Scioto Audubon (Whittier Peninsula) Climbing Wall « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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Scioto Audubon (Whittier Peninsula) Climbing Wall

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Started 2 years ago by GW_Justice
Latest reply from patient_zero

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camhead

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I just rode my bike down today to check this out after hearing about it on this message board. They were doing construction around there, and it most definitely was NOT open, but I got to walk around and feel it up a little.

It looks really fun, and I like the idea of an open wall for whomever wants to use it. The shape of the overall structure is very good: there is a steeper wall, and two arches, one for bouldering and one for roped climbing. It looks like a fun place to bring your own bouldering pads and make up sequences on both the holds and the natural features. I liked the look of the twin cracks on the west-facing side as well. It would be cool if the park lets some experienced route setters from nearby gyms put up some challenging routes.

That said, this is not going to be the end-all of Columbus climbing. Chalked or not, the holds and features are going to get VERY slippery very quickly; certainly by next summer. Also, a note to the above poster who mentioned that rosin is sometimes used instead of chalk: DO NOT DO THIS! Some European climbing gyms used rosin indoor and out in the 1980s. However, rosin quickly builds up around holds into a slippery mess, and the only way to keep climbing on the holds is to in turn use MORE rosin. Rosin is universally condemned in ALL outdoor bouldering and climbing areas in North America MUCH more than chalk is. Once again, DO NOT USE IT.

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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camhead wrote Chalked or not, the holds and features are going to get VERY slippery very quickly; certainly by next summer.

Well, yes, with no cleaning the holds and features will get slippery, but I would assume there will be some maintenance of the wall. The holds can be removed and cleaned, the wall features can be sprayed and brushed. I can't believe they built it without thinking about maintaining the wall.

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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Just talked to the ranger, the wall is still in need of finishing touches, so the official opening will be NEXT weekend (Nov 14).

But the opening has been pushed forward so many times, so ... yea, don't make any firm plans.

Posted 2 years ago #
howatzer

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I don't want to sound like I'm complaining - this park is awesome to have downtown - but (uncovered) outdoor climbing walls have a pretty short lifespan of "real" climbing enjoyment. The texture and holds are made of epoxy mixed with sand or plastic grains. When subjected to the elements, the outer layer of grains weather away and the surface becomes smoother. The holds also become coated with soot and algae if not regularly scrubbed. This leaves the wall a slippery nightmare within a year or so that bares little resemblance to climbing on real rock (which also can become smooth over time and use, depending on rock type, but usually not to the same extent). It is, however, still fun for kids, novices, etc.
I would have liked to see this built under an open-air pavilion of some sort to get some protection from the elements (would also make the wall useable in all weather) which would extend the lifespan of the texture. I do get the concept of trying to simulate a real crag, but I think a pavilion would have been a good compromise between reality and fantasy.
Again, though, not complaining. This is the kind of thing that makes Columbus stand out.

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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Sigh. The Ranger said they are working on rules for the climbing wall at the Whittier Peninsula and it will not open this week. And he couldn't say when it will open. I imagine they have to make the rules, then get signs made, etc. I have a feeling the wall will not be open this year.

howatzer, I agree that a roof over the wall would have been better, if you look around the Rockwerx website there are some examples. To cover the wall on the Peninsula they would have to build it at least 45 ft high and the length of the wall, requiring a big structure. I bet the cost of a roof was rejected, which seems chincy given what they put into the wall construction, but money is tight these days.

Posted 2 years ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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This is great! I haven't climbed in a few years. I'll dust off my gear this winter and try to get out there in the Spring.

Thanks for posting.

Posted 2 years ago #
carocks

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GW_Justice wrote <a

1.All climbers must have a belay certificate. The climbing wall on the Whittier Peninsula is not a closely supervised venue like V.A. or the other walls around the city. You must take responsibility for your own safety. This is not a place to take your kids (unless they have belay certs), this is not for newbies. All climbers must have a belay certificate.
2.Because the rangers at the Peninsula have not completed the classes that are needed to be instructors, they can't give you a belay certificate (the ranger said maybe in a few weeks). So, to get a certificate you must go to Vertical Adventures and take their belay class. There may be other places that do these classes, not sure.

