Learn to climb: courses, classes & taster sessions
129 UK walls publish beginner instruction — one-off taster sessions, multi-week beginner courses, learn-to-lead classes — and, unusually for this sport, we have the prices. Compare them here before you book.
Walls that teach
129
Taster sessions
106
Structured courses
87
Cheapest taster
£0
Never climbed before?
Start with a taster or intro session: about an hour, all equipment included, an instructor does the safety work and you just climb. No experience, no kit, no partner needed. If it sticks, a beginner course (usually 3–5 weekly sessions) teaches you to belay and climb independently — after which most walls sign you off to climb whenever you like. Bouldering walls are simpler still: no ropes, so after a short induction you can usually just turn up.
Cheapest first sessions in the UK
| Wall | City | Session | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Exe | Exeter | Boulder Basics | £0 | 40 minutes · Free session for complete beginners, standard entry fee still applies |
| Imperial College London Climbing Wall (Ethos Sports Centre) | London | Climbing wall induction session | £0 | Free induction covering skills, safety procedures and rules for using the wall; all members must complete it before their first use. Booked via Eventbrite. |
| Indirock | Southend-on-Sea | Free Taster | £0 | 15 minutes · Saturdays & Sundays 11:45am |
| Summit Up Climbing Centre | Oldham | Skills Assessment | £0 | Free for adults and juniors aged 14+ |
| The Climbing Hub | Bradford | Walk-in bouldering induction | £0 | The centre states it offers walk-in bouldering inductions for free |
| City Bloc Leeds | Leeds | Junior Assessment | £5 | Per person |
| Foyle Arena Climbing Wall | Derry/Londonderry | Climbing Wall Taster Class | £5 | 1 hour · Minimum 6, maximum 12 participants |
| Rock Up Rushden Lakes | Rushden | Climbing Academy Taster Session | £5 | |
| The Climbing Hangar Bristol | Bristol | Intro to Bouldering | £5 | 30 minutes · Induction session added on to a climb |
| The Climbing Hangar Edinburgh | Edinburgh | Intro to Bouldering (add-on to entry) | £5 | |
| The Climbing Hangar Liverpool North | Liverpool | Intro to Bouldering | £5 | Add-on to an entry |
| The Climbing Hangar Plymouth | Plymouth | Intro to Bouldering add-on | £5 | Add-on to a Pay As You Go entry. |
By city
Cities with several walls teaching beginners get their own comparison:
By region
Jump to: London · Scotland · South West · South East · East of England · East Midlands · North West · North East · Wales · Yorkshire · West Midlands · Northern Ireland
Climbing lessons in London (18 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Bouldering Aldgate | London | £36 | Private coaching, 1 hour |
| City Bouldering Stratford | London | £36 | 1hr Private Coaching |
| City Bouldering White City | London | £36 | 1hr Private Coaching (member) · 1hr Private Coaching (non-member) |
| CityBouldering | London | £36 | 1-Hour Private Coaching |
| Climbing Co Fulham | London | £36 | 1hr Private Coaching |
| Climbing District London Fields | London | £20 | — |
| Climbing District Tottenham Hale | London | £20 | — |
| Climbing Gym Sen | London | £40 | — |
| Clip 'n Climb at The O2 | London | £16.50 | — |
| Clip 'n Climb Chelsea | London | £35 | — |
| Imperial College London Climbing Wall (Ethos Sports Centre) | London | £0 | — |
| JAGS Sports Club Climbing Wall | London | — | Climbing / Beginner & Intermediate |
| Mile End Climbing Wall | London | — | Beginner Setting Experience · Intermediate Setting Practice |
| Mount Palace | London | — | Adult Roped Climbing Workshop · Under 18 Courses |
| Substation Brixton | London | £30 | — |
