Do I need experience?

None. Intro sessions teach you to climb safely, and bouldering in particular you can just walk in and try.

Do I need to be strong?

Not to start. Technique and balance matter more early on, and the strength comes with time on the wall.

Yes. Bouldering has thick matting, and roped climbing uses checked equipment with a belay partner, which intro sessions teach you to do properly.

Do I need my own gear?

No. Shoes can be hired and harnesses are provided. Most people buy shoes first once they are keen.

What is the difference between bouldering and roped climbing?

Bouldering is lower walls with mats and no ropes. Roped climbing goes higher with a rope and a partner. Both are great places to start.

Is it suitable for kids?

Very. Many walls run junior sessions and clubs, and it is a brilliant activity for children.

Indoor Climbing en London

Indoor climbing is where most climbers start, and plenty never feel the need to leave. Colour-coded routes on tall walls and bouldering areas give you endless puzzles to solve, in a warm, weatherproof space with thick mats and ropes to catch you. Part workout, part puzzle, part very social hobby.

It is genuinely beginner-friendly. Bouldering needs almost no kit and no partner, and most walls run intro sessions that teach you to climb and to belay safely. Strength helps eventually, but technique and a bit of nerve get you a long way first.

The walls on adventuro run intro sessions, courses and coaching for all levels. Nobody is watching, everyone has flailed on the easy routes, and there is always a harder one to try.