During the last school holiday, I found the perfect activity for our cheeky monkeys. The climbing center Mad Monkey in Montpellier playful teaches children- and adults- how to climb. A great side-effect is that it boosts their self-confidence. Inside, there are colourful climbing walls and 3D obstacles. Or the kids can immerse themselves in an interactive video game, trying to collect points while climbing. And if you’re up for it, why not have a go yourself?
Tickets
Being out and about with our kids always takes me to fun places. I’d heard about Mad Monkey before, and finally the day had come to take the twins here. To be sure of a spot, I booked our tickets online. There are three types of tickets. The first option is good for 1 hour in the Fun & Play part (13 euros pp), and the second one gives you half an hour access to the Climb & Play part (8 euros pp). I went for the third option, combining options 1 and 2 for 17 euros pp. After a short explanation of the climbing gear and safety rules (available in English too), the twins were good to go.
Fun & Play
And they couldn’t wait! They started in the Fun & Play hall, where they could climb to their heart’s content at one of the 19 walls. Although the climbing hall isn’t big, the walls and obstacles immediately tempted the kids to go and try. The auto-belay system is easy to use, giving the kids autonomy to explore at their own pace. On top of that, the certified monitors are always nearby. Soon enough, I saw my girl go up a funny looking wall, placing her feet on cartoon figures. In the meantime, her brother hopped on green pillars that gradually became taller. From the last pillar of about 7 meters high, he had to jump and try to hit the purple punching ball.
Climb & Play
For me, it was a lesson in letting go while watching my precious reach for the sky. But the twins were already off to the next challenge: two climbing walls side by side with a stopwatch to see who would reach the top first. One hour was enough for the Fun & Play part, as climbing is quite physical. So, after a short break we went to the Climb & Play area for half an hour of augmented reality fun. I sat down on the comfortable couch while the kids had a blast on one of the three interactive climbing walls. By selecting a game and level, they tried to beat each other’s scores. Our twins hadn’t had any experience with climbing, but now they’ve got the taste for it. Thanks to Mad Monkey’s team, they discovered a new world in a safe and fun way.