Although most of this post is correct it is absolutely false that you need to go to VA or any other gym to "get a certificate". There is no such thing. In order to climb at this wall you must have all of your own gear and be completely confident in its use. Simply going to a climbing gym and learning how to belay is only a fraction of the knowledge needed to use this wall.
It is a great wall with awesome features but should really be treated as if it were any crag out in the wilderness. Don't be lulled by its location in a Metro Park.

CLIMBING IS DANGEROUS and is done AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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carocks, I'm interested in knowing where you got the info that it is absolutely false that a belay cert is needed. That is what the ranger at the wall told me, and another person up at the Audubon Center. Do you have some contact with the managers that have told you something different?

As far as I have been told, the rules for the new wall are being debated and have not been finalized. They may require certification in the final rules, maybe not, but I would expect that it is going to be required. People can BS the Rangers with stories about experience, but a signed belay card is documentation that the minimum training has been done.

Yes, climbing is dangerous, your risk, etc. Climbers who go to real climbing areas (Red, Seneca, etc) know this. The great majority of people who have climbed in central Ohio have never gone anywhere but an indoor wall, and have a different perception of what "risk" means.

I imagine that the solution will be signs every 10 feet at the SA wall that say "Climb at your own risk" and "Climbing here may cause injury or death".

Posted 2 years ago #
carocks

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GW_Justice, I didn't say you don't need to be certified by the Whittier people I said there is no such thing as a "Belay Certificate". Climbing unlike SCUBA diving has no universal governing body and thus no blanket "belay certificate" Many gyms (VA included) will, regardless of alleged or even proven experience at another gym, still put you through their own certification process. So although the ranger and the person at the Audubon Center may have told you that they are going to do some sort of certification class they didn't say you need or should go to VA or somewhere else to get a certificate. We actually stopped giving out belay cards about 1 year after we opened for this very reason.
When I spoke to Marshall last week he was still trying to work out how best to handle the wall. From a liability stand point their best bet is lots of signs like you said and an almost hands off approach.

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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Yes, it is true there is no belay certificate that has a universal training program or acceptance at all climbing walls. But most walls have a card that documents the training at a basic belay class, and require the card.

That was what the Rangers were talking about when they were speaking to me back at the start of the month. Obviously there has been more thought given to the rules that will be in effect at SA when they open for rope climbing. I don't think it would be overkill to require a belay card to be presented.

But this will be a tricky place to set the rules for climbers. They probably don't have staff to check every climber, or even to supervise the wall. The ideal would be to treat the wall like a real cliff at an outdoor climbing area, where it is accepted that climbers are responsible for their own safety. "Attractive nuisance" is the (confusing) rule of law that you have to deal with, and signs at outdoor climbing areas are usually posted with some rules. But natural rock walls were not built by anyone, they are a natural feature of the landscape.

The wall at SA was built by a company. It is inside a park. It has holds and belay points for top roping. "Attractive nuisance" gets a lot more complex in this situation.

Posted 2 years ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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Thought some of you might want to do this:
posted on facebook:
Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT THE DOWNTOWN METRO PARK
Meet with other potential volunteers at Scioto Audubon Metro Park on Sunday December 13 at 2:30 p.m., and discover ways you can help the development of the newest Metro Park. There are many ways you can help, such as becoming a trail steward, assisting with safety and p...ublic enjoyment at the park's climbing wal, or volunteering with the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Park and Audubon Center staff will discuss the many available volunteering opportunities.

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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Just back from the meeting at S.A. for volunteers. I was under the impression that the meeting was supposed to be for all sorts of volunteer activities, but it was just a bunch of climbers - Andy Politz, some guys I have climbed with, a few more I didn't know.

The S.A. wall will not be officially open until March of 2010.

Until then there will be more meetings to hash out the rules for the wall. The Rangers didn't want to be firm on anything, so I have nothing but guesses for the final outcome of the process. It sounds like they are pretty firm on an age restriction of over 13 (unless accompanied by parent), experienced climbers only (maybe belay cards needed), climbers must be on belay while setting ropes.

They did promise that the rules would be firm by March and there would be signs up that listed them.

