with AIM, I’ve always felt like we had a partner who has helped us plan for and manage risk, support and inform us through claims and even stuff like the newsletter that said ‘customer service is the best way to reduce litigious claims’ was incredibly useful to our practices.
What exciting projects do you have lined up for the future
Building a further 20 walls by 2025 is the big project!
We are also holding the first Adidas Ticket to Rockstars events ever in the UK. This event allows the winners of local rounds to be flown to Germany to compete in the global ‘Boulderjam’. If they win that, they can go head to head with the world’s best for the Rockstars final!
We hold the first round in our London wall on July 27th. This is also the only women’s only event in the global series, so it’s rather special. This is followed on August 24th and 31st in Plymouth and Liverpool respectively. These events will be amazing good fun, with music, food, workshops, special guests, prototype climbing holds and all kinds of secret stuff!
What’s your favourite activity?
Sea cliff traditional climbing or really long runs in the mountains
What activity do you want to try?
I tried powder skiing through the trees in California last winter and totally fell in love. I could probably do that everyday for the rest of my life and never get bored but i like hard work too, so ski touring would probably be my perfect activity.
We’d like to thank Ged for providing us with a great interview.
You can read about some of our other member’s here:-
