Roger Stephens adds some pegs to the rock wall

Erskine's New Climbing Wall Nearly Completed

Adventurous Erskine College students will have a new "extreme sports" outlet when school starts this fall, with the opening of a new indoor climbing wall inside the Galloway Physical Activities Center.

"The wall is located in what was one of the three racquetball courts just off the lower gym in the Galloway Physical Activities Center," said Erskine alumnus and staff member Bobby McDonald, explaining that the climbing wall is part of a larger vision for Erskine College.

McDonald believes all students will enjoy the climbing wall.

"Erskine's Strategic Plan calls for 'team building' activities to be added to the campus community at the rate of at least one per year," said McDonald. "These activities are meant to promote informal and recreational interaction between students."

McDonald added, "We are trying to answer the question, 'What is there to do in Due West?'

"When this plan was developing, Erskine's 'Onward and Upward" student recreation group took a student body survey, looking at activities the students would like to see at Erskine," said McDonald. "From this survey, the climbing wall was determined to be the first addition to the campus recreation plan."

Constructed by Asheville-based contractor Roger Stephens, who built the climbing wall at the ARP Church's Bonclarken Conference Center, Erskine's wall will soon be ready for simian scrambling.

Working on painting the wall this week are Erskine students Bethany Roach, a rising sophomore from Gastonia, N.C., and Ben Stoner, a rising junior from Simpsonville.

"It will be up and running at the start of school and will be featured in such events as the Back to School Bash, Fall Fest, and Homecoming," said McDonald. "There are several routes of varying difficulty, catering to the novice or the pro."

The purchase of safety equipment, which includes ropes, carabiners, harnesses and helmets, was directed by Jim Todd, a member of the First ARP Church in Gastonia, N.C., who owns an outdoor equipment store.

The new climbing wall