Barcelona’s Underground Climbing Gym Brings the Sport to the Masses

BARCELONA, July 20 (Reuters) – Hidden within Barcelona’s Foixarda tunnel lies a unique, free-to-use climbing paradise, filled with thousands of holds in every shape, size, and color imaginable. This urban climbing haven has not only fueled local enthusiasm but also helped the sport grow into an official Olympic event.

“There’s so much passion here… and the reward is seeing how people embrace climbing,” said 58-year-old Manolo Sanchez, the man behind the tunnel’s transformation from a disused roadway into a beloved climbing destination for both locals and tourists.

“I still find it amazing that a sport once practiced by so few is now recognized at the Olympics,” Sanchez added.

Climbing made its Olympic debut in Tokyo and will return next month at the Paris Games, where the Le Bourget climbing venue—Paris 2024’s only purpose-built sports facility—will host the competition.

Sanchez first started climbing in the tunnel in 1992, the year of the Barcelona Olympics, using rocks and wooden scraps attached to the walls. By 1995, he began crafting his own holds. In the early days, Sanchez and his friends could climb only at night due to road traffic, dubbing themselves “vampires”—a motif that appears on many of his handmade holds. The materials are funded by his earnings from a commercial climbing gym and by donations from other climbers.

Today, the tunnel features over 9,000 holds and is open around the clock, free for anyone to use.

“That’s such a generous gift,” said 33-year-old Italian climber Martina Detassis. “Climbing can be very expensive,” she added, noting the high costs of equipment and fees at other climbing facilities.

Sanchez’s 18-year-old son, David Sanchez Carrera, also a climber, praised his father’s efforts. “Thanks to him, climbing has really grown,” he said. “If this tunnel hadn’t existed, a lot of today’s climbers might not have reached where they are.”