The giant indoor Ice Climbing walls feature a range of ice climbs, catering for complete beginners through to the most hardened winter mountaineer. Features include:
With over 40 ropes, our indoor ice climbing wall is one of the world’s biggest urban ice climbing facilities. (The overall biggest indoor wall remains at our sister site in Ice Factor Kinlochleven).
To give you the best climbing experience possible, ice slabs 5 to 14 are closed until further notice for maintenance.
All other ice slabs are open to use!
The giant indoor Ice Climbing walls feature a range of ice climbs, catering for complete beginners through to the most hardened winter mountaineer. Features include:
With over 40 ropes, our indoor ice climbing wall is one of the world’s biggest urban ice climbing facilities. (The overall biggest indoor wall remains at our sister site in Ice Factor Kinlochleven).
To give you the best climbing experience possible, ice slabs 5 to 14 are closed until further notice for maintenance.
All other ice slabs are open to use!
This is for complete beginners who want to experience Ice Climbing before deciding if they want to take it further.
You will be issued with boots, crampons, ice axes and a harness/helmet and will climb slabs and learn to belay. The instructor will coach you on the basic knowledge needed for ice climbing, emphasising fun and enjoyment rather than skill building.
Please note: Participants must be aged 16 years and over and have at least size 4 feet.
This course is for experienced rock climbers with little/no ice climbing experience. This course aims to help you achieve the skills and training to allow you to climb steep ice unsupervised in the future. Also included is registration (allowing you to climb for £15 on future sessions) immediately followed by 90 minutes additional climbing allowing you to consolidate what you have learned, benefiting from additional coaching if necessary.
Registration also qualifies you for membership at our sister site at Kinlochleven
Please note: Sessions can usually only take place with 2 participants as the lesson includes climbing AND belaying. Where possible, however, accommodations will be made for solo bookings. Participants must be aged 16 years and over and have at least size 4 feet.
Sessions can be set at your pace and are designed to embark you on a journey towards a new realm of possibilities and adventures. To start with, we will teach you all you need to know to climb any indoor climbing wall with confidence.
If you have climbed ice before and are registered as a member with Snow Factor or Ice Factor, then why not jump onto one of our more advanced classes we have to offer. Our instructors will help fine tune your techniques and increase your confidence before that all important transition into the outdoors. There is no substitute for proper training and with our unrivalled facilities both at Snow Factor and Ice Factor you are sure to receive a quality learning experiences.
Split over 6 sessions our progressive 2 hour Ice Climbing Award will introduce you to this fantastically rewarding sport and give you a sound footing towards becoming a safe and proficient mountaineer.
Levels 1-3 are our introductory levels and make a great follow on from any ice climbing taster session. They will take you to a level of climbing competence suitable to climb at any indoor climbing wall. Levels 1 – 3 are available at both Snow Factor, Braehead and Ice Factor, Kinlochleven.
Levels 4-6 are aimed at existing ice climbers who want to fine tune their technique and knowledge before transferring those skills outdoors. The skills we cover include ergonomics, ice protection, problem solving avoidance skills and belay stance management. Depending on your ambitions we also highly recommend joining one of our outdoor mountaineering courses. Levels 4-6 are currently only available our sister centre - Ice Factor.
Course Pricing
| Blocks | |
|---|---|
| Description | Price |
| Adult (16yrs+) 1-3 | £99pp |
| JNR (12 - 15 yrs +) 1-3 | £79pp |
| Adult (16yrs+) 4-6 | £99pp |
| JNR (12 - 15 yrs +) 4-6 | £79pp |
* Prices are per person. All instructed prices include technical equipment hire. Clothing can be hired from Snow Factor for £3.50 pre-booked or £6.50 on the day (we do not hire gloves). The use of gloves is mandatory for the ice wall.
All participants must be 12 years of age or over. We are also exploring future possibilities to involve a younger generation of climbers so if you have family or friends you think would be interested in the world of mountaineering then watch this space!
This is for competent rock climbers who have little or no recent ice climbing experience at Grade III and above. These sessions are designed to help you transfer your existing skills and help you climb safer, slicker, faster and harder. This will include building on the core competencies of:
This is a mandatory Instructed Induction Course, after which participants can ice climb unsupervised for 90 minutes, or – after registration and membership – at any other time for £15 per session. Registration also qualifies you for membership at our sister site at Kinlochleven.
