Climbing
Indoor climbing courses for all levels of experience, from taster courses to dry tooling and lead climbing. Learn everything you need to get onto the walls and keep climbing.
New to climbing or want to take on a new challenge? We’ve got climbing lessons for all ages and skill levels.
Get the whole family clipped in, meet new people, and learn to climb with our expert instructors.
New to Climbing
Those new to climbing and looking to register for unsupervised sessions must be aged 18+ and complete our Climbing Start Up course
This 2 hour session teaches the skills needed to climb and belay unsupervised on top rope walls or boulders at EICA Ratho.
Bouldering
Anyone looking to boulder unspervised is required to complete our one hour Bouldering Start up Course
Available for 1 – 6 people (18 years+) No experience necessary
Climbing Taster Sessions
New to climbing and looking to see what all the fuss is about? We’ve got climbing and bouldering lessons for all ages and skill levels. Get the whole family clipped in, meet new people and develop new skills with our expert instructors. Get started by choosing an adventure below.
- Family Taster Session – introductory climbing experience for two adults and up to four children (4 years+)
- Climbing Taster Session – introductory session for up to three people, supervised by an instructor, for adults and children (8 years+)
- Group Taster Session – introductory supervised session for four to six people. Available to adults and children (8 years+)
- Bouldering Taster Session – introductory bouldering session for those new to the activity. Suitable for adults and children (aged 8+)
- Cragsters – offering children 8 to 12 years the chance to try top rope climbing and bouldering. No climbing experience is needed.
Abseil Taster
60 minute session ideal for those new to abseiling. Supervised by one of our friendly instructors. Available to both adults and children 8+ years.
Please email bookings.eica@edinburghleisure.co.uk to book
Development Courses
Ready to elevate your climbing performance? Our development climbing courses at EICA Ratho are tailored for experienced climbers eager to refine technique, master challenging routes, and push personal limits under the guidance of expert instructors. Take your skills to new heights and unlock your full climbing potential.
- Adult Improvers – a 4-week block of lessons for competent climbers looking to learn the fundamentals of movement and progress to climbing harder grades.
- Adult Refreshers – for up to two climbers with previous experience looking for a refresher. Available to adults (18+)
- Personal Coaching – an individual coaching session with our qualified climb instructors. Available for adults and children (8 years +)
Learn to Lead
A 2-hour session, appropriate for competent top-rope climbers who can comfortably climb 6a and would like to learn the more advanced technique of lead climbing and belaying.
Please email bookings.eica@edinburghleisure.co.uk to book
Outdoor Courses
Embark on an exhilarating adventure with EICA’s outdoor climbing courses, where you’ll experience the thrill of scaling real rock formations in breathtaking natural settings.
Perfect for experienced indoor climbers, to transition to the great outdoors with expert guidance from our highly qualified instructors
Coaching Programmes (Under 18s)
Edinburgh Leisure offers a range of weekly climbing courses at EICA Ratho for young people aged 6 to 17. Whether your child is trying climbing for the first time or looking to improve, there’s a course to suit every ability.
All courses are run by experienced instructors at EICA Ratho, one of the top climbing centres in Europe. With options for both beginners and more advanced climbers, and courses for ages 6–17, there’s something for everyone. Join a course and start your climbing adventure!
- Geckos – A 90 minute session for children aged 6-7 years to learn movement and coordination skills. Participation is invite-only upon completion of the NICAS Clip-in programme
- Climbing Rocksters – caters for all levels of experience focusing on continued improvement of rope work and coaching techniques. Available for 8-12 years. Bookable Online
- Advanced Rocksters – A more advanced course building on the first Rocksters course. Available for 8-12 years. Recommended NICAS Level 3 and above. Bookable Online
- Climbing Youth Club – Learn new skills and meet new friends in a social setting. Available for 13-17 year olds. Bookable Online
- Advanced Youth Club – Tailored for more advanced climbers while still focusing on the enjoyment of climbing in a social setting. Available for 13-17 year olds. Bookable Online
- Development Squad – an invitation only group to support young talented climbers
- EICA Youth Squad – Juniors and teens (ages 7-17) may be invited to enter the exciting world of competition climbing
Climbing Qualifications
IRATA Rope Access and Training Qualifications
A globally recognised rope access competence framework. IRATA is a key qualification for staff working in onshore and offshore industry sectors including Oil and Gas, Renewables, Construction, NDT inspection, Maintenance and more.
Open up a world of new opportunities by booking your space on an IRATA course at EICA.
Rock Climbing Instructor Courses
We run a range of nationally recognised qualification courses for aspiring Climbing Instructors.
These NGB courses are administered by Mountain Training, and each award involves a training course, a consolidation period and an assessment course.
Find out more and book a space on a course at EICA