Clip n Climb Oldham is set within the climbing centre of Summit Up and is one of the biggest Clip n Climb's in the Uk! Inside there is also bouldering, rope climbing, an indoor soft play and a faboulous cafe and viewing area.
It is a superb climbing centre which has been made accessible for all by Summit Ups amazing facilities and attitude.
At Summit Up they pride themselves on delivering a first class experience for all their visitors, regardless of age or ability. And they mean everybody!
Top Info
👟 Loose fitting clothes and trainers are recommended.
🖥 Pre-booking of your session is highly recommended.
⏰ Arrive 15mins before your booked time to sign your waiver
👶 Clip n Climb from age 4+
🧗♀ 55 mins on Clip n Climb
🛝 Add on Drop Slide or Leap of faith
👨👦SEN sessions & sensory room
🥳 Party packages available
🏫 After school climbing club
🧗♀ Climbing lessons
🔴 Soft Play Area
🚻 Changing rooms
🔐 Lockers for possessions
♿ Wheelchair user friendly
🚗 Car park at back of building.
Bradshaw Street Car Parl - 3 hours are free at weekends
🌎 Egerton St, Oldham OL1 3SE
Our Visit
On a very rainy Sunday we woke up at a loss of what to do. An inside activity it had to be. Luckily, I had an invite to come and check out Summit Up so the girls spent a fantastic hour conquering fears and climbing crazy walls at the Clip n Climb inside the centre in Oldham.
My girls absolutely love climbing and in particular Clip n Climb. The fact they can climb independently with the automated belay system and the fact the walls are so varied and interesting means its a guaranteed pleaser.
Arriving for our Session
We parked at Bradshaw Street Car Park just at the back of the building. Make sure you arrive in good time for your session so you have time to fill in the waiver on a tablet in reception. I filled this in, then the girls excitedly went to get on their harnesses and to watch a safety video.
Safety
The video is one of those classic videos before you do anything with any risk. It runs through everything you should and shouldn't do while climbing. It is very clear and easy to follow, so great for children to understand. A member of staff also talked through the most important safety notes. I felt the staff were well trained and took safety very seriously.
Getting on the Walls
As soon as that's done your session on the walls start. You get 55 minutes climbing, which literally flew by for us. There are so many walls at this centre, 35 to be exact so even in that length of time the girls didn't get a go on all of them, which shows its a place you can keep returning back to, to try out different walls. As you become a more confident climber, certain walls will become more accessible. There is a big range of difficulty levels with the walls. Some were easy and some were near impossible for the girls but plenty in between.
You will get a full body work out without even realising it as you are having so much fun. Out of the 35 challenging walls you will find walls to race up with a timer challenge, wobbly ladders to shimmy up, ones where the foot holes move as your trime to push your self up and and proper boulder climbing walls which make you feel like you are on a cliff face.
What goes up must come down
Once you are at the top of the walls, simple jump backwards!!!! Jumping backwards from 15 meters high isn't something your body naturally agrees to! My girls however did this without a second thought and were up and down all the walls having so much fun.
Top Tip
My eldest who is 12 were completely find going off and clipping her self in and off the walls. However my 9 year old did need help with this as the clip was quite high up and a challenge for her to do independently. So i would recommend that an adult goes onto the climbing floor with this age or younger to help. There are staff on the floor to help with this too, however they may not see you straightaway and you don't want to miss any climbing time by waiting.
Stairway to Heaven
This is a giant circle of green pillars which start off low and with each one they get about 2 foot higher. As you take giant steps to the next towering pillar you soon find yourselve very high up. This is a great challenge and the fact you cant really hold on to anything but the next pillar makes it supper scary. Once at the top you have to jump off, again you are lowered down to the group slowly by your harness but still, taking that leap is really exhilarating. This challenge is included in your entry and is classes as a wall.
Extras
You can pay extra for two activities in the Clip n Climb area. The Vertical Drop Slide and The Leap of Faith. Both are £3 each to add on while there but only £2.50 if pre booked.
The Drop Slide
When it came to the drop slide both my girls rushed over to have her go. Once suited in their overalls and helmet they took it turns to climb into the slide and hold on tightly to the handle bar which raises you up. Fearlessly, my eldest stayed up until the highest point before letting go resulting in her sliding down with the biggest grin on her face. You actually get two goes, one where you are taken half way up the slide to let go. Then on your second go, you can go up as high as you feel brave enough. My 9 year old was a little more hesitant. She had definitely got more brave since her last visit to a Clip n Climb. She didn't make it to the top but still did great and she was really proud of herself afterwards.
The Leap Of Faith
This was something else. A member of staff puts on an extra harness and then you have to climb up the 15 meter tower of steps. When you reach the top you stand on a little ledge, with a punch bag hanging a few meters away. The target of the game is to jump off and hit the push bag. I must say it looked terrifying from down below. But both girls didn't hesitate at the top and leapt off hitting the bag before gentle being lowered down by the automated mechanism. You only get one go on this but it is a fantastic extra to do.
Our Final Verdict
Climbing is great for physical fitness but also great for building confidence and self esteem. The colourful and interesting walls really add to the fun and the second we had to finish our session my girls were asking to come back again. The whole set up at Summit Up was great and well organised. I would definitely reccomend giving it a try. I especially like how accessible it is for people with extra needs. They run SEN sessions and make it so with with any ability can come and have a go.
Other activities at Summit Up
🧗♀ Roped Climbing + Bouldering
With over 100 routes spread across 50 top rope, lead, speed and auto belay lines and a great selection of boulder problems there is something for everyone!
🧗♀Boulder Only
From novice to experienced boulderer our two level bouldering area, complete with floating boulder and a variety of wall angles, caters for all abilities.
Indoor Soft Play
Children can play in the exciting three tier soft play whilst you enjoy a drink from the cafe. Suitable for all children up to 8 years old and with separate zones for the smallest ones. It’s a fun, safe way for the kids to play whilst you relax. Just £4 for unlimited play.
☕Food & Drink.
The South Ridge Cafe has a tasty selection of food and drink to replenish you after your climb or just to enjoy if you are spectating. They also offer catering options for party and group sessions. The prices are really reasonable and definitely affordable for all.
The story behind Summit Up
Summit Up is a community-focused project initiated by The Stoller Charitable Trust, a charity whose purpose has been to provide opportunities to raise aspirations, support Oldham’s young people to reach the height of their ability and to provide a helping hand when it is most needed.
Summit Up was created to provide high quality sport and recreation facilities in Oldham and to generate a revenue stream to support The Stoller Charitable Trust. All the distributable profits will go to supporting local Oldham charities such as Mahdlo Youth Zone, Maggie’s Oldham and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice. The Centre is a legacy for the future generations coming through the Oldham community.
Inclusive Climbing
At Summit up they have an Inclusive Climbing program. This includes an Adults Climbing Social, a Summiteers SEN children's climbing class and an exclusively inclusive soft play session. On Tuesdays we will have a breakout room and a sensory room available for customers if they wish to use them. Taster Sessions: Our Adult Climbing Social on Friday and Summiteers SEN on Tuesday, October 8th are FREE OF CHARGE (check out future dates on their socials)
Accessibility
The centre has a lift connecting all three floors as well as accessible WC and a shower, enabling wheelchair users to use the facilities.
👶Toddlers can join the fun
At their Climb 'n Rhyme sessions where the 2-3 year olds can join in the excitement!
Press Visit Sept 2024
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