Youth Sessions and Courses
National Indoor Climbing Award Schemes (NICAS) are the perfect way to introduce young people to the climbing world and provide a brilliant learning gateway allowing them to develop a love for the sport.
NICAS Wild Climbers offers climbing skills for all, from age 3 and upwards. It's a fun, game orientated programme which aims to introduce young children safely into the indoor climbing environment, developing their awareness of climbing movements, improving confidence and creating a grassroots pathway into additional climbing activities.
NICAS Ropes has five progressive levels of award for complete novices to expert climbers. The scheme is split into two parts and takes a minimum of 80 hours to complete Levels 1 to 4 and an additional year to complete Level 5. Part one contains Levels 1 to 3 and part two contains Levels 4 and 5.
This session is designed for climbers aged 3 years and older. The cost includes entry and supervision.
The session is a supervised climbing experience of bouldering and bottom-roped climbing run by our experienced instructor team.
- Sessions run on Mondays and Fridays from 5.00pm to 5.50pm
- Cost: £10.00 per session
To book one of these Open Sessions, you can do it via the BrookesSport app on Android or iOS, or our Book Online portal. When making a booking, you’ll be able to register as a Brookes Sport user. If you already have an account or a membership with us, you’ll be prompted to log in. If you have any issues with this, please talk to our reception team.
These sessions are bookable weekly and children participants work their way through the five levels.
- Tuesdays: 4:30pm - 5:50pm, NICAS Bouldering level 1-5
- Wednesdays: 4:30pm - 5:50pm, NICAS Ropes level 1-3
- Thursdays: 4:30pm - 5:50pm, NICAS Ropes level 4-5
- Fridays: 6:00pm - 7:20pm, NICAS Ropes level 1-3
- Fridays: 7:30pm - 8:50pm, NICAS Ropes level 4-5
Cost: £15.00 per session
To book one of these Open Sessions, you can do it via the BrookesSport app on Android or iOS, or our Book Online portal. When making a booking, you’ll be able to register as a Brookes Sport user. If you already have an account or a membership with us, you’ll be prompted to log in. If you have any issues with this, please talk to our reception team.
These courses run for 6 weeks at a time and are bookable 90 days prior to start date.
2026 start dates:
- Sunday 4 January - Sunday 8 February
- Sunday 22 February - Sunday 29 March
- Sunday 12 April - Sunday 17 May
- Sunday 31 May - Sunday 5 July
To book one of these Open Sessions, you can do it via the BrookesSport app on Android or iOS, or our Book Online portal. When making a booking, you’ll be able to register as a Brookes Sport user. If you already have an account or a membership with us, you’ll be prompted to log in. If you have any issues with this, please talk to our reception team.
*Over the summer months (Sunday 2 August - Sunday 7 September), these sessions run as Open Sessions, so not booked in a block and are instead booked per session via the BrookesSport app on Android or iOS, or our Book Online portal. If you already have an account or a membership with us, you’ll be prompted to log in.
Sundays:
- 9:15am to 10:00am Wild Climbers 3-5 years
- 10:00am to 10:45am Wild Climber 6-8 years
- 11:00am to 12:20pm: NICAS 9-10 years
- 1:00pm to 2:20pm: NICAS 11-12 years
- 2:30pm to 3:50pm: NICAS 13-14 years
- 4:00pm to 5:20pm: NICAS 15-17 years
Wild Climbers Cost: £50 (block of 6)
NICAS Cost: £90 (block of 6)
Climbing parties comprise a 55 minute session for a group of up to 10 climbers (maximum) 3 years+
Cost: £130 and this includes entry, equipment, instruction and party room for after the climbing session.
For details, please email climb@brookes.ac.uk
Children's party food is available via the Breton Crepe Company. Please text 0770 8519867 for details.
- Taster sessions
- After school clubs
- Home school groups
- GCSE courses
- Scouts/Guides
- Groups of up to 10 children for a series of lessons can learn to climb and belay as part of their extra-curricular activities, GCSE or A-level physical education, Duke of Edinburgh awards or to work towards cub-scout badges with the NICAS scheme or just for fun or as a reward.
Treat your class or youth group to an amazing experience, our instructors will provide all the equipment knowledge you need. You can arrange one off sessions or a series of progressive lessons. Schools and youth groups can park one minibus only on site, by advance arrangement.
To organise, please email the climbing team via climb@brookes.ac.uk.
During the school holidays, we run open sessions for 3-17 years.
To check times and availability, please email climb@brookes.ac.uk.
