Indoor rope climbing
Reach new heights, whatever your ability
Indoor climbing at Calvert
Indoor climbing is a popular activity at Calvert Lakes. Taking place inside our sports hall, we have an adjustable climbing wall that creates exciting vertical and horizontal routes. Bringing the bottom of the climbing wall out, we can make the pitch easier for less confident climbers or pull the top out to make it overhang, increasing the challenge.
Climbing is great for building strength, improving grip and testing coordination and balance. This is a great activity for people of all abilities, including wheelchair users, who can enjoy time out of their chairs if desired.
Our indoor climbing wall encourages group participation with friendly competition and camaraderie where every achievement is celebrated and shared. Great for building confidence and pushing boundaries, indoor wall climbing is a firm favourite with new and returning guests.
This activity can easily be adapted for wobbly walkers, those with limited mobility and participants who are less confident or afraid of heights. Climbing the wall horizontally enables climbers to stay close to the ground while still using their body to traverse the climbing holds, while specially adapted harnesses provide support for those who need it.
With the help of a wheelchair harness, chair users can use adapted safety equipment to climb with their hands or feet only, supported by their group or the instructors, pulleys or self-propelled winches. Non-transferrable chair users can try our king swing, swivel or ceiling swing which offer the sensation of movement from the comfort of a chair.
And we don’t just do climbing on the wall either. Oh no. This is Calvert after all. Our fantastic instructors create all sorts of games and fun challenges to encourage participation. Crawling through hoops, climbing sideways for dress-up items, navigating pool noodle obstacles, wall dodgeball and scavenger hunts are just some of the ways the team make climbing more inclusive and entertaining.
For more ambulant groups, we offer the option of outdoor climbing, heading off into the Lake District to find rock walls to scale.
Indoor climbing is great for:
Overcoming fears
Adaptive climbing equipment:
Adaptive harnesses
Wheelchair harnesses
Adjustable wall pitch
Range of climbing aids and helmets
Self-propelled winches
Fun and interactive wall games
“I absolutely loved all of the activities that I had the opportunity to do, I challenged myself in
ways that I couldn’t imagine & I achieved so much, including managing to get to the top of
the climbing wall twice & ringing the bell! I also managed to do some of the activities twice!
I loved it so much that I didn’t want to leave. A trip of a lifetime!”
Karrie
Indoor climbing FAQs
Who can enjoy indoor climbing?
Indoor climbing is suited to ambulant participants and those with upper body mobility. We use a wheelchair safety harness to hoist chair users up the wall which can be self-propelled or winched by others.
Non-transferrable chair users can enjoy the king swing, swivel swing, wheelchair abseil, wheelchair challenge course and zip wire as alternatives to wall climbing. If an activity group has multiple chair users, we’ll adapt the activity to the preferences of the group and with so many different options on site, there is plenty to choose from!
Where does indoor climbing take place?
Indoor rock climbing takes place onsite in our sports hall as part of a rock and rope session. Each session will look different depending on the needs of the group, but rock and rope sessions typically include climbing, swinging, abseiling, zip wire, high ropes, the wheelchair challenge course and wheelchair abseil slab.
In addition to wall climbing, abseiling and swinging, we also hold fun challenges, team building activities, basketball, skittles, dodgeball and curling in here!
How long is a climbing session?
A rock and rope session is usually a half day activity and takes around 2 hours, depending on the ability of the group.
Funding for adventure breaks
We’re committed to making our activity breaks accessible to as many people as possible, which is why limited bursary funding is available to help reduce the cost. Because our funding is often restricted, we prioritise those who’d most benefit from financial assistance. While we cannot guarantee support for every enquiry, we encourage anyone facing financial barriers to get in touch. Our team is here to guide you through the process and help you explore the options available.
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