Please note: Sessions can usually only take place with a minimum of 2 participants as the induction includes climbing AND belaying. Where possible, however, accommodations will be made for solo bookings for competent climbers. Participants must be aged 16 years and over.
This option is for competent ice climbers who have recent experience of climbing a Grade III or above, or who have completed the Snow Factor Ice Climbing Course. Bring your kit, turn up, fill out a day registration form and climb all day!
| Prices | |
|---|---|
| Day Member Rate | £19.50 |
* Group discounts are available on a club basis. Please email salesenquiries@snowfactor.com for more information.
If you don’t have everything you need to climb… Hire equipment from Snow Factor.
| Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adult | Jnr | |
| Equipment hire (full kit) | £8.00 | £4.00 |
| Equipment hire (per item) | £2.50 | £1.50 |
* Prices are per person. The use of gloves is mandatory for the ice wall.
If you take out an annual membership, sessions will only cost £15pp thereafter. Participants must be aged 16 years and over. Annual membership includes an 15-30 minute induction with our Ice Wall duty Manager or instructor
Please note: If you are currently a Snow Factor or Ice Factor member, your membership will guarantee member rates on our ice wall.
| Prices | |
|---|---|
| Membership | £15.00 |
* Prices are per person. Please bring ID with you to ensure that you qualify for members rates.
Bring your kit, turn up and climb!
| Prices | |
|---|---|
| Members Rate | £15.00 |
| Buy 5 passes (valid for 6 months) | £60.00 |
| Buy 10 passes (valid for 12 months) | £100.00 |
* For more information on Block Passes, please email customercare@snowfactor.com for more information. Please note that you must be a member to purchase blocks of 5 or 10 passes.
If you don’t have everything you need to climb… Hire equipment from Snow Factor.
| Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adult | Jnr | |
| Equipment hire (full kit) | £8.00 | £4.00 |
| Equipment hire (per item) | £2.50 | £1.50 |
* Prices are per person. The use of gloves is mandatory for the ice wall.
Bring your kit, turn up and climb!
| Prices | |
|---|---|
| Members Rate | £15.00 |
| Buy 5 passes (valid for 6 months) | £60.00 |
| Buy 10 passes (valid for 12 months) | £100.00 |
* For more information on Block Passes, please email customercare@snowfactor.com for more information. Please note that you must be a member to purchase blocks of 5 or 10 passes.
If you don’t have everything you need to climb… Hire equipment from Snow Factor.
| Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adult | Jnr | |
| Equipment hire (full kit) | £8.00 | £4.00 |
| Equipment hire (per item) | £2.50 | £1.50 |
* Prices are per person. The use of gloves is mandatory for the ice wall.
Even if you are an experienced rock climber, ice climbing is a totally different discipline.
Our overriding concern must always be the safety of our customers and staff. The induction course will therefore ensure that every user of the wall has been equipped with the skills to ice climb to an appropriate standard.
The quick answer is NO. But if you are an existing winter climber it will become quickly apparent to the Duty Manager. The focus will then shift onto giving you additional coaching tips before progressing your registration.
Our sister site is the National Ice Climbing Centre, and we are full members of the Association of British Climbing Walls. This means we implement and follow industry best practice with regards to new members. Registration ensures that every member is aware of the risks associated with climbing and mountain sports, and has personal proficiency in the required areas.
Once you have completed the induction your details will be recorded on our data base (we never pass these to other companies) and you will be issued with a member’s card. When you next return, you show your card, pay £15 and climb. Registration also qualifies you for membership at our sister site at Ice Factor, Kinlochleven.
Up to you! You are welcome to stay on the walls as long as you are able. If demand pushes this, then we may ask for you to move aside to let new climbers on.
Yes. There is a link bridge to Bar Varia Bier Halle and Restaurant, but please be aware that if you have more than one alcoholic drink you will not be permitted to return to the wall.
Yes. However, all equipment must be fit for purpose. Helmets are compulsory within the Cold Zone, boots must be B3 (fully rigid) and crampons must be C2/3. Ice Axes must be technical winter climbing axes (with the hammer and adze capped with resistant stopper / material to prevent injury from bounce back) and although we positively encourage dry tooling techniques, for operational safety these must be attached using leashes / clippers or springers to the rope to stop them falling onto other climbers or belayers. Please ask a member of staff if you are unsure that your kit is in compliance.
