Climbing and Bouldering
Climbing and Bouldering at Active Blackpool
Climbing and Bouldering give you a fantastic full body workout as well as exercising your brain.
A complete beginner, don’t worry we can show you the ropes with classes and courses for anyone aged 5 and over.
Climbing may seem daunting at first, but it’s a great way to socialise with friends and sneak in a bit of fitness while you do it.
If you’re curious, just have a go, you’ll be amazed at how addictive it can be.
What’s the difference between Climbing and Bouldering?
To put it simply, ropes!
Climbing takes place on higher walls so to keep safe you need to use ropes and harnesses. The routes are vertical and longer so you’ll need a bit more technical knowledge and experience before going it alone.
Bouldering walls are shorter with thicker matting beneath to provide additional safety. Routes are shorter and more dynamic but you don’t need any specialist equipment to get started.

How old do I have to be to use the walls?

To boulder on your own outside of a course or class you must be aged 14 or over. You must be able to pass the competency assessment and have signed parental consent if you’re under 18.
If you are under 18, the parent or guardian who signs your form must be present while you complete your assessment. This will make sure they have the knowledge to understand what their consent will mean.
To climb independently, you must be aged 18 or over. You must be able to pass the competency assessment.
If you are younger than this you can still climb with us either as part of a course or club, or as one of up to two guests of an adult registered climber.
I’m an experienced climber, how to do I use your walls?
You’ll need to register with us to get an Active Blackpool Leisure card, which you can do in advance online or at any centre reception.
We’ll then need you to attend and pass a competency assessment so we can make sure you’re safe whilst climbing as our walls are not fully supervised.
Climbing assessments are available to book on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm. Give us a call on 01253 478474 to make a booking.
Bouldering assessment are available to book throughout the day dependant on staff availability. To book, call us on 01253 478474.

What do I have to do to pass the competency assessment?

In your competency assessment you’ll need to demonstrate that you have the required skills and knowledge to climb safely.
If you are being assessed for climbing, you’ll need to show us that you have an understanding of all the equipment required and that you can use it correctly.
If you are being assessed for bouldering, you’ll need to show us that you understand how you can reduce your risk of injury by bouldering safely.
I want to climb, but don’t think I can pass an assessment. How can I get more experience?
We have adult and junior pay and play sessions available every week.
Bookings are easy on our Active Blackpool App, just choose Blackpool Sports Centre as your site, select make a booking and choose the Climbing and Bouldering option. You can find all the available session there.
We also have more structured courses available for juniors from 7 to 17 years old, which you can find out more about on our Learn 2 Climb using the link below.
We can also offer 1:1 tuition and instruction. If you would like to enquire about this or want more information about any of our other climbing classes and courses, please fill in the form at the bottom of the page we’ll get back to you.

Level up your climbing with Griptonite
Track your climbs, enter competitions and compare your performance yourself or others all in the palm of your hand!
The Griptonite app uses smart route tags so you can log all your climbs, then use the app’s smart charts to visualise you progress.
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