| The Arch Climbing Wall: Building One | London | £20 | — |
| Westway Climbing Centre | London | £25 | — |
| Romford Rock and Boulder | Romford | — | Personal coaching with Hope - kids · Personal coaching with Hope - adults |
Climbing lessons in Scotland (16 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| RGU Climbing Wall (RGU Sport) | Aberdeen | £10 | Adult learn-to-climb course |
| McLaren Leisure Centre Climbing Wall | Callander | — | Climb Induction Course 16+ |
| Bouldover Climbing Centre | Dumfries | £32 | Kids club (5 sessions) |
| Avertical World | Dundee | £20 | Ropes course · Lead course · +3 more |
| Rock Face Climbing Wall, Carnegie Leisure Centre | Dunfermline | £8.40 | — |
| Alien Rock Climbing Centre | Edinburgh | £40 | — |
| The Climbing Hangar Edinburgh | Edinburgh | £5 | — |
| University of Edinburgh Climbing Wall | Edinburgh | £20 | Intro to Lead Climbing · One-to-One Coaching · +1 more |
| University of Edinburgh Climbing Wall, The Pleasance | Edinburgh | £20 | Intro to Lead Climbing · One to One Coaching · +1 more |
| The Ledge | Inverness | — | Hatha / Vinyasa yoga (1 hour) · Iyengar yoga (1.5 hours) · +2 more |
| Inverurie Boulder Wall | Inverurie | — | Climbing Wall Lesson |
| Ayrshire Climbing Centre | Kilmarnock | £20 | Roped Beginners Course (2 sessions) |
| The Pickaquoy Centre Climbing Wall | Kirkwall | £7.90 | 1-2-1 Adult Session |
| Third Ridge | Portree | £30 | — |
| Schlenker Family Climbing Wall, University of St Andrews | St Andrews | — | Adult Learn to Climb · Climbing Skills for Adults · +1 more |
| The PEAK Climbing Wall | Stirling | £27.50 | Try Climbing (age 3 to 5) · Try Climbing (age 5 to 7) · +1 more |
Climbing lessons in South West (15 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| RockReef | Bournemouth | — | RockStars After School Club - 4 week cou… · RockStars After School Club - 12 week co… |
| Jurassic Ridge Climbing Centre | Bridport | £15 | Learn to Climb · Learn to Lead · +4 more |
| The Climbing Academy - The Mothership | Bristol | £11 | — |
| The Climbing Hangar Bristol | Bristol | £5 | — |
| UWE Bristol Climbing Wall | Bristol | £25 | Rocky Rangers Junior Climbing Club (6-we… · Saturday drop-in climbing session |
| Boulder Exe | Exeter | £0 | 1:1 coaching session · 1:2 coaching session |
| The Quay Climbing Centre | Exeter | £20 | Induction Course - Learning the Ropes · Step Up To Lead · +3 more |
| Far Peak Climbing | Northleach | £15 | — |
| Parkfield Climbing Wall (Reach Outdoors) | Paignton | £14 | Learn to Climb (2-part lessons) · Refresher lesson (1.5 hours) · +1 more |
| Clip 'n Climb Plymouth | Plymouth | £10 | — |
| Plymouth Life Centre Climbing Centre | Plymouth | — | Instructed Sessions ages 5-6 · Instructed Sessions ages 7-11 · +2 more |
| The Climbing Hangar Plymouth | Plymouth | £5 | — |
| Rock and Rapid Adventures Climbing Centre | South Molton | £10 | Top Rope Improver · Step up to Lead · +3 more |
| The Boulder Bunker | Torquay | £20 | 1:1 coaching (per hour) · 1:2 coaching (per hour) · +1 more |
| 270 Climbing Park | Witcombe | £23 | Learn to Top Rope · Learn to Lead · +2 more |
Climbing lessons in South East (15 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Climbing Wall | Abingdon | — | Junior climbing course, 5 weeks, aged 9 … · Junior climbing course, 5 weeks, aged 10… · +2 more |
| Wight Climbing (West Wight Sports & Community Centre) | Freshwater | £29.50 | — |
| RockBox Guildford | Guildford | £12 | — |
| Surrey Summit, Surrey Sports Park | Guildford | £16 | Adult Beginner Course (14+) · Learn to Lead · +1 more |
| Brookes Climb | Oxford | — | Adult Novice course · Lead climbing course (6 hours) |
