Absolutely brilliant place. Only just started and can't believe how much stronger I feel. Did the…read morethree week course on climbing techniques and the staff member, Ollie, was great. Looking to do this three times a week now (never done this with any other form of exercise!!). Won't be looking to go anywhere else that is for sure

From the owner: The Climbing Academy offers state of the art indoor bouldering in Bristol. We provide everyone the…read moreopportunity to take up bouldering or progress their climbing to new levels in a welcoming relaxing atmosphere. The centre has a shop, showers, changing areas, lockers, courses, competitions and, of course, a great cafe.

Boulders is the largest indoor climbing centre in the country with lots and lots of space for you…read moreto get to grips with the walls. I hadn't been climbing in while so opted for a £25 two hour long refresher session. I was really impressed by the instructor we had and the group was small enough to get plenty of time practicing and personal advice to improve our techniques. Sadly I was luckily enough to start climbing at the Llangorse rope centre were we got to climb on real rock formations within the safety of a centre. I would have loved it if Cardiff had something like that and a bit more character. But then for the serious climber Boulders offers plenty of challenges and is a good practice area. Also has a lovely cafe to recover after a hard session.

Boulders is Cardiff's best indoor climbing centre, and is a lot more convenient for city dwellers…read morethan having to travel all the way the South Wales Valleys (to the fantastic Welsh International Climbing Centre) every time they want to go climbing. The wall offers taster sessions for beginners if you want to have a go for the first time, as well as climbing lessons for children and adults. For those with more experience, you can simply pay to climb unsupervised - and they have some really challenging routes, plus a bouldering wall to build up strength. Membership is worth it if you're planning to go regularly. It's also open long hours, which makes it great for evening climbs after work - from 1-0am-10pm Monday to Friday, then 10am-6pm at the weekends. You can even grab meals and refreshments there from Boulders Cafe.

I went for the first time with my eldest for a birthday party. It is a huge climbing place situated…read morein one of the old warehouses and is like a tardis when you step inside. There is a small bar with plenty of seating and serves a good range of both food and drink, you then walk on upstairs to where the main climbing centre is. The staff are friendly and professional and certainly focus on the safety aspect of the sport, there is a huge area for climbing and abseiling and also the boulder room where you can just free climb with deep cushions to land on should you slip. The party itself was well run and the instructors kept the kids entertained in between taking turns in climbing. The food was normal kids party food but was tasty and soon demolished. I would certainly keep this place in mind not just for a kids party but for a new activity to take up myself - all in all a very enjoyable visit.

An old church might seem like an odd place to have a climbing wall but it actually works…read moresurprisingly well. The high walls are perfect, with climbs in excess of thirty feet. The view when you get to the top is amazing as well; you literally get a totally different perspective on the building. Plus, it doesn't have that hot sweaty feeling that some climbing walls have - all the space means you can breathe a little better. All the space means the sound gets soaked up a bit too - sometimes gyms can sound like factories with all the machines going, but this place certainly doesn't. Usually the only sounds that will interrupt your thoughts are the echoes of whatever the receptionist has decided to put on the sound system. As well as conventional climbing walls there's a large bouldering area, with soft crash mats that have caught my body on the many occasions that my fingers have decided to give out. The atmosphere's great though, and nobody judges you if your new or just a bit crap like me. If you do want to improve they have excellent instructors on hand, who are very patient (they get a lot of school groups in here so they have plenty of practice. Bristol Climbing Centre is unique, a great place to learn to climb, and a wonderful environment to do it in.

it just never ceases to amaze me the wealth of exiting and slightly unusual things to do in and…read morearound Bristol. Set within an old church, god knows how much effort must have been put in to convert the building to a climbing centre, the South West's biggest Climbing centre - if you didn't know! There are all sorts of levels of walls and sessions available to accommodate for the real beginner (which is where I was) and the more experiences climber. 12 meters doesn't sound very high until you get half way up it and feel like you might be able to reach the clouds with your next step up! They run things like Easter courses so great for kids but also for adults.

Had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at the Motiva rope course for my friend Evan's stag last…read moreweekend. Had no real idea what to expect, so was pleasantly surprised to find ourselves trying the Leap of Faith, straight out of Indiana Jones. If jumping out of a 50 foot tree blindfolded is your thing, you'll love it! Remember - only by the leap from the lion's head will he prove his worth The instructor, Brin, is a really friendly Welsh chap who gives sage advice on how to adjust your harness. We should have listened

As with Phil, I had little idea of what to expect. I'd say none of us (we went in a group of 10)…read morewere particularly comfortable with heights/extremeness but the instructor Brin helped to create an atmosphere that was very relaxed. No pressure was put on any one to do anything they weren't comfortable with which only helped to ensure that everyone actually did try everything. I'd recommend this activity very highly. Its a great way of bringing together people and it really doesn't matter how rubbish you are - that only adds to the fun!

Glamorgan University Sports Centre is found on the campus of Glamorgan Uni…read more Sitting right next to the newly built Student's Union, the leisure centre offers a vast array of activities for both students on campus or in the surrounding area, as well as the general public. The venue itself has a large sports hall, numerous squash courts, a fitness suite and a weights room, in addition to spa facilities, that include a steam room and sauna. There is also the more unique feature of a rock climbing wall at the far end of the sports hall, for those wishing to brush up on their climbing technique. While membership varies depending on student status, particular membership options, etc, it can be an expensive hobby, particularly for students and despite offering a "membership", members are still expected to pay an additional amount upon each visit to the gym. Another problem I encountered during my time at Glamorgan was the rules regarding gym usage. Firstly, gym users were designated a one hour time period to train, starting on the hour and ending 60 minutes later. This meant not only did my sessions have to be routinely rushed, but sometimes cut short with me being asked to leave the gym as my "time was up" on a handful of occassions. This is not what you want nor expect to hear after having paid to use the facilities (on top of the initial membership "deal"). Also, users of the weights room were only allowed to use the weights equipment if accompanied by a partner, unless it was between the hours of 2 and 4p.m. when a member of staff would be on hand to supervise. While I can appreciate this was due primarily to health and safety, the amount of times I found myself training in an empty room between those hours dispels this ridiculous rule. Despite these restricting and, at times, extremely annoying rules, the facilities offered at the leisure centre provide a great service to the surrounding area, particularly the students. With the nearest local gym miles away on Treforest Industrial Estate, it can be a long walk for those students who don't drive. The Glamorgan University Sports Centre fills a gap for students who can't drive to another gym but still want to live an active lifestyle and want to make the most of having a gym right on their doorstep.