Teens
14-18

Listen to our climbers

Unsupervised climbing for ages 14-17

If you’re aged 14-17, you’ve been climbing with us for a while and you believe you’re mature and safe enough to climb without an adult supervisor, you can apply to get signed off for independent climbing.

It’s down to our experienced team to decide whether you are safe enough to climb unsupervised, and permission will also need to be agreed with your parent or guardian.

What is NICAS?

National Indoor Climbing Award Schemes (NICAS®) are an introduction to climbing and provide a gateway to learning more about the sport. The key aim is to provide a safe introduction to indoor bouldering for young people aged 3 and up. With logbooks to work through and certificates for achievement, the NICAS scheme gives candidates a great start to their climbing journeys.

What is our
Youth Squad?

If your child shows potential and the right attitude to progress, they might be selected for our Youth Squad. Our Youth Squad also follows the NICAS syllabus but goes into the higher grades, working towards exciting goals such as youth competitions or outdoor climbing trips.

Indirock “High Priestess” T-Shirt

Indirock “Crimp On The Barbie” Chalk Bag

Indirock “Crimp On The Barbie” Zip-up Hoodie

Indirock “Crimp On The Barbie” T-Shirt

Safeguarding at Indirock

We take safeguarding very seriously at Indirock and want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support young people to stay safe.

If you have any concerns at all, you can send a confidential WhatsApp message to Indirock’s experienced safeguarding volunteers on 07519 298899. They will do their best to help you as soon as possible.

Here’s some more information from our friends at the British Mountaineering Council:

Is someone bullying you, hurting you, or doing something to you that you want to stop. You don’t have to put up with it. You have a right to be safe from abuse. There are ways of getting support.

Keeping safe

How to stay safe?
Click here to read

Listen to your instincts about the people you meet
Avoid being out of sight of other people when with a grown up or someone you don’t trust
Avoid traveling in someone else’s car by yourself
Avoid going to the home of a grown up by yourself
Tell someone you trust where you’re going
Carry a mobile phone, phone card or enough money in change to be able to make a phone call from a public telephone

Is something wrong?

If someone ...
Click here to read

Constantly teases you, puts you down, belittles you, shouts at you or calls you names
Threatens, hits, kicks or punches you
Touches you inappropriately or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable
Makes suggestive remarks or tries to pressurize you into sexual activity, taking drugs or consuming alcohol
Sends you texts or emails that are inappropriate
Damages or steals your belongings
Tells you to train when you have a serious injury
Does anything that makes you feel lonely, upset, embarrassed, worried, unsafe, hurt, dependent, manipulated or controlled

If any of the above happens to you, you can take action to stop it. You have rights – don’t be bullied or abused.

What to do?

Try to ...
Click here to read

If you are being bullied or abused, it is not your fault. Try to:

Be firm and tell the person to stop. Say “No!” firmly
If that doesn’t work, try making a lot of noise to attract attention.
Get away from the situation quickly, go to a public place to find help.
Tell your parents/carers or an adult you can trust as soon as possible, so they can help you.
If you’re at a climbing wall, tell their staff OR send a confidential WhatsApp message to Indirock’s Safeguarding volunteers on 07519 298899
If you don’t feel you can tell any of these people call Childline 0800 1111 (this is entirely confidential), or NSPCC 0800 800500. You can also call the police (999). The police and social services have trained staff to support people who are being, or have been, bullied or abused. Keep trying if you can’t get through straight away.
If possible, keep a note of the date, time and place, what happened, how you felt and the name of anyone who may have seen what happened

Don’t give up until someone helps you.

There is more information about safeguarding on the BMC website here

Keeping bouldering fun

Bouldering is supposed to be about fun, an amazing community and setting your own goals. If it ever stops feeling fun, something needs to change!

We think the below video is really eye-opening about how sports can sometimes become something it’s not supposed to be. This video is aimed at adults more than it is young people, so feel free to show this to a parent, guardian or sports coach!

Gender & identity

Indirock prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive space for all. We want everyone to feel welcome, so if you ever have feedback for us on how we can improve our inclusivity, please let us know.

Teens 14-18