Friction Bouldering Ltd
ENTRY
from £8
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Gateshead
What it’s like
Walk-in bouldering with routes graded by ability, plus kids coaching and intro lessons for beginners.
This is a bouldering wall rather than a roped climbing centre, so there's no harness faff, just routes set for different ability levels that you can walk straight up to. First time through, everyone gets a free 20-minute safety introduction before they climb, which is a decent way to work out if your kid's actually ready for it rather than just keen.
There's proper coaching on offer too. Kids coaching lessons run alongside an Intro to Bouldering session at £16.50 that covers footwork, body positioning and reading a route, and if that goes well there's a 4-week course for £53 that throws in shoe hire. That's a sensible way in if nobody in your house owns climbing shoes yet, since hiring them separately is £2 for juniors and £4 for adults every visit.
Day passes are where most people will start: £8 for a junior, £10.50 for an adult. If you know you'll be back, the month passes work out far better value than paying per visit, and there's an 11 Climb Pass too if you'd rather buy in bulk without committing to a month. No booking needed for a walk-in visit, which makes it an easy one to fit in after school, though the free safety chat means you'll want to arrive with a bit of time spare on that first trip.
It's open long hours in the week, 10am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 8pm at weekends.
Need to know
- Best for
- Beginners of any age; the intro session and coaching ease newcomers in
- Booking
- No advance booking required for walk-in visits
- First visit includes a compulsory but free 20-minute safety introduction before you can climb
- Shoe hire isn't included in day passes, it's £2 to £4 extra depending on age
- Month and multi-climb passes work out cheaper than repeated day passes if you'll be back often
- The 4-week Intro to Bouldering course includes shoe hire, unlike a one-off visit
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
A junior day pass is £8, an adult day pass is £10.50. There are month passes and 11 Climb Passes too if you'll be visiting regularly, which work out cheaper per session.
Do we need to book in advance?
No, you can walk in. First-timers do need to do a free 20-minute safety introduction before climbing, so leave a bit of extra time on that visit.
Do kids need any experience to start?
That's what the Intro to Bouldering session and the kids coaching lessons are for. The intro session covers footwork, body positioning and route reading for £16.50.
Is there a course if my child wants to keep going?
There's a 4-week Intro to Bouldering course for £53 that includes shoe hire, which is a decent starting point if you don't already own climbing shoes.
Do we need our own climbing shoes?
Shoe hire is £4 for adults and £2 for juniors each visit.
What are the opening hours?
10am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 8pm on weekends.
Is there a cheaper option for students or concessions?
There are separate student and concession day passes, month passes and annual passes priced below the standard adult rate.
How long does a first visit take?
Budget extra time beyond your climbing session for the free 20-minute safety introduction, which is required before anyone climbs for the first time.
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