The city of Issy-les-Moulineaux has always been a pioneer in the field of climbing, welcoming the “MurMur” room in 2001, an architectural feat with the installation of 1,300m2 of climbing walls under the arches of a RER C viaduct, now Arkose. At the same time, the Cité des Sports offers Issy residents an impressive 30-meter-long climbing wall, confirming the anchoring of this discipline at the heart of the city’s sports offering. With the recent renovation of the Halle Christiane Guillaume, Issy-les-Moulineaux is taking a new step by expanding its climbing offering thanks to the opening of two new separate spaces, each with its own entrance: Hapik and Arkose. That is a space of 4,000m2. A work co-financed by the Île-de-France Region to the tune of 320,000 euros. As for the economic balance of this project for the finances of our City, it will be 100% amortized by the rents paid by Arkose and Hapik” for the next 10 years..
These facilities therefore complement an already well-established local tradition, while responding to the growing craze for this dynamic and fun discipline. The coexistence of these two spaces offers a wealth of choice to climbing enthusiasts. While Hapik seduces with its fun and playful approach, Arkose attracts with its relaxed atmosphere and technical blocks. Not forgetting the Issy Escalade club located at the Cité des Sports.
Privileged access for primary schools and Georges Mandel college
Highly appreciated by the inhabitants, climbing in Issy-les-Moulineaux is thus equipped with new modern equipment, accessible and adapted to all levels, confirming the city as an essential hub for climbers of all backgrounds. And especially for our children with privileged access for our primary schools and the Georges Mandel college, located on the same street as the Halle Guillaume. “In this post-Olympic and Paralympic Games context, we have further enriched the exceptional environment in which our children grow and flourish. This same environment which, combined with the excellence of all the National Education teams, places the city of Issy at the top of the best academic results in Hauts-de-Seine. Let’s bet that the complementary offer of our two operators will further sharpen the agile and sharp minds of our students”, This is what André Santini said during the inauguration of the new Halle Guillaume site.
Sports practice, and particularly climbing, will finally be encouraged by the new “Pass Issy Sport” (see 24), officially launched on the occasion of this inauguration. This Pass Issy Sport will indeed offer, among other things, reductions to Arkose and Hapik practitioners.
Arkose, leader in climbing and climbing culture in France
Founded in 2013 by 4 partners, Samy Camarzana, Grégoire de Belmont, Steve Guillou and Lyes Mekesser, Arkose is today the leader in climbing culture in Europe and has 27 centers in France, Belgium and Spain. The Arkose concept offers much more than a climbing gym. With its 100% climbing offer combining climbing walls, a “shop” and its essential Canteen offering seasonal cuisine based on local products, Arkose is the place to live and sport par excellence.
The project led by the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux with the renovation of the Halle des Sports Christiane Guillaume and the launch of the “Pass Issy Sport” is truly in line with the DNA and values of Arkose, which wants to make the practice of climbing in an urban environment accessible to everyone. This new address in Issy-les-Moulineaux also strengthens Arkose’s presence in the Ile-de-France region, which already has 12 climbing lofts.
” We are delighted with this project with the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux and are very proud to contribute to the democratization of climbing, a fun, ultra-friendly and complete practice, assures Grégoire de Belmont, General Manager of Arkose. Arkose provides all its expertise to residents to offer a comprehensive solution in collaboration with Hapik. »
In this new room, Arkose will offer courses from 6 years old, open every day from 7am to midnight. Here, climbing is practiced without equipment constraints, the blocks reaching 4.50 m in height with mats to ensure landing. For beginners, discovery courses are available, and for enthusiasts, packages of 10 entries valid for life allow total flexibility.
Arkose: www.arkose.com
Hapik, the most fun of vertical playgrounds
Hapik, voted best leisure concept in 2022, seduces with its fun and immersive approach to climbing. With already more than 2 million climbers seduced through its centers in France, Hapik has become a reference in recreational climbing.
In Issy-les-Moulineaux, Hapik offers a unique room at the Halle Guillaume, designed as a life-size video game where you can climb steep walls, take on spectacular challenges or test yourself on a treetop adventure course. The aim is to develop self-confidence and promote the values of sport through fun activities.
Designed for family fun, the Hapik area has more than 100 climbing routes spread over 32 colorful walls 8 meters high, allowing for a variety of routes and challenges. A self-belay system guarantees the safety of all participants, making the activity accessible even to beginners or those who are afraid of heights. For the little ones, a large play area, a “1st climb” area, as well as a birthday area are also available. Hapik is the ideal place to have fun with the family, organize school outings, activities for leisure centers or corporate events. Hapik: www.hapik.fr
The Issy Escalade club: an associative passion
Unlike the two previous structures, Issy Escalade is a sports association, founded in 2001 and affiliated with the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME). That is to say that by joining Issy Escalade, you benefit from the FFME license and the associated insurance. “But our difference is also in our community life, since here our members are not just consumers, they participate in the life of the club, do volunteer hours at our events, help put away equipment, etc.” underlines the club president Laure Maroquene-Froissart, very attached to this concept of associative project.
In terms of practice, Issy Escalade welcomes climbers from the age of 8 and offers weekly courses for children, teenagers and adults, as well as a youth competition course for a year and outings in the natural environment. These courses are supervised by qualified instructors and take place at the Cité des sports in Issy-les-Moulineaux. Members can also benefit from the wall in unsupervised sessions and participate in outings in the natural environment to practice on blocks and cliffs. In 2021, the association moved to the Cité des Sports with a modern 12m high, departmental-level climbing wall. The club, in charge of managing and running the wall, now has 240 members. The practice takes place around a participatory and family club life with one key word: safety.
Issy climbing: www.issyescalade.fr
An Olympic showcase for sport climbing
If sport climbing has grown so much in recent years, it is partly due to increased media coverage and its entry into the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, which give it global visibility.
If climbing is a practice as old as the world, sport climbing is a modern sport, still young since it was born in 1985 in Italy. Since then, it has quickly gained popularity, finding an echo among young people thanks to its urban development. Building on its success, sport climbing made its appearance in the Olympic world on the occasion of the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 in Buenos Aires. The spectacle offered and the suspense of the competition immediately seduced and impressed an audience that was nevertheless not very informed. So much so that the discipline was integrated as a “new sport” at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Despite the absence of spectators in the stands in Japan, due to the Covid epidemic, the diversity of the events, the spectacular images broadcast and the global media coverage only reinforced the public’s interest in this discipline, especially among young people, the target of the organizers of the Olympic Games. Climbing is thus one of the four additional sports included in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, along with surfing, breaking and skateboarding. But in a different form from that proposed in Tokyo, which included in a single category a combination of the three variants of sport climbing: bouldering, speed and difficulty. At Paris 2024, two separate categories were dedicated: a combined bouldering-difficulty on one side, speed on the other. Climbing will also be scheduled for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Issy Land of sport
The city has around fifty sports associations with more than 12,000 members.
These fans of physical activity can count on the infrastructure made available by the City such as:
- 21 gymnasiums and sports complexes including three state-of-the-art facilities: the Cité des Sports (32,000m2), the Palais des Sports Robert Charpentier and the Halle Christiane Guillaume (4,000m2)
- 3 climbing areas that can accommodate 800 participants simultaneously.
- 5 outdoor football pitches and futsal pitches
- 2 swimming pools heated by geothermal energy
But also 1 tennis club, basketball courts, squash courts, multi-sports surfaces, an athletics track, a skate park, etc.
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