All equipment will be provided as part of your induction course but for further visits you can hire what you need. You can also buy a wide range of climbing hardware from Ellis Brighams who are located in the centre.
There are 40 ice climbing ropes on the walls. We do not allow lead climbing (again, this is a safety issue to prevent climbers dropping / swinging onto other climbers / belayers) and we limit the number of climbers to 30 in any session to ensure that there are always lines in operation.
Yes. Pre-booking is essential for all courses and taster lessons. We will do our best to accommodate you, but to avoid disappointment, please book ahead on 0871 222 5672
Warm clothing is vital as the temperature in the Cold Zone reaches -6o Centigrade. Ideally dress in 2-3 layers (one big bulky layer will get in the way when you climb). You must wear gloves at all times when using the Ice Wall as otherwise the ice will damage your hands.
Suitable clothing can be hired from Snow Factor for a nominal fee and gloves can be purchased at the ticket desk.
There are changing rooms, showers and toilets. Lockers are also available for a £1 non-refundable fee.
No. For everyone’s safety/insurance purposes we only allow qualified Snow Factor instructors to teach on our walls.
Yes, if you fill in a disclaimer form when you arrive to check in. We also ask that you try and photograph only the people in your party.
Yes. Bar Varia has panoramic windows as well as cosy couches, a wood-burning stove, a Wi-Fi connection and a gourmet coffee and cake menu. There is also a dedicated viewing balcony. Please be aware: only registered climbers or students under instruction can enter the main Cold Zone.
The indoor wall at Snow Factor was designed by Jamie Smith, founder and MD of Ice Wall.
Keith Johnson (Slope Manager, Engineer and all round good guy) played a seminal role in creating the wall, along with the engineering team and Jamie Bankhead (former Ice Factor manager) who all worked tirelessly for 4 months to get the Ice Wall into shape.
Rigorously tested by an external structural engineer, the wall was built using galvanized triangular steel, overlaid by a mesh of Glycol Coolant Pipes to cool the wall from behind.
To absorb the weight, the steel rests on concrete pilings and a heat coil layer was applied under the floor to prevent ice frost damaging the building foundation. Heat Transfer pads sit between the galvanized sections of steel to prevent thermal transfer and two layers of steel mesh lie over the structure and are packed with hard / glacial type ice. On top of this a layer of water ice and neve (deep fresh snow) is added and a further rebar metal grid then protects the ice. On top of all this is the ‘sacrificial’ climbing surface which is then soaked to ‘proof’ the wall.
We have 16 snow cannons in the roof gantry which fire atomized water into the air at very high pressure to create fresh snow every night. The sheer size of Snow Factor facilitates the very dry, cold atmosphere and allows us to create a near perfect environment for the Ice Wall.
I learned to Ski at Cairngorm Mountain when I was 3 years old. I then continued to ski there and started training with Cairngorm Ski Club when I was 11. I became an Instructor in 2011 while doing my degree. Iove the sport and became an instructor to help people enjoy it as much as me - also - I like to talk! I have also trained to be an adaptive instructor and I am one of the Race Coaches for Snow Factors Race Team.
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I learned to ski on a hill on the farm my dad lived at when I was a child. I furthered my ski education with a local Adventure Club, with trips to Glencoe, Glenshee, and Nevis Range. The instructors on these trips inspired me, this was when I decided that I wanted to become an outdoor sports instructor. To accomplish this, I enjoyed 7 seasons at Cairngorm before coming to work with Snow Factor.
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I learned to ski at Firpark Dry Slope and became an instructor because I didn’t fancy the idea of a 9 to 5 desk job.
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When I was younger I lived in Switzerland so I learned to ski on the Swiss slopes. After moving back to bonnie Scotland, I attended every school ski trip on offer.
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I learned to fall badly on the Pow in Whistler. Loved getting bruised so much I wanted to show others how to accomplish the same. Seasons have always eluded me but I do love to get away when I can to enjoy some falling on my face in front of strangers.
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I learned to ski in Glencoe, my father took me up to the top of the mountain and said “Son, you will either learn to ski bu the bottom or I will need to make a new son.”
I became an instructor to ensure other people do not have to learn the way I did.
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Scotland’s only ice bar is now open! Baltic is the coolest night out in Glasgow! Its the perfect night out for groups. Book now!
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