Children of any age may climb at The Castle under the supervision of a registered adult climber.
Children over 14 may climb unsupervised with their parents’ consent provided they pass an assessment test. Children’s assessments are carried out by Castle staff and must be booked in advance at The Castle on 020 8211 7000. Please note that to pass our assessment it is expected theat the child will have been indoor climbing for at least 6 months beforehand. The test for 14/15 year olds will include a lead climbing element.
During the school holidays The Castle will be running a number of childrens school holiday climbing sessions to view details and information about online booking please click here
N4 Climbing Club at the Castle Climbing Centre
N4 Juniors is aimed at 9 to 14 years old climbers and operates on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 6.30pm. The children who attend N4 Juniors follow the National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme (NICAS) syllabus.
NICAS is designed to introduce new and young climbers to climbing on artificial climbing walls in a series of five levels of increasing technical skill and knowledge. The scheme is administered by the Association of British Climbing Walls Training Trust (ABCTT) and is endorsed by the British Mountaineering Council. The scheme aims to accredit achievement in climbing and to provide a structure for development in the sport and focuses on skills, knowledge and safety and requires the gaining of logged experience for completion.
Aims of scheme:
to learn climbing rope-work and how to use equipment safely
to develop climbing movement skills and improve levels of ability
to develop risk assessment and management skills in the sport
to develop teamwork and trust with climbing partners
to develop an deeper understanding of the sport
to provide a record of personal achievement
to point the way to future pathways in climbing
Subscription costs: £20 for the first session (mandatory Taster) and then £80 for a block of 4 sessions, both payable in advance.
Additional costs: £5 NICAS Part 1 registration fee (including a 16 page booklet and any certificates achieved) followed by £9 NICAS Part 2 registration fee (including a binder with a 16 page log book and any certificates achieved).
N4 Seniors is aimed at 15 to 17 years old climbers and operates on Monday evenings from 6.45pm to 8.15pm.
Subscription costs: £20 for the first session (mandatory Taster) and then £80 for a block of 4 sessions, both payable in advance.
All N4 sessions are staffed by professional instructors that hold nationally recognised qualifications. Attendance is a regular commitment and by pre booking only.
For further details and information on available spaces in N4 please contact Iwona Kulczynska-Evans by
or phone us on 0208 211 1066.
Geckos Climbing for Kids!
Children aged 9 years and over can sign up for Geckos, a popular and long-standing independent children’s climbing school that operates at The Castle Contact us for more information about:
Kids Climbing 
