Climbing wall, terrain park boost outdoor recreation
August 10, 2011
907-474-7902
8/10/11
With miles of trails and acres of forest out their back door, students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus don’t have to go far for outdoor recreation.
This year, the options have expanded with the addition of an outdoor climbing wall and a snowboarding terrain park.
“This is a great step in the direction of increasing activity on campus,” said Mark Oldmixon, coordinator for the UAF Outdoor Adventures program. “We hope that it will really increase the interest of students to get outside both in the winter and the summer.”
The climbing wall, dubbed the UAF Outdoor Education Center, is located near the Student Recreation Center and the campus sledding hill. The wall offers more than 30 vertical feet of climbing area for instruction and recreation.
“For a college campus to offer instruction in rock climbing and ice wall climbing outside is pretty unique for the country,” said Oldmixon. “Bringing these outside recreational activities to the campus is very exciting.”
The ice wall, for its inaugural year, will have a soft opening. UAF staff members will spend the winter fine-tuning systems to create the optimal ice conditions on the structure. Safety, route options and instructional priorities will drive the development of the ice-climbing program on campus. In addition to recreational uses and new programs, the Outdoor Education Center will be used for the recreational class “Introduction to Technical Climbing.” It may also serve as a stage for outdoor concerts during the summer.
The climbing wall project is close to the hearts of the students; half of the funding for the project came from the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the campus’ student government organization. Chancellor Brian Rogers covered the other half with private funds.
The transformation of student life on the UAF campus is an ongoing endeavor. Last summer, the campus completed installation of an 18-hole disc golf course that spans most of the developed areas of campus. Another addition this summer was the first phase of the Nanook Terrain Park, a snowboarding park, located south of the Butrovich Building and west of the sledding hill and the climbing wall. Most of the major features of the terrain park are still under development. A firm specializing in the development and certification of terrain parks will help the campus design and implement an overall plan. Initial components of the park were shaped using soil moved during campus construction projects. Crews planted the ramps with grass to prevent erosion this summer. Once it snows, they will be packed and finished for use this winter. Eventually, campus leaders also hope to expand the Outdoor Education Center to include a full high ropes course.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Mark Oldmixon, Outdoor Adventures coordinator, at 907-474-6027 or mtoldmixon@alaska.edu.
ON THE WEB: http://www.uaf.edu/woodcenter/outdoor/
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of the construction of the Outdoor Recreation Facility are available online at www.uafnews.com.
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