| Gallery Bouldering | Oxford | £30 | Improvers Course (4 weeks) · NICAS course (5 weeks) · +3 more |
| The Ordinary Climbers Gym | Polegate | £17 | Competency to Climbing Course (3C's) · TOC Award |
| Fort Purbrook Bouldering Walls (Peter Ashley Activity Centres) | Portsmouth | — | Junior Bouldering Club (8-12 years) |
| Ravelin Sports Centre Climbing Wall (University of Portsmouth) | Portsmouth | £8 | NICAS climbing programme, Levels 1-3 |
| University of Portsmouth Climbing Wall | Portsmouth | £8 | — |
| Golden Gecko Climbing | Romsey | £16 | — |
| Sandown Rocks | Sandown | — | Instructor training course |
| Slough Climbing Wall | Slough | £8.50 | — |
| The Climbing Hangar Southampton | Southampton | £5 | — |
| Oakwood Climbing Centre | Wokingham | £20 | Private Instructed Session (1:1) |
Climbing lessons in East of England (12 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Hub | Basildon | £20 | Learn to Climb course · NICAS (ages 7-12 and 12-17) · +1 more |
| Cambridge Climbing Wall (The Perse Sports Centre) | Cambridge | £20 | NICAS Wild Climbers (ages 4-7) · NICAS Bouldering and Climbing Levels 1-3 · +1 more |
| Rainbow Rocket Climbing | Cambridge | £30 | Private Coaching · Bouldering Basics |
| The Perse Sports Centre Climbing Wall | Cambridge | £20 | Learn to Climb · Learn to Lead Climb / Youth Lead Climbin… |
| Colchester Climbing Project | Colchester | — | 7-11 Climbing Club · 12-15 Climbing Club · +1 more |
| University of Essex Climbing Wall | Colchester | — | Learn the Ropes · Junior climbing - 5 week course · +2 more |
| Hertfordshire Sports Village Climbing Wall | Hatfield | £40 | — |
| The XC | Hemel Hempstead | £15 | — |
| Highball Climbing Centre | Norwich | £12.50 | Bouldering School · Junior Coaching Club · +2 more |
| Sportspark Climbing Wall (University of East Anglia) | Norwich | £14 | Junior Club registration · Junior Academy registration |
| Indirock | Southend-on-Sea | £0 | Ready to Rock Class |
| The Morley Climbing Wall | Wymondham | £17 | — |
Climbing lessons in East Midlands (10 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Living Centre Climbing Wall | Chesterfield | £7.50 | Climbing wall induction · Koala club (ages 5-6) · +2 more |
| Clip 'n Climb Derby | Derby | — | Rock Stars |
| Climb Leicester - The Tower Climbing Centre | Leicester | £18.10 | Adult Intro to Climbing · Adult 4-week beginner course · +7 more |
| YMCA Climbing Centre, Newark | Newark-on-Trent | £15 | Learn to Top Rope · NICAS Levels 1-5 |
| The Pinnacle Climbing Centre | Northampton | £15 | — |
| Nottingham Climbing Centre | Nottingham | £20 | Refresher (18+) · Bouldering to Ropes (18+) · +3 more |
| University of Nottingham Climbing Wall, David Ross Sports Village | Nottingham | £10 | Learn to Climb (3 hours) · Learn to Lead (4-6 hours) · +7 more |
| Rock Up Rushden Lakes | Rushden | £5 | Rock Up Climbing Academy |
| The Weedon Project | Weedon Bec | £10 | Introduction to Bouldering · Bespoke Coaching |
| The Face Climbing Wall, Wirksworth Leisure Centre | Wirksworth | — | Adult Climbing Lesson |
Climbing lessons in North West (9 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambleside Adventure Climbing Wall | Ambleside | £18 | Public Indoor Learn the Ropes · Public Indoor Learn to Lead · +1 more |
| Climbing Hut Ellesmere Port | Ellesmere Port | £20 | Teen Beginners · Adult Beginners · +5 more |
| KendalWall (Lakeland Climbing Centre) | Kendal | £18 | Learn to Climb · Learn to Lead · +1 more |
| Keswick Climbing Wall (Newlands Adventure Centre) | Keswick | £15 | Private Lesson (1 hour) · Figure of 8 & Belay Masterclass (2 hours… · +1 more |
| LancasterWall | Lancaster | £18.89 | Skills Coaching |
| The Climbing Hangar Liverpool North | Liverpool | £5 | — |
