Rope climbing or bouldering?

Climbing is a great workout and a lot of fun. It’s a great way to challenge yourself mentally and physically and it’s a social activity that you can enjoy with friends or family.

Not sure where to start? We offer a variety of options to begin your climbing journey. Check the info below and if you still have any questions, give us a call!

If you are looking for options to bring your kids climbing, visit the kids activity page instead.
ROPE CLIMBING OR BOULDERING?

There are different forms of climbing that you can practise indoors: some need very little equipment, others require a bit more skill and experience. You don’t need to choose one and stick with it, most climbers like to mix and do a bit of everything!

Bouldering at alien bloc

Bouldering is a great way to get started with climbing, it's about problem-solving. You discover different ways to climb to the top of the wall using your hands and feet to hold onto different parts of specially designed holds.

Bouldering walls are much shorter than roped climbing walls so you don't need to worry about heights. If you fall, you land on foam matting.

Most people find bouldering easier to start with and less intimidating, there are no ropes and all you need is a pair of climbing shoes and some chalk.

Bouldering is great for developing strength and technique.

How does it work

Boulder climbs are called “problems”. You will find tags to mark where the problem starts and the target is to get to the top of the wall grabbing the highest hold with both hands.

All problems have different colours and we use a simple scale to indicate what difficulty they are. This makes it easier to pick the right challenge for you and track your progress.

How to start

If you would like to give bouldering a go, alien bloc is our dedicated bouldering wall. You can turn up anytime, hire a pair of shoes and climb your first problem!

Start today

Come and say hi at the desk, we can give you a few tips to get you started and provide you with coffee when needed!

Give us a quick call for more info or learn more about bouldering at alien bloc.

Rope climbing at alien rock

Rope climbing is another great option for getting into climbing. With rope climbing, you'll be secured by a rope and harness, so you can climb higher walls.

Some people find indoor roped climbing intimidating at first and are surprised to find it a safe, relaxing and fun activity.

Rope climbing is great for developing endurance and efficiency of movement on the wall.

How does it work

Roped climbs are called "routes", the target is to get to the top of the wall using all the holds of the same colour. Top roped climbing is the first step in roped climbing. In this setup the rope is already in place on the wall making it easy and convenient with no need to bring your own rope.

You always climb with a partner, alternating between climbing on the wall and "belaying" (managing the rope) from the ground.

All routes have different colours which follow a simple grading scale to indicate their difficulty. These "grades" are also used outdoors to help you pick a route that matches your level of experience.

How to start

If you would like to give roped climbing a go, alien rock is our dedicated wall. There are three ways to get started, either supervised by an experienced climber or by attending a beginners course or a taster session.

Start today

If you have never been climbing before then a taster session is a great first choice!

Our qualified instructors will get you and a friend (or two!) introduced to the fun of climbing straightaway. Perfect for beginners, kids and adults. Enjoy one hour of climbing with all the safety and rope work taken care of by one of our qualified instructors. 

Start today

Give us a quick call for more info or learn more about rope climbing at alien rock.

STILL NOT SURE?

At Alien we are all climbers and we have been sharing our passion for over 30 years.

Call us on 0131 552 7211 for a quick chat, we can recommend the best way to start and give you any advice you need.