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For indoor bouldering, all you need is a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag – both are available to rent from reception upon arrival.

Wear comfortable, flexible activewear like leggings, shorts, and a T-shirt. Avoid anything too loose or restrictive to keep movement easy and safe.

No, anyone can climb with us. Kids and teens under 18 need one adult supervisor to every two children. 14–17 year olds can take an assessment to climb unsupervised. See our Kids and Families page.

Most climbers boulder for 1–2 hours. If you’re a beginner, you may tire sooner. With a Day Pass there is no time limit; you can climb for as long as you like during our opening hours.

If you can climb a flight of stairs, you’re fit enough to start climbing! Minimal fitness is needed for bouldering, and most beginners find that technique improves faster than strength.

Falling is a normal part of bouldering, and padded flooring helps reduce injury risk. While no sport is entirely risk-free, serious injuries are uncommon. The most common issues are minor overuse injuries, like finger strains.

Most bouldering centres use V-grades or Font grades to show difficulty. At Substation, we use a 1–6 scale. The higher the number, the harder the climb.

Please email macclesfield@substation.co.uk and we will do our best to accommodate any change requests.

Each night we collect all items left behind and store them in our lost and found. Please ask reception for your belongings next time you’re in. We can only hold onto lost property for a maximum of 27 days though.

Unfortunately the building is not currently wheelchair accessible.

Absolutely, bouldering is a social sport! At Substation, Macclesfield we host a free weekly climbing social every Tuesday at 7 pm. Our café is a popular spot for remote work by day and a lively social scene in the evenings.

At Substation, we have a two month minimum payment term. After your first two payments, you can cancel your membership antime via your online account or by contacting the centre.