If you are a keen follower of ours on social media you may have noticed a few posts going up over the summer about our Term time NICAS Courses; and may not know what it is, so here’s a quick break down of the course.

NICAS stands for The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme, and is a UK-wide scheme designed to promote climbing development and accredit achievement on artificial climbing structures. Its main purpose is to provide a safe introduction to the sport for young people aged seven and upwards.

Within the scheme there are five levels to work through:

Level 1 – Foundation Climber

An entry level aimed at novices

Level 2 – Top Rope Climber

Aimed at promoting good unsupervised practice in climbing and bouldering

Level 3 – Technical Climber

Focuses on developing technique and movement skills

Level 4 – Lead Climber

Concentrates on the skills required to both lead climb and belay a lead climber

Level 5 – Advanced Climber

Focuses on improving performance and understanding of climbing systems within the wider world of climbing

NICAS was developed because there was no sense of progression within the climbing industry. Participants began to lose their enthusiasm to pursue the sport because they had nothing to work towards. NICAS gives you a goal and encourages you to progress your climbing. Which can be used as a real confidence booster for children; especially when they pass a level and receive their certificate showing that they are good at climbing, they can do it, and that they have the ability to learn what it takes to be a good climber.

If this is something that you think your child would enjoy then follow the link to book online: https://greenspiderclimbing.com/termly-clubs-and-nicas/ or call the centre on: 01432277716

If you still aren’t entirely sure whether it’s the right thing for your child, book them in for a taster session at the centre and see how they take to it; while they’re climbing take the opportunity to talk to a member of staff about the scheme in more depth.