Boulder Shack Climbing Gym — Attraction in Southampton

Dear Customer Service,

I am writing to express my disappointment with a recent experience at your facility.

I have previously been a member and greatly appreciated your establishment. I supported your business regularly, often bringing my niece and nephews along to encourage their interest in bouldering. I’ve also shared my own knowledge with them to help inspire a love for the sport. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my membership due to a shoulder injury, but I have continued to support your venue in other ways. I called your customer service team to ask if it would be suitable to bring my 5-year-old niece around 5:00 PM. The person I spoke with was very polite and helpful, confirming that it would be fine for her to come and that your facility is appropriate for children of her age.

When we arrived, the front desk staff were very friendly. However, when we proceeded to the bouldering area, we encountered an instructor who was conducting a session with three other children. I informed him that we would like to use the area, but he refused in front of my niece, stating that she had no prior experience and should use another section. I explained that she is only 5 years old, and the alternative section was neither safe nor suitable for her due to her age and inexperience.

I returned to the front desk, where staff attempted to assist and advise the coach, but unfortunately, he did not listen or change his decision.

As a coach, especially when working with children, one should demonstrate patience and a willingness to help. Instead, I felt the situation was handled very poorly. Although a manager did refund our entrance fee, the entire experience left a very negative impression, both on me and my niece.

Following this incident, I decided to take her to another bouldering facility where we were welcomed warmly. Even though they were running a children’s club session at the time, my niece was still allowed to participate safely.

I strongly urge you to provide further training for your coaching staff on how to communicate with customers and handle situations involving young children and their parents. Being turned away without understanding or compassion was deeply disappointing and unacceptable.

I hope you take this feedback seriously and work to improve the customer experience...

A climbing centre with community as a major focus. The staff are wonderfully friendly and helpful.

Good spread of difficulty in grades, you may feel there aren't many super hard projects set on the walls but for more confident climbers there are also 3 training boards at 15, 30 and 45° overhang to really push you hard if that project of yours isn't suiting you. The training boards also have a good number of routes on the companion app, (as of writing about 700 problems between the 3 of them) so you don't have to make up your own problems if you're not feeling imaginative.

There are regular competitions as part of their "mega series" which culminate in a grand final once a year, which is a great event.

Other events include small seasonal markets (such as Christmas markets), clothes swaps, and more.

Their setting is regular and frequent, usually once a week a section of the centre is reset with a range of grade difficulties. The problems are almost always friendly to short climbers, as the head route setter isn't ginormous.

The regular climbers there are also great and friendly, a true reflection of the staff and ownership of the centre.

Indoor temperatures are very much weather dependent (very hot in summer, quite chilly on cold days in the winter) but that's just the nature of the building, insulating it or setting up air-conditioning would cost a fortune and if you're busy climbing you don't get cold, might take a while to warm up is all.

Really love the place and highly...

This could be a GREAT bouldering centre. Instead it looks very tired. It has only been open for a few weeks but it looks like it has been there for years. The walls are smooth. They have just painted over the wooden panels and not added any grit. This adds to the run-down feel as there are black scuff marks everywhere and paint is already flaking off. They are still finishing off the centre and some walls haven't yet been routed. Considering this was a big community project with helping to build the place and with fund raising, the entry and membership fees are as high as those of a commercial climbing gym. For a community place I would have expected it to be a little cheaper. Having said that, the bouldering is fun and there are plenty of routes to keep you busy. The training / fitness area is good. There is however, a fair amount of wasted space. With some better planning they could have done a lot more with the space. Could have been great, instead it is ok. I will only use this centre to supplement my bouldering rather than as my main bouldering gym. For my main bouldering gym I will keep going to red spider in Fareham as for me the better walls, routes & conditions is worth the 25...