Climbing Wall In Steamboat Springs Middle School 

Lots of fundraising and planning by Steamboat Springs Middle School (SSMS) outdoor education program Everything Outdoor Steamboat finally replaced the old climbing wall (a plywood structure built in 1994) and unveiled a new climbing wall. The realistic climbing wall, includes many tricky formations and an overhang, is more than 30 feet above ground in the schools main entrance and constructed of a steel structure with scraped concrete. It's outfitted with 3 auto-belay systems that suspend ropes from the top of the wall to allow students to safely climb without needing belaying on the ground. Students are lowered slowly to the ground through tension on the ropes when they fall, thus no mechanical failure which meets insurance requirements for the structure and eliminates accidents.  This allows more kids to get use of the new climbing wall and learn climbing techniques.

The school looks forward to showing-off the new wall during an open house in the next couple weeks then possibly opening the wall to the public a couple nights a week with a small cost. Additional funding is still needed for a floor covering at the base of the wall and a 4^th belay system.