It doesn't look like much when you walk in, but don't let that fool you. This place is massive!…read moreIt's bouldering only FYI. First thing you do when you walk is check-in and you'll see the first boulder. It's built with wood so it's slick, but the rest of the gym is much better and textured. Upstairs there's loads of lockers, feel free to bring your own lock. There's an entire built in table that goes down quite a ways with stools and outlets so you can study there or downstairs by their little shop/cafe. As you walk in more you'll see the training area, with a great board, loads of campus boards, bars and other essentials ya need. There's a slab wall, on the other side has a traverse area and next to it is a circuit wall. As you go further there's more variety, loads of overhanging, slab, and good features. Their system is on the V grade and by colour. Overall a pretty cool place to check out! Not too far of a walk from the Bermondsey station.

This is the best bouldering gym I've ever been to…read more This place just opened three months ago, and according to its website has "over 11 000 square feet of bouldering, dozens of circuits offering hundreds of climbs" and "is one of the biggest climbing facilities in the UK." Which I definitely believe - I've been to 20 or so climbing gyms in the US, Canada, and the UK, and this is definitely the biggest bouldering gym I've ever seen. The staff's friendly, the prices are normal, and the facility is just so friggin' enormous, I still can't get over it. They lay their routes out according to color, so basically there are eight or so colors of holds, and all the routes set within each color fall within a certain range of difficulty (e.g. V1-V2). Each color has 30 or so routes associated with it, so you're looking at 240 total bouldering problems right there (assuming that I remember the number of colors correctly). 240 bouldering problems! That's fucking insane! The gym I go to in san francisco has, like, *maybe* sixty! And that 240 figure isn't even counting the ~30 bouldering-comp problems The Arch had up when I visited! They've also got plenty of other training gear - a bunch of hangboards, a moon board, a training board, just all sorts of crazy stuff. If you like bouldering, you have got to go here. This place is the best.

You know when you wake up one morning and you think, 'Today, I want to climb stuff'. Don't deny it;…read morewe've all thought this at some point. I went here with a friend and her son and we had a great time. They kit you out with the appropriate footwear (kids get a helmet - absolute favouritism right there) The instructor was very friendly and patient with us. He showed us the best routes up the wall and was great with my friend's son, who was quite young and understandably a little nervous. One thing about this place that might put people off - it doesn't use harnesses. The walls are about 20 feet at most, methinks, but obviously you only go up as far as you're comfortable with. The floors are padded too, so if you do fall on your arse as I did, you don't hurt anything except your ego. There were loads of people there who are obviously regular members, and some of the guys were really fit. Will definitely go back

I had no idea this place existed - what a find! If you are into climbing (and especially…read morebouldering) and you can get to Sutton then head down and check Craggy out. There are two large bouldering rooms with 100s of graded problems of all styles from easy jugs for beginners to stuff I can only look at and wonder how on earth anyone can climb! The centre is really well designed and has a great feel, the staff really know what they are doing and are happy to offer advice. There is even a bar next door! Also, check out the caving system. It must have been put in for children's parties but believe me it is a real laugh. I got lost a number of times and in some places it really takes some effort to get through. If this is the future of indoor climbing then I like it. Makes such a change to grubby old walls where you feel like an outsider if you 'don't fit in'. Now my local wall!

Of the 3 gyms we hit, this was our favorite for a number of reasons. It's a non-profit that tries…read moreto promote climbing for kids, so the day pass for a kid was the lowest, but their early morning entry (7-9am) for absolutely anyone is even lower, at only 5 GBP. The bouldering area was maybe not as large as some others, but the "secret garden" area (half outdoors) with competition climbs having very large holds made it unique and was my kid's favorite area in the gym. Their community was also welcoming and encouraging and chatted with us. It's also a lovely walk along a canal through a park from either nearby bus stop to get there.

