Gym Collective Expands; Opens Bouldering Gym in Northern France

One of the four climbing zones at The Roof Cherbourg — The Roof, a French gym chain, opened its first location in 2015, which was designed to be “a welcoming community space where people could climb, meet, work, relax, and share experiences,” said Cherbourg location co-owner Clément Dalmont. Since then, The Roof has expanded to 10 locations, including its Cherbourg gym, which opened in July. (All photos are courtesy of The Roof Cherbourg)

The Roof Cherbourg
Martinvast, France

Specs: The Roof, a climbing gym chain that operates 10 facilities throughout France, was founded in 2015 and is collectively owned by ten companies. Clément Dalmont, Co-Founder and Co-Manager of The Roof Cherbourg, said the business has been built around its social and environmental values, “with the goal of making climbing accessible to everyone while creating a positive impact in each local community.” As more entrepreneurs came together with that vision in mind, The Roof grew into a collective of independent gyms throughout France. “Rather than operating as a traditional franchise, it is a ‘freechise’: each gym is an independent business connected through a membership agreement with no entry fees or royalties,” Dalmont said. “Instead, members contribute to the network’s operating costs, share their expertise, and dedicate time each year to collective projects.”

Each of The Roof’s locations is independently owned and operated by its local founders. One of the chain’s most recent projects, The Roof Cherbourg, opened on July 3^rd and is owned by five partners including Dalmont. The founders of the Cherbourg gym met the broader ownership team of The Roof four years ago and “immediately connected with their vision and cooperative model,” Dalmont said. The team then became a part of the network, receiving advice, feedback and mentoring from the other gyms throughout the project. “Their experience helped us avoid many pitfalls and gave us the confidence to bring The Roof to Cherbourg,” he added.

The main bouldering area at the new gym — “Although every [The Roof] gym is autonomous, we work closely together: every week, we meet online to share experiences, discuss challenges, celebrate successes, and help one another improve,” Dalmont said.

The gym’s ownership team chose to open in Cherbourg, a city along the English Channel, because “we all grew up in the Cotentin area and are deeply committed to our region,” Dalmont said, “and wanted to create something meaningful for our local community.” When choosing a location for the team’s vision, Martinvast became the “obvious choice,” Dalmont stated, noting its positioning at the crossroads of main traffic flows. “At the same time, we wanted The Roof to be located in a calmer, greener setting on the outskirts of the city,” he said. “That choice reflects our philosophy: The Roof is more than a climbing gym—it’s a place where people come to slow down, meet friends, enjoy a coffee, and spend quality time together.”

According to Dalmont, the Cherbourg area was an “encouraging environment for the project” because it has “major industrial developments planned for the coming years” and a “strong employment market.” He said tourism is growing too, and the region’s “often unpredictable weather” generates demand for “high-quality, indoor leisure activities.” Initially, the team was looking to rent an existing building, but Dalmont said they couldn’t find a location that met their needs. They were close to signing a lease for an existing facility when the opportunity to construct a new one arose, and they decided to take the leap. “Owning the building was an incredible opportunity,” Dalmont said. “We were fortunate to have some personal funds to invest, and, with the support of several family members, we were able to secure financing from our bank.”

The café and snack bar at The Roof Cherbourg — Besides the practical factors, Dalmont said Martinvast offered a setting that “reflects the spirit of The Roof,” explaining, “we chose a quieter, greener environment on the outskirts of the city. We wanted people to feel that they were arriving somewhere welcoming and relaxing.”

Built from the ground up, The Roof Cherbourg is bouldering focused, with around 600 square meters (6,458 square feet) of climbing wall surface. Dalmont said the team would have liked to offer lead climbing in the 1000-square-meter (10,764-square-foot) space, but “the Cherbourg area does not have a long-established climbing culture, so we felt that the level of demand might not yet justify the investment required for such a facility.” However, the team intentionally left part of the site available for a potential expansion, so lead climbing remains a possibility.

The Roof Cherbourg has four dedicated bouldering areas designed for different audiences. The first is a discovery space for children aged two to ten, “where climbing is combined with fun hide-and-seek games,” Dalmont said, noting its use by families. The second climbing area is designed for children ages six and older, with shorter walls and routes suitable for beginners and adults as well. The third climbing area is the main climbing hall, dedicated to more traditional bouldering, with routes for new climbers to experienced athletes. The last climbing zone is the gym’s training area with a Shiny Wall—an interactive climbing spray board—that was chosen because Dalmont said its variety of holds makes it “accessible to beginners.” It also offers interactive games that the team uses during coaching sessions and activities.

A training and bouldering area at the gym — According to Dalmont, “The French indoor climbing market has become increasingly mature and competitive, so the network is not pursuing growth for its own sake. Each new project must be locally relevant, financially sustainable, and fully aligned with The Roof’s values and cooperative model.”

Beyond climbing, The Roof Cherbourg features a sauna, café and snack bar, and large outdoor terrace. Dalmont said supporting the local economy is important to the team, so “whenever possible, we work with local producers and suppliers for our coffee, beers, cider and soft drinks, allowing our visitors to discover products from the Cotentin region.” The gym has a multi-purpose room for corporate events, team-building sessions, yoga, Pilates, and other wellbeing activities. “We also make this space available free of charge to local non-profit organizations that need somewhere to hold meetings or run activities, which is one of the ways we try to contribute to community life beyond climbing,” Dalmont added.

Walls: Dreamwall
Flooring: Tyyny
CRM Software: Gestixi
Website: www.theroofcherbourg.com
Instagram: @TheRoofCherbourg

In Their Words: “We wanted to build more than a climbing gym. Our ambition was to create a place that appeals to a wide range of people—climbers and non-climbers alike. Whether someone comes to climb, have a coffee, relax in the sauna, attend a yoga class, bring their children, meet friends, or simply spend time in a welcoming environment, we want them to feel at home. That’s what makes The Roof Cherbourg unique: it’s a place where people may come for the climbing, but they stay for everything else.” – Clément Dalmont, Co-Founder and Co-Manager at The Roof Cherbourg