The eldest mini mumbler (6) is a big climbing fan and we have been regular visitors to climbing centres outside the area. We were therefore really pleased to hear that there was a themed climbing adventure arriving nearby, The Leeds Adventure Zone at The Leeds Wall (Geldard Road, LS12).
We took a trip out on the opening day (Saturday August 12th). We booked online, which was straightforward, you choose your day, age of child and the time slot, slots are every hour but you get a full hour’s climb with the briefing and debrief sessions on top of this (no need to arrive earlier, the briefing starts at the booked time). Once you have made the booking online you get sent a confirmation email which includes a form you need to fill in and take with you.
Children can climb in the adventure zone from the age of 4. You don’t need any specialist climbing gear, mini mumbler likes to wear, leggings, t-shirt and trainers. Our slot was 11am and there was plenty of onsite parking, but you could also park on the road if needed. One thing to note is the centre is fairly close to Elland Road so the roads around it can get busy on match days.
The adventure zone is part of the established Leeds Wall. When arriving you go upstairs to the reception where the extremely friendly and helpful team checked you in. We then went to a quiet part of the reception area where the children got fitted with harnesses and watched a briefing video on the format of the climbing session including the “do’s and don’ts” – this was to ensure the safety of all climbers. Older children were shown and then encouraged to fit their own harnesses (most needed help and the staff were more than happy to assist) but don’t worry all harnesses were checked by the staff before climbing started. They then did a fun warm up exercise which all the children really enjoyed!
The adventure zone is on a mezzanine floor which works really well as it feels very airy and the children can see older children and adults climbing on the main walls meaning they have something to aspire to. There are 10 different themed walls: Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Snakes and Ladders, Pac Man, The Leeds Wall x 2, Cat & Mouse, Dinosaurs, Aquarium and Sweet Shop.
Once in the adventure zone the children were met by a lady who was very knowledgable and helpful and gave the children tips on climbing and descending and which walls to try first. Mini Mumbler had climbed a few times so was fairly confident with the descent but it did take other children a while to master this and the staff were more than happy to help. The children had to be clipped on and off the walls by a member of the Leeds Wall staff (once they had finished on a wall they had to put their hand up and someone came and clipped them on and off).
By the end of the hours session mini mumbler had conquered all the walls with sufficient time to get up and down them all a few times. Her favourites were the Cat & Mouse, Rapunzel and Aquarium and she thought the hardest were the Sweet Shop and Leeds Wall!
There was water available for the climbers throughout and they were encouraged to have a rest when needed. They were also given some advice on stretches in-between climbs.
One thing that really stood out was the engagement from the staff. They gave advice on how to climb each wall and when anyone was getting stuck and also gave more support to those that were new to climbing to help build their confidence. My daughter saw that children were also on the main Leeds Wall and the staff explained the different classes children can do from age 6, I think we may be making more frequent visits!
The adventure zone had just opened on the day of our visit (you could still smell the paint!) and it was evident that there was still some finishing touches that they were on with and will be completed soon. We had our youngest with us as well who was too young to climb, an hour was a long time to kill but he ate and drank his way through it!! They have plans to put a small soft play in or other ways to occupy younger children which will be a great addition. There is a cafe on the ground floor but this was shut for the month of August (reopens 1st September) so when we visited there were limited refreshments – you could get a tea/coffee from reception and there was a vending machine for crisps, chocolate, sweets, etc.
The Adventure Zone is open every day apart from Xmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm (Bank holidays 6.30pm close)
Saturday & Sunday 10am-7pm
Pricing: 4-6 yrs £9, 7-17 yrs £11, £18+ £13. Includes a full hours climbing, 10 mins safety talk and 5 mins debrief time
Address: The Leeds Wall, 100a Geldard Road, Leeds, LS12 6BY
Tel: 0113 2341554
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