Harrogate Climbing Centre runs regular Kids’ Clubs for all ages, as well as birthday parties and family sessions. Anyone over the age of five can come and have a climb at Harrogate Climbing Centre, so if you want a fun activity session for your kids, or a great lesson for your pupils or youth group, you’re in the right place!
Climbing is a great way for kids to develop fitness, communication skills and make new friends; there are climbs of every level of difficulty, from beginners to rock stars of the future! Climbing is a great confidence-builder and often brings quiet children out of their shell. Climbing appeals to children who are not usually ‘sporty’ as well as their more athletic peers, and so makes a great, inclusive sport for a whole group.
If you are looking to bring a group from an organisation (school youth club etc), please see our Schools & Groups section. HCC has great transport links so we are easily accessible for all areas of Yorkshire.
Birthday Parties
Try a climbing birthday party and keep your youngsters & their friends talking about it for weeks!
Birthday parties at the climbing centre are a fun, active and unusual way to celebrate. Climbing is a great activity that is suitable for kids of all ages and abilities and birthday parties at the Harrogate Climbing Centre concentrate on having as much fun as possible during the session!
Each birthday party is tailored to the individual group, but typically involves warm-up games and activities, roped climbing, getting everybody involved in the activity, and depending on the age and aptitude of the children, a session on our crash-mat protected bouldering wall. Every birthday party at Harrogate Climbing Centre is lead by one of our fully trained climbing instructors, and are run on a 1:6 or 1:9 ratio, depending on the age of the children.
Birthday party food can also provided, made fresh on the day by our on site Indulge Deli Bar. All ingredients are fresh and locally sourced wherever possible.
Prices:
| Little Monkeys Party (5 & 6 year-olds) | |
| With Food | |
| First 6 kids | £99.00 |
| Extra places | £16.50 |
| Without Food | |
| First 6 kids | £66.00 |
| Extra places | £11.00 |
| Birthday Party (7 – 99 year-olds!) | |
| With Food | |
| First 6 places | £116.50 |
| Extra places | £19.00 |
| Without Food | |
| First 6 places | £85.00 |
| Extra places | £13.50 |
NICAS
The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) is the only nationally recognised scheme that introduces new climbers to climbing on artificial climbing walls. The scheme focuses on skill development and safety as well as climbing ability, and is split into 5 award levels.
NICAS is open to climbers of all ages and abilities, as it covers all aspects from the absolute basics to advanced climbing techniques. Harrogate Climbing Centre is a NICAS Primary Centre. Only Primary Centres can deliver the whole NICAS syllabus.
Aims of the scheme:
- to develop climbing skills and improve levels of ability
- to learn climbing rope-work and how to use equipment safely
- to develop risk assessment and management skills in the sport
- to work as a team, communicate with, and trust a climbing partner
- to develop an understanding of the sport, it’s history and future challenges
- to provide a record of personal achievement
- to point the way to further challenges in climbing beyond the scheme
NICAS is ideal for school and youth groups who are looking to book a series of sessions at Harrogate Climbing Centre. Participants can do as much or as little of the scheme as they wish, as each level carries its own award. All participants have their own logbook and certificates to keep a record of their achievements.
NICAS provides a structured scheme of achievement that is recognizes by all participating walls. It can sit alongside GCSE and A Level PE courses (depending on the syllabus used) to provide an extra award for participants.
For more information, including a synopsis of each award level, please visit www.nicas.co.uk
Kids & Youth Clubs
Harrogate Climbing Centre has lots on offer to Yorkshire kids all year round! NICAS (National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme) courses give you the chance to gain certificates in a series of fun sessions. These courses coincide as much as possible with school terms and holidays. We believe this structured approach enables us to offer a fulfilling and productive session while still keeping a fun and light-hearted approach.
Alongside these courses Harrogate Climbing Centre also run casual kids’ sessions. These sessions cater for those that are unable to commit to a course, don’t focus on the NICAS scheme, but are a great way to get climbing in a fun environment. All courses or casual sessions require pre-booking due to limited places.
Our Harrogate kids’ clubs are delivered as follows:
Little Monkeys Sessions – 5 and 6 year olds
Getting young children having a go and gaining some basic climbing skills in a fun environment.
Rock-Its Sessions – 7 to 11 years olds
Either working towards NICAS in 6 week courses or attending casual sessions
Hang Time Sessions – 11 to 17 year olds.
Either working towards NICAS in 6 week courses or attending casual sessions
If you have any questions regarding these clubs, please contact us for more information.
