Category: climbing

Teens’ climbing group, Nottingham Climbing Centre, one Thursday a month

Date: One Thursday afternoon a month, excepting August – same day as the younger children’s climbing groups, but organised by a different person. Hoping to restart in September 2016, subject to numbers.

Time: Two hour session. Or if you only want an hour, it might be possible to share a place and split the cost.

Age range: Roughly 12-plus, mainly 12 to 16, but flexible depending on young person’s climbing experience & size. Typically there’s a group of 6 to 8 people (minimum 6 for it to run), mix of ages/abilities.

Price: £12 for 2 hours (home ed rate), including harness hire, paid in advance in a block of 3 or block of 4. No refunds if you miss one, because the instructor still has to be paid anyway, but you can get your money back if someone else takes your place that week. If you just want to try it, or you want to join the group and there aren’t currently places, you can be on the waiting list, and dip in when someone can’t make it.

Booking, enquiries, or to express interest: Email teensclimbing at non-school-nottingham dot org dot uk.

Optional qualification: You can work towards the NICAS, “National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme“.

As they learn specific skills, these are noted by the instructor in a logbook (that costs £5 at levels 1 & 2). It is entirely optional, but there is nothing extra or different to do in the sessions, & they can progress at their own pace.

Venue: For all venue and travel info, please see the page about the younger home ed climbing groups.

Photo: a panoramic view inside Nottingham Climbing Centre. In the middle part of the photo are various different climbing walls, with handholds dotted over them. On the right is a low balcony area with tables and chairs. On the left in the far distance, a door can be seen. Although the sign on it is too far away to be seen, it's a door to some toilets.

Home ed climbing, Nottingham Climbing Centre, one Thursday a month

Date: Once a month on a Thursday in term-time.

Time: One hour slots at different times during the day. Children grouped by climbing experience / size / age.

Venue: Nottingham Climbing Centre, The Old Pool, 212 Noel Street, New Basford, Nottingham, NG7 6AT.

Postcode for sat nav: NG7 7FR, to end of Rawson Street.

Area: New Basford / Forest Fields area of Nottingham, north of Hyson Green Asda, near Beaconsfield Street tram stop (or Radford Road tram stop if southbound). The climbing centre was previously Noel Street swimming pool.

Age range: Different children are ready at different ages to cooperate with the climbing instructor, wait for their turn and follow safety instructions. Youngest climbers have been about 4 or 5; some children do better waiting till they’re older. Older age range is up to teens.

(Update: See info about the Teens’ Climbing Group, organised separately from this group.)

Price: £6 per one-hour session, paid termly. If there’s a session where you can’t make it, another family can take your place that day and give you the £6 back. The ratio is 6 children with one coach from the Climbing Centre.

Availability: At the time of writing, there are a few regular places available, in a group for middling confident climbers aged around 5 to 11. However, it’s worth enquiring even if your child is a different age / stage – as the situation may have changed by the time you read this, and/or it may sometimes be possible to reshuffle the groups, if other children were happy with that. There may also be a drop-in place when someone can’t make it.

Booking & enquiries: By email. To make the email address, add “homeedclimbingnottingham” to “gmail dot com” with an “at” sign in the middle.

Photo: a panoramic view inside Nottingham Climbing Centre. In the middle part of the photo are various different climbing walls, with handholds dotted over them. On the right is a low balcony area with tables and chairs. On the left in the far distance, a door can be seen. Although the sign on it is too far away to be seen, it's a door to some toilets.

This is a monthly activity taking place at Nottingham’s Climbing Centre, adapted for use from a swimming pool and run by an enthusiastic climbing family and a small group of climbing instructors.

The centre is open most days anyway, but once a month, 5 teams of 6 young HE climbers meet to climb throughout the day. They climb on bouldering walls (no ropes) and also using ropes and harnesses. There are a variety of walls and routes designed for different ages/heights/aptitudes.

There is a café to chat/play board games/read etc whilst the children climb, and in warmer months several families socialise at the park afterwards.

The cost is paid termly, at £6 a session. This includes harness and insurance. There are often “trial places” available and a waiting list, so drop us a line if it sounds like an activity you may fancy.

Nottingham Climbing Centre web site.

There are several steps up to the front door, so the climbing centre isn’t wheelchair-accessible or very buggy-friendly.

Map showing Nottingham Climbing Centre:

Bigger view of map showing Nottingham Climbing Centre

Nearest tram stop: “Beaconsfield Street“. Note that this is on a one-way bit of tram route; all northbound trams stop here and none of the southbound ones. The nearest southbound tram stop is “Radford Road“, after which you have to walk uphill to the climbing centre. Alternatively, stay on two more stops till you get to “The Forest”, then switch to a northbound tram – but depending on your ticket, this may mean paying twice. Tram information.

Nearest bus stop (but not very near): “Haydn Road“, via buses 68, 69, 70 & 71 on the Yellow Line, on Nottingham Road. From there, it’s about 780 metres’ walk. The tram goes much closer. To catch a Yellow Line bus from town, go to the bus stops near Trinity Square, across the road from the Victoria Centre. The 68 and 69 go from stop T4. The 70 and 71 go from stop T3.

Parking: on street.

See also the Climbing Centre’s helpful “How to find us” page.