Boulder Shack Climbing Gym
BEST FOR
Ages 4+
ENTRY
from £3.50
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Southampton
What it’s like
Bouldering walls for climbers aged 4 and up, with shoe hire, birthday parties and fitness classes on the side.
Bouldering here means climbing without ropes on shorter walls, with crash mats underneath instead of a harness. A first-timer over 4 does an induction session to learn the ropes (well, the lack of them), then it's routes graded for different abilities, so a nervous seven-year-old and a confident eleven-year-old can both find something to try. All you actually need is a pair of climbing shoes, which they hire out for £3.50 if you haven't got your own.
The supervision rules are worth knowing before you turn up rather than after. Under-16s and anyone inexperienced need an experienced adult with them the whole time, and if your kids are 4 or 5 that means strict one-to-one, one adult per child. Over 5, one adult can watch up to two climbers, which is more workable if you've got a pair of them. If neither parent has climbed before, there's an induction-plus session that qualifies you to supervise, which is a sensible thing to book alongside the kids' first visit rather than an afterthought.
Cost depends on how you play it. A new climber's induction is £11.50 for a child, £16.50 for an adult, and a non-climbing supervisor gets in for £3.50 just to watch and supervise. Once you're past the induction, single entry runs £9.50 to £14 depending on age and time of day, and if bouldering turns into a regular thing there are monthly memberships from £37. Birthday parties run for 5-year-olds and up: an hour of climbing, games and activities, plus a party room booked either side of it, though food is self-catering, so you bring your own beyond the cups and squash provided.
Parking is free and there's plenty of it, but you do have to register your number plate on a tablet by the changing rooms the moment you arrive, or risk a parking charge notice landing later. It's a small faff but a five-minute one. The building has wheelchair access throughout, though there's no specialist adaptive equipment for disabled climbers.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 4 and up; the supervision ratio bites hardest with 4 and 5-year-olds
- Parking
- Free ample parking on site, must register vehicle registration on tablet in changing room or risk parking charge notice
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair access to building, activity and facilities
- Parties
- Birthday parties for ages 5+ run for 1 hour with climbing, games and activities
- Worth knowing
- ICWC membership includes free entry to 9 other UK climbing walls at no extra cost
- Book the induction-plus session for yourself if you've never climbed, so you're qualified to supervise your own kids
- Parking is free but you must register your car on the tablet by the changing rooms straight away
- Parties are self-catering beyond cups, plates and squash, so bring your own food
- Monthly memberships from £37 work out cheaper if bouldering becomes a regular outing
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
A child's first visit induction is £11.50, an adult's £16.50, and a non-climbing supervisor pays just £3.50 to watch. After that, single entry runs from £9.50 off-peak to £14 on-peak for adults, with concession rates a bit lower.
What age can my child start?
Four is the minimum age to climb at all. Four and five-year-olds need one adult supervising each of them, and over-fives one adult can watch up to two children.
Do we need to book?
There's no booking link listed, but induction sessions and parties are clearly things you'd want to sort in advance given the supervision rules.
Do we need our own climbing shoes?
No, shoe hire is £3.50 a pair if you don't have your own.
Can I supervise my child if I've never climbed?
Not on your own, no. You'd need to do an induction-plus session yourself first to count as an experienced supervisor.
Is there parking?
Free parking right outside, but you must register your car registration on the tablet by the changing rooms when you arrive or you risk a parking charge notice.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
There's wheelchair access to the building, the activity and the facilities, though there's no specialist adaptive equipment for disabled climbers, so it's best to call ahead about specific needs.
Do you do birthday parties?
From age 5 up, parties get an hour of climbing, games and activities plus a party room for 30 minutes before and 45 minutes after. It's self-catering, they provide cups, plates and squash, but you bring the food.
Is there anything for adults to do besides climb?
There are fitness classes running daily including Yoga, Pilates and Dynamic Strength, free for Gold members or £6 a session otherwise.
Is there food on site?
There's a café and indoor seating, along with a gift shop.
What are the opening hours?
Weekdays it's mostly open from 7am (10am Tuesday and Thursday) until 22:15, and weekends run 9:30am to 8:30pm.
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