Dates & times for our courses are:
Little Monkeys
Ages 5 & 6
Saturday 10.30-11.30am & 12.00-1.00pm
Sunday 10.30-11.30pm & 12.00-1.00pm
Monday 5.00-6.00pm
Rock-Its
Ages 7 to 11
NICAS courses run during each school half term, and so are 5-8 weeks long. Sessions run at the following times:
NICAS Level One
Saturday 10.00-11.30am
Sunday 10.00-11.30am
Monday 4.30-6.00pm
Wednesday 4.30-6.00pm
Friday 4.30-6.00pm
NICAS Level Two/Three (Climbers must have already completed Level One)
Saturday 10.00-11.30am
Sunday 12.00-1.30pm
Monday 4.30-6,00pm
Wednesday 4.30-6.00pm
Friday 4.30-6.00pm
Price:
Cost is £10 per head per session, and so varies between £50 & £80 for the whole course (depending on the length of the school half term). For climbers not already registered on the NICAS scheme, the registration and logbook fee is £4.00 for Levels One and Two, and £7.50 for Levels Three to Five.
Casual Rock-It sessions are also available on Saturdays at 12.00-1.30pm & Sundays at 10.00-11.30am. £11 per head, per session.
Hang Time
Ages 11 to 17
NICAS courses are 6 weeks long, and run at the following times:
NICAS Level Three (Climbers must have already completed Level Two)
Monday 6.30-8.00pm
Wednesday 6.30-8.00pm
Friday 6.30-8.00pm
Advanced Technical Climber
Tuesday 4.30-6.00pm
Thursday 4.30-6.00pm
NICAS Level Four/Five Courses
NB: As the instructor/student ratio for level 4 & 5 are lower, each session costs £11, booked in half-term blocks.
Sunday 2.30-4.00pm
Wednesday 4.30-6.00pm
Thursday 6.30-8.00pm
Friday 6.30-8.00pm
Prices:
Cost is £10 per head per session, and so varies between £50 & £80 for the whole course (depending on the length of the school half term). For climbers not already registered on the NICAS scheme, the registration and logbook fee is £4.00 for Levels One and Two, and £7.50 for Levels Three to Five.
Casual Hang Time sessions are also be available on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 6.30-8.00pm and Sundays 12.00-1.30pm . £11 per head, per session.
To make a booking on one of our Harrogate Kids’ clubs please call us on 01423 815024.
NB We run extra Harrogate Kids Clubs over the SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, click through to our HOLIDAY KIDS CLUB PAGE for more info!
Kids Holidays
Harrogate Climbing Centre runs kids holiday clubs in every school holiday. The are fun sessions split into age groups in exactly the same way as our term-time kids clubs:
Holiday Kids Clubs
We run extra Little Monkeys and Rock Its sessions throughout the holidays for young climbers aged 5 to 11.
Little Monkeys (5 and 6 year-olds)
Little Monkeys is a great way to get your young climbers going and building one their skills in a fun environment. Sessions are taught for one hour in small groups, and give your young climbers the chance to have a go and get into climbing.
Cost: £8 per session
Times:
Monday to Friday: 10.30am – 11.30am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10.30am – 11.30am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm
Rock-Its Club (7 to 11 year-olds)
These clubs are a great way for young climbers to progress further and meet other climbers of their age. Come along to a casual session and see how you get on, then you may also want to join one of our 6-week NICAS courses next term!
Cost: £11 per session
Times:
Monday to Friday: 10.30am – 12.00pm
Monday, Wednesday & Friday – extra 4.30pm-6.00pm session
Saturday & Sunday: 10.00am – 11.30am & 12.00pm – 1.30pm (Sat Only)
Hang Time (11 to 17 year-olds)
Hang Time is a youth club for older kids and teenagers with a real social element. The sessions are relaxed whilst focusing on enjoyment and teaching climbing technique and the safety skills required to progress in the sport.
Cost: £11 per session
Or give us a call to book your place!
Junior Sign Off
If you are a regular climber aged between 14 and 17, you may want to start climbing without needing adult supervision. To do this, you will need to gain a Green Card (allowing you to climb on top ropes only), and if you wish, a Yellow Card (allowing you to lead climb as well).
Green Card Sign-Off Sessions
These sessions are 90 minutes long and give you the opportunity to show us what you know! During the session, you will need to demonstrate that you can:
- Use climbing equipment correctly
- Tie in to your harness
- Belay safely
- Hold a falling climber
- Behave in a consistently safe and responsible manner in the centre.
This is an assessment session only, no instruction in ropework or belaying will be given.
If you need more instruction to get you to a standard where you can climb unsupervised, you will need to book a session with an instructor first.
Course Cost: £15 per head, minimum of 2, maximum of 4 climbers.
Yellow Card Courses
The Yellow Card is available to people who already hold Green Card, and allows you to lead climb without direct supervision.
In order to pass a Yellow Card Assessment, you must demonstrate the following:
- Safe and appropriate use of climbing equipment
- Safe belaying of a lead climber
- Holding a falling climber
- Clipping confidently and safely
- Consistent safe and responsible behaviour in the centre
This is an assessment session only, no instruction in ropework or belaying will be given.
If you need more instruction to get you to a standard where you can climb unsupervised, you will need to book a session with an instructor first.
Course Cost: £15 per head, minimum of 2, maximum of 3 climbers.
Green and Yellow Card sessions can be booked at a time to suit you. You must have consent from your parent or guardian to undertake a Green or Yellow card. Two people are required to run either assessment.
