Peak Activity Services – Audley Climbing Centre

What will students see and do?

Whether you’re planning a reward trip or curriculum-linked away days, Peak Activity Services offers a variety of indoor climbing activities for your students to participate in. Its climbing centre, located in the small village of Audley, is a brief five-minute journey from junction 16 of the M6.

The centre has many different climbing walls, each of which features various routes that frequently change. This means that no matter how regularly they visit, students will always be able to challenge themselves by trying new things and finding solutions to the problems they encounter.

There are options for all ability levels to consider. Peak Activity Services offers ‘Introduction to Outdoor Climbing’ sessions, held on natural rock, at Roaches Gate and Windgather in the Peak District, but most programmes take place indoors at Audley.

Tasters: These one-hour sessions help students familiarise themselves with the sport of climbing. The instructor will design the session around the climbing abilities of each student who is present.

Inductions: This is the best option for anyone starting out in the sport of climbing. During the two-hour session, the instructor will teach participants what they need to know. The session includes a free return visit once staff sign the student off for climbing independently on the wall during all future visits.

Coached Sessions: These sessions are for pupils who have already participated in taster sessions but who are not yet ready to climb alone. Students will have dedicated time with an instructor. The centre can offer these sessions for individual children as well as groups.

Six-Week Climbing Courses: Peak Activity Services’ six-week climbing course offers full instruction, during which time your students will work their way through all in-house qualifications until they are ready to move up to NICAS (National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme) qualifications.

NICAS Courses: Students can get their NICAS level 1, 2 and 3 qualification at the Audley Climbing Centre. These weekly Thursday sessions last ninety minutes.

Half-day and full-day packages are also available, and full details are available from the centre’s staff.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

The programmes at Audley Climbing Centre complement students’ learning by helping them build confidence and self-esteem when they find themselves in new situations, encouraging them to think outside of the box in order to solve problems quickly and effectively, and providing a setting in which they can continually develop leadership and team-building skills.

All these aspects will support their academic learning when they return to the classroom, while simultaneously boosting fitness and their engagement with their education.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

Safety is the number one concern at the Audley Climbing Centre. All staff members are climbers of many years’ experience who hold the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge and Adventure Mark. They are trained extensively in first aid, undergo enhanced DBS checks and use state-of-the-art safety equipment that’s tested regularly and certified to the highest standards.

They are also trained to respond to emergencies, including fires and natural disasters.

The centre itself is outfitted with security cameras to ensure that all students are safe on all parts of the property. Since all the facilities are completely indoors, there is no need to worry about issues with rain and poor weather.

Upon arrival at the centre, your group will be provided with detailed information about the risks associated with each activity on offer.

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