Climbing

Whether you are an experienced climber, or completely new to the sport, our climbing wall at Ravelin Sports Centre has everything a climber could need. As well as being open to University of Portsmouth students and staff, we are also open to the local community. Our climbing instructors will always be present during your sessions to ensure the safety of all climbers.

Our impressive climbing wall goes from the basement to the roof of the building and offers a total of 242 square metres of high quality climbing. The wall has been carefully designed to include a range of angles and features including slab, vertical and overhanging climbing. Challenge yourself at all levels.

Booking your sessions

When it comes to booking your sessions, you will have the option to choose between an induction or a competent session.

• Induction - Inductions are for any new customer who have not used the wall before. These sessions include a full induction in the safe use of our climbing facilities. The Inductions are 30 minutes long, once the Induction is complete, you can then stay for the remaining part of the session. Staff will update the system once you have completed your induction to enable you to book onto climbing sessions.
• Climbing sessions - These are for customers who have attended an Induction. These sessions have a varying capacity and are 1.5 hours long, allowing you time to warm up, climb and warm down.

All sessions will be supervised by one of our climbing instructors, who will be there to offer advice and guidance.

How to access our climbing wall

The Climb option is included in our Ultimate membership and sessions can simply be booked on the app. You can also pay as you go outside of memberships.

Who can access our climbing wall

The minimum age for a climber using our climbing wall is 7 and anyone under the age of 18 will need to be supervised by an adult who has attended a climbing induction. You can find out more information in our rules and regulations. 

If this is your first time climbing at Ravelin, you will need to agree to our waiver and attend an induction session. Maximise your time climbing by agreeing to the waiver at the bottom of this page, prior to your arrival. If you have an account with us already, you can book your induction immediately!

BEFORE AN U18 climbs

A parent or guardian will need to be present and on the session with the u18 at all times. All parties both adult and u18 must have completed an Induction and have completed a climbing waiver before they are able to attend a session. 
Everyone aged 7-17 must be accompanied by a competent adult who has completed an Induction. 

Unsupervised Access Test 

This is a bookable test for experienced climbers + users of our centre who are aged between 16+17. We recommend over a year's worth of climbing experience (both bouldering and auto belays) before attending a UAT. One of our Senior Instructors completes the UAT, and a parent/guardian must be present during the UAT. Please note; that there is no guarantee that the u18 will pass the requirements of the UAT and passing is at the instructor's discretion. All UATs must be booked in advance, please speak to a member of the climbing team to book a UAT.