Vertical Sports Zone

International Climbing Centre

Venture Xtreme will boast the world’s largest indoor climbing centre with over 5,500 m2 of stunning climbing walls suitable for all ages and levels of ability. It will provide a venue for first time novices through to full international competitions in bouldering, lead and speed climbing. The unique walls will allow multiple pitch climbing, hanging belays and natural protection climbing to be practised in a safe, controlled environment. The climbing arena will contain a myriad of walls of all shapes and sizes, at heights from four to twenty metres and at angles from slabs to incredible twelve metre overhangs.

Abseiling

A specialised adventure area in the climbing arena has been designed for abseiling, for children and to provide training environment for cavers and industrial rope access technicians. Cavers will be able to practise SRT (Single Rope Techniques), with a range of change-overs, traverses and exercises passing knots and bolts.

A specially constructed area for sailors will allow them to learn from the techniques deployed by climbers and cavers in ascending and descending ropes, enabling them to climb their masts safely even when sailing short handed.

Industrial Rope Access Training Area

An industrial training complex for commercial rope access companies will be provided within and behind the climbing walls. This will be primarily for those seeking to gain rope access qualifications including confined area training, netting, high access rescue and window cleaning skills. Technicians will also be able to train on the unique 50m high Thunderdome tower, to gain a real sense of exposure.

Outdoor Climbing Tower / Via Ferrata

A sculptured outdoor climbing tower at 40m high will be the tallest in the world and will act as a landmark that draws people to the Venture Xtreme site. The tower will incorporate a variety of climbs at all grades and another first for the UK will be a Via Ferrata or ‘iron ladders,’ replicating the originals found in the Italian Alps. Via Ferrata’s were originally created in the Dolomites to train soldiers, but have in recent years become very popular with hill walkers and climbers to access otherwise almost impossible peaks. The Via Ferrata’s at Venture Xtreme will recreate the thrill and adventure experience of the real thing in total safety. A series of ladders, bridges, cables and narrow ledges will be linked together to challenge all ages and abilities of climbers.

High Rope Adventure

The UK’s largest adventure ropes course will include all styles of bridges, pole climbs, trapeze swings, nets, zip wires, and monkey swings. There are three levels of adventure: a low-level course for young children, a mid-level intermediate and team challenge course and a number of high-level adventure challenge courses.

Indoors a high-level, wet weather alternative ropes course will complement the outdoor experiences. This course, some twenty metres above the ground, will run between the towers of the climbing wall and out into the open atrium above the main Venture Xtreme mall.

Thunderdome

Thunderdome is the most innovative and extreme tower design to date anywhere. The unique structure combines all of the most extreme participatory sports in the world. More thrills, more excitement, and a stunning spectacular.

The Venture Xtreme Thunderdome tower will be custom built and the first of its kind in the world. The tower stands 50m high at deck level and 58m high at the top. It has 2 lifts and a spiral stairs with a 60m x 60m footprint. The high level walkways will be enclosed in Perspex tubes to protect ‘jumpers’ and general people on the extreme high level deck tour. Thunderdome has ten extreme activities including:

• Bungee Jumping - Still the most adrenaline producing activity on the planet.
• The zipwire - Fly like Superman on the fastest ‘flying fox’ in the UK.
• SCAD diving - Freefall into a net supported by bungee cords.
• 3G Swing - A 50m arc in a purpose-built chair for up to 3 people.
• The Ejection Seat – catapulted straight up at 90 degrees on a specially designed chair.
• Skyscraper - 4 or 8 riders are seated on the ends of two windmill-like arms, rotating at up to 60 mph and pulling 4 Gs.
• Catapult – One rider propelled at 45 degrees from a giant slingshot!
• Observation Deck - Watch all the extreme activities from a variety of unique perspectives at a height of 50m.
• A 50m Rock Climbing Wall!
• Powerfan - Suspended from a cable, one rider flies into the open air at almost the speed of freefall, securely controlled by our purpose-built decelerating unit.
• Tower Running - One rider, face to the ground, runs down the side of the tower, secured and controlled with a purpose-built descender.

With its ‘all-access’ decks and walkways the Thunderdome allows observers to be closer during the course of the activity than ever possible before, while at the same time creating for them a safe and protected viewpoint. This allows the observer to experience the ride before trying it!

Caving system

The longest artificial cave system in the world, with up to three hundred metres of passages, will form a complex three-dimensional maze. The caving circuit will provide challenges for all levels of ability and size of caver, from children on an adventure course at one-level through to rescue teams training for difficult extractions at the other Trained cave explorers with specialist equipment will lead groups through the labyrinth and introduce them to the ‘claustrophobic underworld’. Grotto’s squeezes, rope pitches, climbs and an underground river will make this a very special and unique experience.

Sky Diving Centre

Imagine a wind tunnel that could be used for testing the aerodynamics of a F1 racing car. Turn it upright, step into the airflow and you will be skydiving with wind speeds of up to 150 kph! As a skydiving enthusiast or just someone who wishes to taste the thrill of freefall in a completely safe environment, this is a simply awesome experience. Venture Xtreme will have the UK’s largest sky diving tunnel suitable for training our world champion formation flying teams.

Ice Climbing

At over 600m2 and at 15m high, Venture Xtreme will have the world’s largest indoor ice climbing wall. Real ice kept frozen in a specially designed and refrigerated room replicates the best of alpine winter climbing and the Scottish gullies. Features include chimneys, slabs, overhangs, cracks, chock-stones and mixed rock sections for the experts. Whether practising for a summer glacier walk in the Alps, training for a hard Himalayan north face ascent, sampling the sport for the first time or competing at international level, the ice wall will be eminently suitable for all comers.