The story of BLX Bouldering Club
On the roof of Scandinavia’s largest shopping center Mall of Scandinavia is one of the most modern climbing facilities in Europe – BLX Bouldering Club. Here is the story behind it!
The climbing talent Elise Mannerstråle
Elise Mannerstråle has been climbing since she was 6 years old and climbing has since been her great passion. It took a long time to find a coach for children with high ambitions, which it still is.
As an 11-year-old, she and her father Christian built a climbing wall in her room with the goal of one day building her very own climbing hall. Elise has competed in climbing since she was 12 years old and won several titles both in Sweden and in Germany. As a 14-year-old, she was admitted to the Swedish National Team and has since competed both nationally and internationally. She has competed in the Nordic Championships, the Swedish Championships and the NRW Champion in Germany. Today, almost 2,000 people follow her journey via Instagram towards her big goal: the 2026 Olympics.
Elise’s father Christian saw potential for improvement in the sports conditions
When Christian Mannerstråle drove Elise, he realized the need for easily accessible places for climbing. When he himself started to climb, he saw room for further improvements, including in the high prices of up to SEK 225 for a maximum of 1.5 hours. It was also a reason why Elise’s friends did not come along and climbed especially often. There was also often a long queue to buy admission and rent shoes in the climbing halls. A membership was also not an option as the gym only had a few training stations and there was no opportunity to train before work as many gyms do not open until 09. The routes were only interesting for advanced climbers and the quality of the facilities was generally low. Normally, there was also no staff on site available for questions and tips.
The goal-oriented climbing talent Elise Mannerstråle is now 16 years old and BLX Bouldering Club is finished on top of Mall of Scandinavia.
A modern climbing hall with real training devices and routes for all levels.
Through BLX, Christian and Elise have improved the conditions for climbing. Prices are low and time-based and there are special offers for beginners to encourage new climbers. The training surface has a wide range with everything from treadmills and rowing machines to free weights. BLX also has long opening hours that extend between 06:30 and 23:00 to make everyday life easier. Self-service to avoid queues and experienced coaches on site in the hall available for questions and tips!