“In 1988 Michel LEVEQUE and AnnicK ROUSEREZ transformed an old barn located in Auderghem. This was the beginning of what today consists of two route rooms (the tower and the cathedral), a bouldering room, a pan room, and a training room. But even at the very beginning, in 1988, the competition was already fierce: compared to the others, you had to be just a little bit higher, just a little bit better and above all, just a little bit more eye-catching. When it opened, New Rock included a tower with two sloping pillars, a three-slope overhang, and a 120 cm projecting roof. The main difference was the corrugated walls, which were a new feature. Until then, only flat panels had been used. In everyday life, Michel LEVEQUE was a carpenter and roofer, but he was also a brilliant rock climber. He then began to play a key role in the construction of new climbing gyms. He first worked as a subcontractor for Alpi-in and then on his own account.
In 1991, the gym was extended for the first time, becoming the largest gym in Europe at the time. In 2014, the venue expanded again, doubling its infrastructure.
Today, New Rock is managed by son Kévin LEVEQUE and is still a superb climbing centre on the outskirts of Brussels.
Text from the book BEL WALL by MARK SEBILLE
