How to utilise NICAS Schemes during school holidays!

With over 260 NICAS accredited facilities across the UK, we know the success of term-time NICAS programmes. But what about the school holidays?

There is a common misconception that NICAS schemes are designed for long-term progressive classes, where every candidate aims to complete Level 5. But this simply isn’t the case. Across the UK, walls are utilising the schemes to give participants an introduction to NICAS, in some cases in a one-off session.

So, how are they doing it?

It would be impossible to detail every option out there, so below are a few examples of ways that facilities can use each NICAS scheme for a multi-day holiday camp, plus dual scheme options.

A smiling child in a green NICAS Wild Climbers t-shirt holds a water bottle and a small toy.

Wild Climbers Camp

Target audience: First things first, there is no max age group! Everyone loves climbing, everyone loves learning, and everyone loves stickers! As long as you consider group age brackets for bookings, anyone can take part.
Camp focus: Participants will work through the 6 skills animals of Wild Climbers, with the aim to complete the ‘taking part’ section of each skill.
Outcome: On completion of the camp, each participant will receive a Wild Climbers ‘Took Part In’ certificate and get to keep their logbook. They will have received a sticker in each animal’s skill and feel GREAT!
Upsell: Term-time Wild Climbers sessions or enroll onto NICAS Climbing, Bouldering or Clip (dependent on age).
Other Camp options: Family Camps, SEN Camps, Home Educational Camps, Inclusive Climbing Camps, or End-of-Term School Camps.

A boy climbs a red auto-belay wall with colorful holds during a NICAS Clip session.

NICAS Clip Camp

Target audience: Again, let’s remove the idea of a maximum age. This session should be all about giving kids a chance to have FUN – whether they’re already on a more traditional NICAS scheme and want to let their hair down, or regulars at a Clip ‘n Climb-style facility but not enrolled on NICAS Clip.
Camp focus: Participants will work through the Clip Foundation level with other fun and engaging ground-based games.
Outcome: On completion of the camp, each participant will receive their Clip Foundation certificate and get to keep their logbook.
Upsell: Term-time Clip sessions, or enroll onto NICAS Climbing or NICAS Bouldering.
Other Camp options: Family Camps, SEN Camps, Home Educational Camps, Inclusive Climbing Camps or End-of-Term School Camps.

NICAS Bouldering or Climbing Camps

Target audience:
The first are those interested in the scheme but don’t want to commit to a full term without ‘trying before they buy’, even though are paying for this camp.
The second are those individuals that want a ‘camp’ or ‘holiday activity’ that covers a few days and has a progressive element to it.
There is a third audience of those who have climbed before but need a quick refresher, but these tend to be addressed in 1:1’s.
Camp focus:Over a minimum of 2 sessions, (3 to 4 hours), cover all the syllabus in Level 1 and finish with a group assessment.
Outcome:
On competition of the camp each participant will receive their NICAS Participant Certificate. If they successfully pass level 1, then they receive their Level 1 certificate and badge if your facility sells these.
Upsell: Term-time NICAS Bouldering or Climbing.
Other Camp options: Holiday Camps, Family Camps, SEN Camps, Home Educational Camps, or end of Term School Camps.

Lead climbing female being belayed and watched by a coach

NICAS Lead Climbing Workshop

Target audience: NICAS Climbing Level 2 or 3 candidates, as a reward or simply exposure to the world of lead climbing.
Camp focus: Over 2 to 3 days, give your climbers the opportunity to learn the techniques of lead climbing, clipping, belaying and coiling a rope, all under the safety of a top rope. The main focus is to introduce these techniques and skills to help kids with their progression into level in a fun way.
Outcome: As this is a workshop there isn’t necessarily a physical outcome, but candidates could get a participation certificate or notes in their logbook of what was covered.
Upsell: There isn’t a direct upsell apart from trying to retain your level 3 candidates and as mentioned give them early exposure to lead climbing.
Other Camp options: Holiday Camps, or Term Time NICAS Intro to Lead Climbing sessions.

NICAS Leading resources – draw a route you’ve climbed on top rope, and identify clipping positions, left hand or right, and resting positions.

A group of young children in green "Wild Climbers" shirts jump and play joyfully in front of a colourful climbing wall. — Wild Climbers having fun

Key focus: have fun, break to mould, and make it exciting!! ‘Today kids, we’re going put our logbooks down, and be animals, get stickers’, and without them knowing still develop their technical skills or knowledge.

Wild Climbers > NICAS Climbing / Bouldering:

Ok, so we know you can’t register 3 – 4-year-olds on to NICAS Climbing or Bouldering yet, but it doesn’t mean you can’t start to introduce some of these Level one skills. Over the course of a few sessions teach them notes, teach them setting up a belay device and belaying their favorite cuddly toy up the wall, teach them techniques and the basics of safety in the wall, again use their toys to demonstrate dangerous scenarios, teddy climbing over giraffe.

NICAS Climbing, Bouldering or Clip > Wild Climbers:

Give them a book, make them act like the animals and give them some stickers. If kids have been on a progressive schemes for months or even years let them have a bit of fun.

NICAS Climbing > Clip:

Similar concept to the Clip Camp but get your NICAS Climbing kids to complete Clip Foundation within 2 sessions, make it a mini comp, make them climb their onsite grade, make them pick the routes for each other. And at the end they get a certificate and if you sell them a badge, all the while doing a load of endurance training.

NICAS Climbing L3 + Bouldering L3:

For those with mixed facilities, why not drop your NICAS Climbing candidates into the NICAS Level 3 scheme to test their performance on techniques and movements. It can be an extremely rewarding and self-reflecting environment to move kids from one syllabus that they are all too familiar with, and in a supportive way, test them on a new scheme. This also can be great way to refocus their attention into a new way of learning, and trial some new coaching methods, without it having long-term effect.

Camp Considerations

How many days, duration of each session, and age groups.
If you plan to do full or half day sessions, which are longer than your standard classes, what other activities can complement the scheme? For example, arts and crafts, colouring, or easily set up ground-based games.
Ensure your camp follows the recommended duration for each scheme and you have a clear camp session plan for your staff to follow.

But my centre isn’t registered to deliver Wild Climbers or Clip?

If you are already a NICAS Climbing or NICAS Bouldering accredited centre, then adding Wild Climbers or Clip to your schemes couldn’t be easier. There’s a simple uplift form to register your interest, your Course Director will need to attend a short online induction, and then a £50+VAT annual registration fee is added for each scheme. Other than ordering some logbooks, that’s it!

If you’re currently a NICAS Clip accredited centre and want to operate Wild Climbers, get in touch, and we can work with you on the uplift application process. Again, it’s super simple!

Check our minimum requirements for NICAS Wild Climbers & NICAS Clip

Two girls proudly holding up a NICAS Clip logbook that says "Great Job" above their heads.

Get in touch

Our Head of Commercial Partnerships, Tom Vaessen-Walker, has over 20 years’ operational experience in the climbing industry and is more than happy to give further help or advice on holiday sessions to our accredited centres – plus he can also support you through the uplift process. You can contact Tom on [email protected]

Lastly, did you know we’ve run 2 NICAS Operational Support Webinars that cover content like above, and both can be viewed on NICAS Pro right now?