It's disappointing that they have this great new wall and we can't climb it. Bureaucracy. But since we will not be paying to use the wall, I guess we have no real reason to bitch. *grumbles under his breath*

Posted 2 years ago #
byJody
Rural NW Columbus
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When I went to the dedication ceremony for the Grange Insurance Audubon Center in August, I was disappointed in the irony of the volunteer process. The event featured a big presentation by the Governor, Mayor, County Commissioner and Grange Leaders on all the Eco-friendly features of the building. After watching extensive self-congratulations and numerous groups posing for photo ops, I ventured inside for the tour.

When I asked the Park associate about volunteering, I was handed a 13-page packet of paper. What? Do you have an online or less paper intensive process? No, this is the process required by the National Audubon Society. Really? You need 13-pages of information for me to volunteer to help at a bird center? It just seemed like a huge waste, why not have one of your bright volunteers simplify the process so it actually exemplifies the stated principals of the organization?

"Please volunteer with us, but first we have to sacrifice these trees to make sure you qualify to donate your valuable time to us!" Volunteer FAIL

Posted 2 years ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
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It is the end of March, and still no word from the rangers on the Scioto Audubon climbing wall. Maybe this will change soon, but since I'm the top result for a Google on the S.A. wall, I guess I'm the default provider of info. Please make this not be the case any more, officials at the Metro parks.

Here is my totally unofficial, unrequested list of suggestions for those who want to climb at the S.A. Wall.

1. Get training in belay and rope technique at a local climbing wall before you try any climbing.

There are some sports where you can just spend some money on equipment and read a few pages on the net and go out and do them. Kayaking is pretty safe, as long as you wear the flotation vest and splash around in a lake. Rock climbing is not like this. There are a restricted number of ways to do it right, and lots of ways to screw up and fall and get hurt or killed.

I have read some discussion on other boards where it was suggested that you could just show up at the S.A. wall and ask the climbers to teach you how to climb. This is not cool. Would you walk up to some skydivers and ask them to teach you, or ask some scuba divers to let you try using their equipment? Rock climbing is not as complex as these other sports, but the danger of the sport requires learning some techniques completely, no-fail, done right every time.

Climbers are in an uncomfortable position when you walk up and ask for instruction, they want to be friendly (and they might allow you to climb, but not belay, if they have a spare harness), but they are not public instructors and don't need the liability that could come from giving you some training then you do something dumb and get hurt. So go to a local climbing wall where they have official instruction classes, or find a friend who is willing to teach you.

2. Use a safety line to a carabiner on the wire while setting top ropes. If you used to climb at Springfield you know that a death fall by an experienced climber while setting rope was the cause of the closure of the area. Let's not repeat this.

3. There is no group as of now that is doing any maintenance on the wall. If you are not going to clean up that chalk mess you made on the wall, it will stay that way. Maybe you shouldn't use chalk.

4. You have my permission to be the safety person at the wall. Chase off kids who are bouldering too high, give advise to climbers who are doing unsafe things. If they don't stop, call the rangers (614-202-5197). If someone gets hurt and the wall closes, we all lose.

I hope that the people at the Metro parks are getting their own set of instructions composed for the S.A. Wall, and will put them up on their website. Then people who Google for info won't just get some guy on the internet.

PS - Does anyone know who "Porky" is on reefcentral.com? Dude hot-linked my photos without asking or acknowledgment. He might be seeing tubgirl on his website :-)

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Some newer photos of the facilities from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebarbashphotos/

Posted 1 year ago #
surber17

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I love this park! I try to go as often as possible

Posted 1 year ago #
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
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Eartha Limited just moved our recycling headquarters into the warehouses directly across from the climbing wall. We have an awesome view! Feel free to visit us anytime, it's really cool to have a green business on the edge of a park.

Posted 1 year ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
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lizless wrote >>
Eartha Limited just moved our recycling headquarters into the warehouses directly across from the climbing wall. We have an awesome view!

Great view from ~~Mt. Rumpke~~ Mt. Eartha? LOL

Liz, this is awesome. I'd like to bring our Green Team from the hotel for a tour some day. Maybe I can talk them into climbing as well.

Posted 1 year ago #