What's bouldering? Bouldering is a style of climbing that involves climbing very short intense climbs or `problems' that remain a safe distance from the ground and as such don't require ropes or harnesses to protect the climber. A good analogy for bouldering is - `Bouldering is to climbing what sprinting is to running'.

Is it only for experienced climbers? No, like the analogy above, anyone can sprint. You might be slow, but you can sprint, so anyone can boulder. We've got a range of problems in the gym ranging from very easy ones that almost anyone climb, to really hard problems that stop all but the best boulderers in the country. - That's one of the awesome things about climbing, there's always something to challenge you at your level.

No ropes! Is it safe? Our walls are 4 metres in height and the entire floor is covered with a huge padded mat. We've made it as safe as we possibly can to avoid injuries whilst still maintaining the experience of the activity. But this is an adventure sport that can require significant physical effort at times. If you have any specific concerns please call and discuss them with a staff member.

Do I need any special equipment or clothes? Not really, we have a small range of climbing shoes that are available free of charge for people that don't have their own, but beginners will find that the easy problems have been set with really big foot holds and normal runners will probably suffice. If you want to wear your own street shoes, the best choice is something tight fitting with thin soles. Dunlop Volleys or similar are ideal. You'll probably get a little sweaty so clothing should be light and not restrict your movement. I recommend against wearing running shorts or jeans.

What's the climbing wall like? The climbing area contains 200m² of timber climbing wall, 4 metres high with wall angles ranging from 10° overhanging through to 60° overhanging. We have a large number of problems with grades ranging from V0- (beginners) to V12 (worlds best). There is also a Campus board (an advanced training tool for climbers), chin up bar and fingerboard.

What other facilities do you have? There is a secure bike storage area, a luxurious lounge with an extensive library of climbing books and magazines to read while resting, a small stretching area with basic equipment and a kiosk offering refreshments and essential bouldering gear like chalk and tape.

I'd like to improve my climbing, do you teach classes? Yes, at the moment we offer classes in Power Training and are in the process of developing a Technique Training course. In addition to this, staff are always happy to offer hints and tips on basic climbing techniques to get you up your current nemesis problem. One on one coaching is also available with a variety of staff members.

Do you take groups? No, sorry. We have an even distribution of climbs through all the grades from easy to hard. As a result, we have enough easy problems to entertain a few beginner climbers in the gym at the same time, but not enough for a whole group of raw beginners at once.

Do you do corporate training? Yes, we've just recently developed a programme with a very experienced local provider of outdoor corporate training. We offer low cost, effective and convenient training with an adventure sport twist. Standard packages are half a day but longer can be developed on request.