| Substation Macclesfield | Macclesfield | £16 | — |
| The Ridge Climbing Centre | Marple, Stockport | £20 | — |
| Summit Up Climbing Centre | Oldham | £0 | Roped Climbing Beginners (set course, 2 … · Learn to Lead (set course) · +3 more |
Climbing lessons in North East (9 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibex Bouldering | Darlington | £17.50 | — |
| Durham Climbing Centre | Durham | £25 | Private Coaching · Rock Stars (ages 3-6) · +2 more |
| Friction Bouldering | Gateshead | £14 | Intro to bouldering 4-week course |
| Rock Antics | Middlesbrough | £20 | Junior Club single session · Junior Club block booking of 6 |
| The Coliseum - Northumberland Bouldering Centre | Morpeth | £13 | Essentials Level 1 |
| Climb Newcastle | Newcastle | £15 | Rock Stars · Junior Academy · +2 more |
| Clip 'n Climb Newcastle | Newcastle | £14.50 | — |
| Newcastle Climbing Centre | Newcastle | £35 | Holiday kids club (1 hour) |
| Sunderland Wall | Sunderland | £20 | Learn to Climb · 1:1 coaching (Adult) |
Climbing lessons in Wales (8 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Climbing Centre | Caernarfon | £20 | Learn to Climb Course |
| Adventure Parc Snowdonia | Dolgarrog | £20 | — |
| Indy Climbing Wall | Holyhead | — | Learn to Climb Course (Top Rope) - block… · Learn to Lead Climb Course - block of th… |
| The Boathouse Climbing Centre | Llandudno | — | Coaching, 30 minutes, 1 person · Coaching, 30 minutes, 2 people · +6 more |
| Wild Lakes Bouldering Barn | Martletwy | £20 | Private coaching |
| The Boardroom Climbing | Queensferry | £16 | Rope Safety · Learn to Lead |
| MUUK Adventures Indoor Bouldering Wall | St Davids | £65 | — |
| Flashpoint Swansea | Swansea | £15 | Kids Clubs: 7-10 Boulder Monkeys · Kids Club: 11+ Boulder Juniors |
Climbing lessons in Yorkshire (7 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Climbing Hub | Bradford | £0 | — |
| Harrogate Climbing Centre | Harrogate | — | Learn The Ropes Course · Learn To Lead Course · +3 more |
| Mad Volume Climbing Gym | Hull | £25 | Induction course for 14-15 year olds to … |
| City Bloc Leeds | Leeds | £5 | Building Blocs technique class · 1-to-1 Coaching (1 hour) · +6 more |
| Street Rocks | Scarborough | £25 | — |
| The Climbing Hangar Sheffield | Sheffield | £5 | — |
| Red Goat Climbing | York | £20 | — |
Climbing lessons in West Midlands (6 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness Climbing Wall | Birmingham | — | Try a Sport: Climbing (4-week course, 90… |
| University of Warwick Sports and Wellness Hub | Coventry | £12 | Beginners Climbing Course · Top Rope Lesson · +2 more |
| Boulder Barn | Hereford | £35 | — |
| The Peak Climbing Wall | Leek | £15 | Holiday Clubs for 7-13 |
| Climbing Hut Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury | £35 | Learn to Belay · Learn to Lead · +1 more |
| Kilnworx Climbing Centre | Stoke-on-Trent | £22 | Intro to Climbing (2 people, 2 x 60 min) · Intro to Lead Climbing (2 people, 3 x 60… |
Climbing lessons in Northern Ireland (4 walls)
| Wall | City | Taster from | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foyle Arena Climbing Wall | Derry/Londonderry | £5 | NICAS Climbing Courses |
| EnnisRock | Enniskillen | — | ROCKSTAR+ Independent Competent Climber … |
| Share Discovery Village Climbing Wall | Lisnaskea | £15 | — |
| Hotrock Climbing Wall | Newcastle | £22 | — |
Session and course prices are read from each wall's own website — availability, age limits and prices change without notice, and popular courses book out. Always confirm on the wall's own booking page. Run a wall that teaches? Claim your listing to keep your courses current here.