A Wall Between
Two Moving Forces
One university’s experience building a climbing facility: What
worked, what didn’t, and what’s at stake in the bigger picture
Todd Grier, Outdoor Adventures Coordinator, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
As the sport of climbing grows,
more students on our campuses
have not only been exposed to
climbing but also expect to have
access to world-class facilities. At
the same time, climbing facilities
are now such a fixture on college
campuses, they’ve become political talking points in campaigns
decrying lavish spending on college campuses. As an industry, we
are at an interesting crossroads.
As our patrons seek better facilities, how do we manage the role
we serve on campus and in our
broader communities?
At the University of Nebraska—
Lincoln (UNL), we work tirelessly
to provide experiences that
enhance students’ educational
experience and promote lifelong
wellness. Under this mission,
the Department of Campus
Recreation recently completed
a 5-year project to expand and
renovate UNL’s facilities. As part
of the larger $23 million project,
the 13,000-square-foot Outdoor
Adventures Center (OAC) was
built, at a construction cost of
$2.9 million. The stand-alone
home to the Outdoor Adventures
Program, the OAC includes a
new 30-rope Climbing Center. As
we look back through the lens of
our experience, we hope to offer
lessons learned.
Hours away from any significant
climbable rock, Lincoln, Neb.,
seems an unlikely setting for a
climbing gym. Now, halfway
into the OAC’s second year of
operation, it is home to an extensive outdoor program that has
served the UNL community since
1972. The development of such a
facility could mark a turning point
in a long history of adventure
education on college campuses.
The modest roots of climbing
programs at UNL date back to
the late ’70s, when an outdoor
racquetball court partition wall
offered students exposure to
climbing before taking to Devil’s
Tower and other regional venues.
In 1997, Eldorado Climbing Walls
constructed a facility typical of
its time: six roped lines tucked
into the corner of the Nebraska
Coliseum—sharing space with
badminton, basketball, and volleyball courts. Yet, even with such
a modest facility, a committed
climbing community has existed
for some time.
Now, Campus Recreation serves
this community with a facility that
was made for climbing. It is the
first UNL space that was initially
designed to include climbing,
rather than renovated to add
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AORE Outdoor Insider | Fall 2015