NICAS (The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme) is a UK wide scheme designed to promote climbing development and accredit individual achievement on indoor climbing walls. 

The key aim is to provide a safe introduction to climbing for anyone aged 7 years and up, and helps to standardise the teaching and coaching of climbing in a structured manner, whilst providing lots of fun too. Those who progress through to the higher levels also start to look wider and learn more about the history, ethics and styles of both indoor and outdoor climbing, and it can be used as a starting point for eventually taking up climbing and mountaineering!

Level 2: Foundation Climber

This level is ONLY for kids who have a NICAS Level 1 certificate!

At Level 2, young climbers will learn:

• Connecting self and others to rope with a retied figure of eight knot and stopper knot
• Pre-climb checks
• Belaying and lowering using a suitable belay device
• Ground anchor systems
• Holding a fall in a bottom rope situation (belayer on ground with rope passing through top anchor)
• Effective communication and teamwork with climbing partner
• Knowledge of indoor climbing (French sport) and bouldering grades
• Selection of appropriate routes
• Effective safe use of a bouldering/ traversing wall (if applicable)
• Simple climbing technique – the use of feet and legs, relaxed upright stance, confident approach, smooth movement and observation of holds.

Assessment criteria:

• Connect rope to harness with retied figure 8 and stopper knot consistently.
• Consistently performs pre-climb checks.
• Belays consistently correctly.
• Can safely hold a simple top rope fall.
• Lowers a climber consistently correctly.
• Communicates well with climber.
• Understanding of French sport grades and selection of appropriate routes.
• Safe and effective use of a bouldering/ traversing wall.
• Complete 25 set climbs of any grade.
• Complete 25 belays.

Course Terms

• This course runs over school term time only, and takes a minimum of one full term to finish
• The cost of a NICAS course is £200 per term
• This course is for candidates aged 7+ years old only
• Please contact us for details on when the next courses / dates will be available from
• All equipment is provided, and a NICAS logbook is included in price. 

See our NICAS FAQs here for more info.