Big Spring Climb '25 - Sports Climbing (Beginner)
7 people attending
7 places left
This event is part of the OutdoorLads Big Spring Climb 2025
Plenty of climbing for all abilities, including those new to outdoor climbing
If this event is full, please sign up anyway, we will endeavour to increase numbers if more experienced climbers and climbing leaders can attend.
Approximately 1 hour drive from Nottingham, Horseshoe quarry is a great place for novice and experienced outdoor climbers. With over 300 routes ranging between grade 3 and 7b+, this is the perfect event for people who have climbed indoors to get their first taste of real rock.
For those who haven't done sport climbing before, there will be a quick tutorial session at the start of the event, you just need to be competent at top rope belaying and have a pair of climbing shoes. If you've done three or more indoor climbing events in recent history, that's about all the experience you need. If you are unsure about the difficulty of the event, or whether you have necessary skills & experience, please message the event leader. More details of the climbing available at Horseshoe Quarry can be found here on the UKC climbing website.
We will need to ensure a good ratio of experienced and novice climbers, so please send the event leader a message with your prior climbing experience and any equipment you will bring (e.g "done lots of indoor top rope climbing, got my own harness, helmet and quickdraws etc") - Don't worry, if you don't know what any of these things are, we can assume you don't have them....
Due to the popularity of the quarry, parking can fill up, so please try and car-share when possible, and arrive promptly to avoid disappointment.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
All photos taken by event leaders
What to bring
You must bring your own climbing shoes, helmet and harness. We may be able to lend helmets and harnesses if you message the leader well in advance of the event (2 weeks minimum).
If you have a rope (50m single rope is best), a sling, screw gate, belay plate and any other relevant sport climbing gear, please do bring these too, but be sure to check your equipment if it's your first outing for a while.
Appropriate warm, preferably windproof, clothing will be needed. A waterproof jacket should also be bought in case of rain. If the weather is too wet/inclement, we won't be climbing outdoors and will find an alternative indoor climbing centre, and notify people booked onto the event via the messages feature.
Sun lotion is best applied before leaving home, to avoid greasy hands on the crag.
It can be advisable to use insect repellent to help ward off the midges (but don't get it on any climbing equipment)!
Clothing: pack for all weathers, windproof and warm layers, t-shirt and either shorts, combats or tracksuit bottoms. Don’t wear jeans or trousers that hamper movement. If you have any OutdoorLads branded clothing then please wear it as it will give the group a good level of visibility. Horseshoe quarry tends to get rather hot on a sunny day.
Food & drink
Lunch, Snacks and plenty of water.