Top Rock

Top Rock

Top Rock opened in 1995 as Liège's first climbing hall. The rope-climbing hall is in a quiet, easy-to-reach neighbourhood on the Rue de Spa and has about 820 m² of climbing on walls up to 16 metres high, with routes for every level from beginner to expert that are reset often. There's also a small beginners' room, a dedicated training room and a bar.

Top Rock belongs to the same group as L'Éléphant and Isatis, two bouldering halls a few hundred metres away in Grivegnée. A single entry or a 10-entry card can be used at whichever of the three you choose, and memberships cover all three.

Climbing safely

Everyone who climbs here must be able to look after their own safety, including belaying a partner, so newcomers need to learn first. Top Rock runs four-session beginners' courses for adults on Wednesday evenings, four times a year, covering safety techniques and movement, with a free month's membership at the end. It also gives private lessons, weekly classes for children aged 6 to 17 during the school year, holiday courses for young people and sessions for schools and after-school groups, and it hosts children's birthday parties at weekends.

The hall is a training centre approved by the Club Alpin Belge, where the federation's courses for climbing-wall instructors and route setters are held. In summer it closes on Saturdays (1 June to 1 September) and on public holidays (1 May to 31 August).