The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA) at Ratho has unveiled a new bouldering room designed for children and novice climbers, following the recent addition of new bouldering walls in December.
Situated in the former Tiso retail unit, this new bouldering room offers a comprehensive and progressive facility, providing additional space for junior and adult coaching. It also serves as a warm, welcoming area for casual climbers, members, and coaching clients during the winter months. The child-friendly environment is perfect for those transitioning from Scrambles soft play and Clip ‘n Climb. Additionally, it will function as an ‘isolation’ zone during regional, national, and international competitions and training camps.
These two new developments—the bouldering walls and the dedicated bouldering room—allow EICA to meet the growing demand for climbing facilities. They provide entry routes for complete beginners and enhance coaching pathways up to the highest levels of world-class competition.
Nic Crawshaw, Climbing Operations Manager at EICA: Ratho, commented: “It’s been a privilege to see this project come to fruition, offering even more opportunities for climbers to push their limits and refine their skills.
“The new developments enable us to expand our world-class indoor climbing facilities for people of all ages and stages, while staying up-to-date with the latest trends. Sport climbing includes three Olympic disciplines – Lead, Speed, and Boulder—and the improved facilities make EICA the only venue with international standard walls for all three disciplines, and one of only a few worldwide.”
Indoor bouldering has become the most widely practiced form of climbing. As the sport has grown in popularity and become an Olympic event, the accessibility and low barriers to participation have led to a surge in the number of bouldering walls globally.
Jamie Smith, Development Manager at Climb Scotland said: “It is fantastic to see this phase of EICA bouldering offer now open to the public. This is a great addition to the venue, providing a great first stepping stone in the pathway, introducing new people to our sport, in an inclusive space and environment. This space will naturally complement the new arena boulders by offering progression at a grassroots level, feeding into the more challenging terrain and grading found on the arena boulders.
“We are also excited to utilise the new boulders in our forthcoming Scottish Boulder Championships on the 26-27 April, which historically has attracted over 230 competitors from across the UK and internationally. The boulder room will likely function as a fantastic warm up area and/or isolation, whilst the main competition takes place on the new world class boulders in the arena. We look forward to working with the team at EICA in also attracting potential international competitions and events in the future, along hosting training for our development and national squads, supporting the performance pathway in Scotland for up-and-coming talented climbers.”
The boulders, crafted by leading climbing wall manufacturer Dreamwall in Sofia, Bulgaria, arrived at EICA in October, accompanied by their expert construction team. The holds, macros, and volumes are from the exciting brands in the Serious Climbing stable, which were prominently featured at the Olympics and the IFSC World Cup series.
The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena received £100,000 towards the bouldering redevelopment to enhance opportunities for climbers at all levels. This funding was made possible by sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund and National Lottery players, who raise £30 million each week for good causes across the UK.
As the UK’s largest climbing gym and the only international competition venue, EICA has hosted European Championships and World Cup events for Lead and Speed in recent years. The upgraded bouldering facilities now enable it to host all three IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) and Olympic disciplines.
For further information and to join:
https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/activities/climbing/
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Notes to editors:
Arena Boulders: Access & Booking Requirements
For those thinking of giving the new boulders a go, they need to be an experienced climber as the setup demands confidence and skill without supervision.
Member or PAYG:
If a person already is already an Edinburgh Leisure Climb or Climb & Fitness member, they can access the facilities straight away.
Returning Pay-As-You-Go climbers must check in and pay at reception first. Updated casual prices can be found by clicking here.
New to EICA:
If you’ve climbed before but haven’t been to EICA Ratho, climbers will need to complete a registration form and pass a quick competency check when they arrive. Click here for registration forms.
New to Bouldering/Climbing:
Requirements to use the new bouldering zone
For beginners, Edinburgh Leisure has a 2-hour Entry Stage course, which is a must. Book now to get started on your climbing journey.
About sportscotland Sports Facilities Fund
The EICA:Ratho was among 18 projects across Scotland to share a total of £1,506,263 from sportscotland to develop existing facilities or create a new home for sport and physical activity.
The Sports Facilities Fund prioritises projects that widen access to participation or allow people to progress further within their chosen sport locally by removing barriers, particularly in rural areas or areas of deprivation, and for under-represented groups.