Over the first two weeks of January, our brand-new Wrencon Climbing Hall was buzzing with energy, laughter and a real sense of achievement as we welcomed people in for a series of taster sessions ahead of our full opening.
We were delighted to welcome 163 participants across 21 taster sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, in addition to several school groups and keep fit groups who came in to put the wall through its paces. These sessions were designed not only to give our community a chance to try climbing, but also to allow our team to test the process, spot any issues and fine-tune how the space works in practice.
The feedback so far has been incredibly positive and, most importantly, people had a lot of fun. We saw climbers aged from just 3 years old right up to 81, with a real mix of complete beginners and experienced climbers enjoying the wall together.
What we learned
The taster sessions have been invaluable and helped us test session sizes, processes and identify small changes we can make to improve the experience for everyone. We’re now taking time to put those learnings into action.
To allow us to make final arrangements and improvements, the climbing hall will be closed until 9 February. This short pause will help ensure we open fully with everything in place to deliver high-quality sessions from day one.
Session types and timetable
We’ve created an initial timetable for when the climbing hall opens and we’d really welcome feedback as we know the best schedules are built with our community. We will offer more public sessions during school holidays, and these will be published soon.
At launch, sessions will include:
- Public sessions – open to all abilities and ages from 3+
- Adults-only sessions – for ages 16+
- Private group bookings – for schools, businesses, community groups etc
- Home education groups – school aged children only
Public sessions will have a maximum of 10 climbers, while private sessions can accommodate up to 12 people.
Introductory pricing for public sessions
All standard sessions last 90 minutes. A maximum of 10 people can book on a public session (this includes home-ed).
- Adults (aged 16+): £12
- Children (aged 3-15): £8
Initially there will not be any concessions or memberships.
Private Group Sessions
Sessions for private use get exclusive use of the climbing hall for a maximum of 12 people and include all equipment plus expert tuition from our Climbing Hall Manager, Logan.
Children’s Parties: in addition to exclusive use of the climbing hall we will provide a party room for you to enjoy your own food/cake and and we will provide unlimited drinks.
Experienced climbing groups using their own kit can be accommodated – please contact climbing@ymcataunton.co.uk to discuss. This option is subject to our Climbing Hall Manager signing the group off to use the space unsupervised and is entirely at his discretion, to ensure safety at all times.
CHILDREN’S PARTY
Includes 1 hour in the climbing hall.
Includes room for food before or after your climbing session.
Includes unlimited water and squash.
Max 12 people
£200
PRIVATE GROUP
Includes 90 minutes in the climbing hall.
Session tailored to your requirements.
Adults only or family groups.
Max 12 people
£200
COMMUNITY GROUPS
Includes 90 minutes in the climbing hall.
Session tailored to your requirements.
Suitable for schools, charities etc
Max 12 people
£POA
Looking ahead
This is just the beginning. As the programme develops, we’re keen to introduce:
- Toddler climbing sessions
- Sessions for specific ages or ability levels
- Team-building and corporate sessions
- Accredited climbing courses
We’ll also be recruiting additional climbing staff, which will allow us to expand the programme further. Once this is in place, we hope to offer more evening and weekend sessions to meet demand.
Details for these options are still being worked out, so if you’re interested, please get in touch with us to discuss your ideas.
Important information for parents and carers
- The minimum age to climb is 3 years
- Parents remain responsible for their children at all times
- Appropriate clothing and clean trainers/climbing shoes must be worn
- Space in the corridor outside the climbing hall is limited and we request only one adult accompanies each child
- Maximum of 2 children per adult
Ready to climb?
The enthusiasm and support shown during our taster sessions has been incredible, and we can’t wait to open the doors properly and welcome even more people into the Wrencon Climbing Hall.
Booking will reopen very soon, once final arrangements are complete.
Whether you’re looking to try climbing for the first time, return to the wall as an experienced climber, or bring a group along for something new, we look forward to seeing you soon.
Links
Hi, I’m wanting to book the Monday 2nd February for 2 boys age 6 and 9. They have done lots of climbing before.
Am I able to book and pay now as I feel the spaces will get booked quick. Will you be doing Memberships gor kids? As I have 2 sen children and this is great for proprioception.
The Climbing Hall will not reopen until Monday 9 February.
Bookings will open again soon and be available to book online at: https://tauntonymca.simplybook.me/v2/#book. We’ll advertise on our socials and newsletter when bookings open. You can signup for the newsletter via: https://bit.ly/newsymca
No memberships are available yet.
Will there be any form of season pass or membership type arrangement for those who know they will want to climb regularly,?
Not to begin with, but possibly in the future it may be an option.