MECW is my local and I come at least 3 times a week most weeks but don't ask if I've gotten any…read morebetter at climbing as I spend a lot of my time watching some real pros absolutely killing some of the routes in the Monkey House (the place where all the ceiling climbs happen.) So alright it probably isn't as big as The Arch and it's not as polished, branded or as... hipster but there's definitely a charm to this place which I didn't find at The Arch. Not to mention there is a little top rope for those who are that way inclined and there's a secret (shhhh) beginner's room past the top rope section where you newbies can go if you feel dissuaded rather than inspired by the muscular machines in the main rooms. There are classes available and every Thursday evening a member of staff is on hand to give you tips on improving technique. It's very busy at peak times, this means weekday evenings after 5 and weekends. I try to come around lunchtime on weekdays and avoid the weekends. A monthly membership costs £45 or £40 concession. There is a shop on site, owned and operated by the wonderful Rock On, an independent climbing specialist. They stock a variety of gear and are more than happy to assist you in getting the right pair of shoes. Day access does not differentiate between peak and off peak access like The Arch so you pay £7 for the day and that's all day. Locker rental is 50p which is refundable but goes towards charity if you don't want the refund. The one criticism I have is that their opening hours could be longer. They could open earlier on weekdays and close a little later, especially in the summer. Keep in mind that their main rival, The Arch, opens at 6am and doesn't close until 10pm. There is parking on site but it is limited at peak times. Plenty of bicycle racks though and easily accessed via Mile End tube.

My kids love sky zone, best place to burn some energy and spend time with friends. recommendread more

E6 flip out is the worst one I've ever been to and I've been a few times thinking maybe it's a bad…read moreday but the service is awful , the do not have any care at all for hygiene ! They let as many people in as possible to the point it's just dangerous! The staff are unhelpful and are so slow at getting families booked in ! I tried to complain to the manager and he was clearly high ! Just awful every single time I've been ! My 3 year old was constantly being injured as there was so many people in facility even down to spectators there wasn't even any space to stand and watch the children ! Minus stars ! Do recommend the Brent Cross venue as it's a lot cleaner and staff are a lot more helpful

Up at the O2 was an amazing experience! It's a relatively easy climb and the payoff is great…read moreconsidering you get incredible views of the Thames and the London skyline. Getting to the O2 is easy. There's always the tube- the station is literally right there, or by ferry. We took the Uber Boat from Greenwich and it was a scenic way to get there. I was pretty blown away by how extensive the O2 footprint is. Not only is it a huge arena, but it also has an outlet mall and a ton of restaurants attached to it. The check-in site for Up at the O2 is easy to find as it's not too far from the main entrance. You'll want to arrive a bit early to make sure all your release forms are filled out beforehand. Once your group is called, you go through a brief video introduction followed by time to use the restroom and then you are assigned shoes (if necessary) and a harness. Next, you are provided with a bin to place your personal belongings since you are only permitted to bring your phone. The bins are locked away, so no worries on bringing your purse or backpacks- they are secure . Next you get a more detailed briefing on safety and how to get into the harness We had an extraordinarily talented guide by the name of Dan who was funny and was a real delight the entire time. He was engaging and thoughtful. Really blown away by how awesome he was. It's like he was born to lead climbs at the O2, lol! Before embarking on the actual trek up the O2, there's an opportunity to pose for pictures before you go up with their photographer You'll later have an option to purchase after the climb. The climb itself is on a ramp that is on an incline and it's almost like a trampoline-like material. You are harnessed and tethered to a rail the whole way up and down, so it feels very safe. Once you reach the top, there's pop music and a jovial atmosphere as everyone gets to take in the amazing view. There is an option to purchase water or champagne before the climb and they'll have it waiting for you at the top. We had opted for the sunset climb and we saw incredible views of the city. We even got to witness a marriage proposal at the top- very special indeed! After descending, you have the option to purchase photos of your climb in various packages. Even though it's a bit cheesy, we totally did because it was nice to have some reminders of this fun experience. I would totally recommend Up at the O2 for something fun and off the beaten path to do in London. So glad we did it!

