FAQ's

I haven’t done any climbing before. Can I join?

Yes, absolutely! Our beginners sessions are designed to take you from zero experience to a confident, independent climber and belayer at your own pace. We love teaching, and are happy to answer any question you can think of. We also offer continuing support and development for the whole time you’re with us, no matter what your goals are. Check out our Thinking About Joining page. 

I’ve done some (or a lot) of climbing before. Do I still need to go to a beginners night?
We ask that you come along to a beginners night so we can meet you and see if there's anything you need help with. If you have never been to the Quay Climbing Centre you will also need to get signed off to belay and lead climb with them. If you have been signed off to belay and lead you can start climbing with us straight away. 

Wait, what’s belaying? 

When you're climbing with a rope you need someone on the other end to make sure that if you slip or take a fall you don't hit the ground. That person is called the belayer. They are responsible for making sure you have the right amount of rope and for arresting (stopping) your fall, also known as catching. When you learn to climb you will also learn to belay so that you can climb with other people. Climbing is a team sport, we all look out for each other and keep each other safe. 

I don’t have any climbing shoes or equipment.

The club receives free equipment rental from The Quay Climbing Centre on Mondays as part of our relationship with them, just let them know you are with us and they will get you sorted with everything you need. If you decide you like climbing (and us!) and if you want to get your own equipment we can offer advice. Your club membership also comes with some discounts at places like Banana Fingers (via BMC), and Taunton Leisure (ask us for more details).

I’m really nervous…

That's totally normal! Meeting new people can be nerve wracking and doing new things, especially something like climbing, can be intimidating! We promise we are a very welcoming bunch but if you have any questions (no matter what they are) you can always shoot us a message via Instagram or our email. If you need any adjustments please let us know and we’ll be happy to accommodate you. 

I have a disability, can I still climb? 

Probably, yeah! We are always working towards making the club more inclusive so if you have a disability please let us know how we can support you. Our EDI lead is Char and if you have any specific questions please shoot them an email at hello@climbing.lgbt. 

Can I bring my straight friend?
Sure! Allies are welcome to climb with us and join the club. We only ask that they are willing to support and work with the club, and support our community.  

Do you climb outdoors?

We sure do! Once you are a member you can join us on our outdoors trips. We run at least one Big Club Trip a year which is usually a few nights away in the UK. Our 2025 trip was to the Gower peninsular in south Wales. Check out our Instagram to see more of that! We also regularly climb out on Dartmoor, and members often organise casual trips outdoors around the UK and beyond! 

What kind of climbing do you do?
As a club we do all types of climbing,  both indoors and outdoors, apart from ice climbing. So that's, bouldering, top rope, lead (sport), and trad. Whatever takes your fancy you will find at least one other person in the club that enjoys that type of climbing.

Our Monday sessions are mainly focused on lead and top rope climbing. We also have a group of members that go bouldering on Wednesday and Friday mornings, as well as a bouldering Pride Night on Sunday evenings at The Climbing Hangar in Marsh Barton. 

It’s natural to find that you take more keenly to one or two types of climbing so don’t worry if you don’t fall head over heels for a specific type of climbing. Our members will be happy to show you all the options and help you find your niche.