Climbing wall open to the public

Otago Daily Times

3 days ago

Thursday night sessions on the climbing wall at Mount Hutt College are proving popular. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The Methven Community Climbing Wall is now open to the public on Thursday nights.
The wall, located in the gymnasium at Mount Hutt College, has a per term subscription cost of $50.
Methven climbing wall team member Jamie Robertson said the recent upgrade has allowed for more variety of climbing routes of different ability, safety checks/sign off of the upgrades and some upgrades of equipment, including new belay devices and anchor systems.
"We are constantly looking for support for further upgrades to equipment and the wall, allowing for more opportunities for further training to community climbers, including outdoor climbing," Robertson said.
Mount Hutt College physical education, health and outdoor education teacher Jarrod Coutts said before opening the climbing sessions to the public, they ran a pilot system earlier this year to test the systems with a small group of climbers.
The pilot proved successful and last month they started the first of the sessions open to the public with space for 30, which runs through to June 26. A new block of sessions will run from July 17 to September 18.
"There is a mixture of things that happen in a session, depending on the individual climber. Some people will learn how to belay other climbers safely through to attempting speed climbing challenges in groups," Coutts said
On hand are volunteer staff there to offer friendly advice. Other climbers share guidance on how to deal with challenges and solving problems associated with climbing.
Rock climbing is a recreational activity that individuals, friends, families and clubs enjoy. It is also a competitive sport with world championships and Olympic events.
There are a variety of reasons why people attend the climbing sessions at the college.
"Some people attend our nights for the physical benefits of strength and stability improvement, the social benefits of meeting new people or spending time with some friends, through to the mental challenge of stepping outside your comfort zone or problem solving," Coutts said.
"Some people are coming along because they are just passionate climbers and want to support a really good community initiative."
For information or to purchase a pass, go to Methven Community Climbing Wall Facebook page.