This was on the 'to do list' when we planned our trip to London. Sounded exciting and the pics we…read moresaw reinforced the excitement. Once we got to the O2, to be honest, the dome hike was honestly underwhelming. However, we had to do it. Not terribly expensive and they have all the necessary gear to include shoes which they make almost everyone wear. They have light jackets with zipper pockets and thing grippy gloves to borrow. They have free storage bins they secure too. Must be at least 18 OR accompanied by an adult and sign a waiver for everyone participating. You watch a short safety video then they move you into another room to get the gear on. Quick gear check and up you go. Wasn't rainy for our trip but it was a cold and windy January day. Obviously the wind can get pretty gusty being up in the air and along the river. Overall I was pretty underwhelmed. Thought it would be higher and that there would be better views. The tour guide was great, funny and helpful, but the view was just a different angle of a bunch of high raises. You can't see any of the major London attractions from here because of distance and high rise buildings blocking the view. It's worth doing if you have the time, money and minimal expectations. This is not an adrenaline thing (at least not for someone that has sky dived and walked across other major bridges)

Climbed here while studying abroad. The staff was great and the bouldering walls were to die for…read more The space is huge and offers a lot of different routes for every level of climber. Great traverse set when I was there. I don't remember if they had gym equipment but when you see the bouldering room it won't even matter honestly. I believe they have multiple locations too so if this is a little far make sure to check if the other is close to you. However this one is definitely worth the travel for!

OK So its clean,…read moreand most of the staff are friendly - Which is really amazing for a climbing centre. I feel like there isn't a particular need for the staff to go above and beyond at many of the climbing centres I've been to. But these guys did there best with our group. My personal issues: 1. Its just bouldering, but i'm not going to mark it down, because it is what it is, I like top roping, don't go here for that. 2. Chalk, Chalk and more chalk - As someone who climbed on sandstone from ten years old, and indoor climbed the odd time, I don't see the point in encouraging children to use chalk - if as an adult you want to use it, fine, I climbed 20 years without chalk, and my friends only used it as adults when they really got into it. The whole place had a fine coating of chalk dust everywhere - we have reached peak chalk now, if you condition kids to climb with chalk, they'll not be able to do without (and be moaning at me because i didn't bring any. Service Our instructor, and the female (only one female, and she was behind reception) were really on point. There were a few others who didn't seem particularly positive and happy. But i was surprised, at how friendly they were, perhaps because our last experience the staff were so rude. The walls: It's bouldering, and it's under an arch at vauxhall - but they've actually got a lot to do! Lots of routes, not too many overhangs, for a wide selection of ability, and actually not too short. Cafe: Mini cafe - good seating area next to one section of the bouldering, which allowed lots of parents to watch their kids climb. And a mini selection, including tea in actual cups (hate paper cups), the food was locally sourced from local businesses and the compulsory banana sales for climbing cafes. The rules/Vibe: It is very much a twenty/thirty something haunt, it doesn't lend itself to a family atmosphere, again this is a personal preference, I'm not a fan of topless climbing for indoor climbing, as it doesn't provide a very inclusive feel to new men, and actually can be seen as quite intimidating to some women. Not to say its not somewhere i wouldn't take the kids group again - I would, the staff are really on point, and the lighting and atmosphere of the place is great. Our group loved it. Summary: Staff are great! Location is new, very much cliquey climber venue if you like that.

Guildford with 86 rope lines, both lead and top rope, and its extensive bouldering wall is one of…read morethe leading climbing walls in the world. Sutton is the newest and most exciting bouldering wall that we know of, with hundreds or routes with something for everyone, also housing a fantastic caving adventure experience ideally suited for children. So - young or not so young, male or female, big or small, fit or a couch potato - come and enjoy the total thrill of climbing at Craggy Island to get fit and of course, to climb to new heights!

Highly recommend this place. The staff are really really nice and chilled and there's a really fun…read moread friendly atmosphere. The cafe is nice too - they sell a variety of smoothies, paninis, fruit and granola type bars. They sometimes have some hot soup and jacket potatoes too. Great when you've been climbing for a few hours and are hungry. Great for climbers, families and children's birthday parties too. Definitely family friendly. Only down-side is that they aren't too good for parking - you might have to go back to the main road to find a space.