Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
"Climbing the walls" is taking on a whole new meaning now that the Kosciusko Community YMCA has its newest exercise feature.
The 950-square-foot rock climbing wall was officially unveiled Tuesday and will be open to the public on a limited basis starting next week. By October, according to program director Ryan Finney, the wall will be in regular use.
The wall is 30 feet high, with seven areas available for climbing, and varying skill levels at each area, Finney said Tuesday.
"It's a challenge by choice," he said. "People can go as high as they want or as low as they want. ... The program is about helping people reach and achieve their own goals."
Finney came up with the idea for a climbing wall about nine months ago, he said, and went to work raising funds from Dekko Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation and International Palace of Sports Foundation to pay the $20,000 total cost. The wall was designed by Experiential Resources Inc. of Michigan.
Part of the total cost was for training facilitators, Finney said. Two people are required to support each climber, and the mandatory safety equipment must be used properly. In fact, all climbers must take a one-hour orientation, called harness school, before they can climb the wall, he said.
Anyone can climb, Finney said. "I wanted this to be accessible for people 5 years old through 105," he said. Children who weigh 40 pounds or more can climb if they wear special harnesses, and Finney said he plans to target at least one class to preschoolers.
Located in the youth gym, the wall also will be available for open climbing and for rental by groups.
"This is great for team building," Finney said. The YMCA also will make the wall available to physical education classes in middle and high schools, scouting groups and fitness classes.
Besides the straight and inverted climbs, the lower 8 feet of the wall is flat and can be used by children to climb horizontally without a harness but with a thick mat underneath, Finney said.
Schedules will be available soon that will include hours the climbing wall will be accessible, Finney said, and those hours will be defined by when more than one qualified staff member can be on duty.
For more information on the YMCA's new rock climbing wall, call Finney at 269-9622.
