We understand that if you are new to climbing then you may have some questions, here we will try and help answer some of the more common questions!

How does it work? Should I book in advance?

You do not need to book in advance however if you have never climbed or bouldered before and would like some help getting started then we would advise you book on to our Bouldering Induction Course that will give you all the information you need to get started.

However, if you are confident to give it a go or have previous climbing experience and are keen to jump straight in then all you need to do is fill in the registration form, watch our safety video and then you are good to go.

There is no need to pre-book but if you are planning on bringing kids to the centre but please see the Kids Information pages that will help you plan your visit at Volume 1.

Where are all the ropes?

In Bouldering you do not have ropes or harnesses. Instead you have large crash mats underneath all of the walls to help cushion your landing should you fall off. As the walls only go up to a maximum of height of 4.5m it allows you to climb in relative safety.

What happens when I fall?

The crash mats underneath are nice and thick and topped with a layer of carpet that helps absorb your impact, similar to gymnastics. We explain in our safety video what is the best way to fall from the wall and providing you follow this advice then this should help keep you safe in the centre. However, you cant always plan when you will let go and whilst the mats do a great job in protecting you, they do not take away all of the risk. Therefore it is important that you take your time to progress through the grades at a suitable pace to help minimise uncontrolled falls and reduce the risk of injury.

What equipment/footwear do I need?

To get the most out of your experience then we recommend that you hire climbing shoes if you do not have your own. Climbing shoes are specially designed to help give you grip and you will see an immediate difference in performance compared to other footwear.

The only other piece of equipment that you may find helpful is chalk and a chalk bag. Chalk helps keep your hands dry and increases your hand grip on the climbing holds. These can be hired or bought from the centre.

Hire prices can be found here or if you would prefer then you can buy your own equipment from our SHOP

Climbing barefoot is not allowed.

What should I wear?

You do not need any specialist clothing, just as long as you can move freely and there is no part of your clothes that could easily get caught on the wall, for example hoods. You are likely to get hot whilst climbing so general sports clothes are ideal.

What are bouldering problems and grades?

Bouldering problems are the individual routes that are set on the climbing walls. These are made up of coloured climbing holds that vary in difficulty. The idea is that you stick to climbing just one colour at a time. These climbs are then graded using a numerical system that is identified by a coloured tag with a symbol at the start of each climb. With over 200 different boulder problems in the centre, you should easily be able to find something that is within your ability. It may sound complicated but once you get started you will realise it is a really easy system to understand!

Will I get bored after a couple of visits?

The climbing wall is designed so that all of the climbing holds can be taken off, washed and then put back on in a different order, this process is called route setting and is done by experienced members of our team.

A different area of the centre gets reset each week so there is normally always something new for you to try each time you visit. In 6 weeks the whole centre has been reset so we are confident you wont get bored of bouldering!