Western Courier

Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Adam Sacasa

Tom Cruise did it in "Mission Impossible 2" and Sylvester Stallone in "Cliffhanger." While many of us will not be climbing up desert cliffs or belaying down icy mountainsides, rather than watching it in Hollywood movies, students at Western Illinois University have a chance to test their climbing skills right in their own backyard.

"It's a pretty friendly atmosphere out here," said Greg Slover, senior accounting major on his first time at Horn Field Campus. "It's pretty cheap and just gives you something else to do."

At the price of $5, students, children and adults have the chance to climb as much as they want for up to four hours. Included in the package are harnesses and all the necessary safety gear.

With three sides to choose from - ranging from a beginner's side with a slight incline to an advanced wall - there is an option for everyone.

"This is the place to begin," said Horn Field Campus program coordinator Mindy Harpman.

She describes climbing as testing both your physical and mental strength. Climbing can be more than just a fun recreational activity and a good workout.

"It can increase your confidence. It can increase some of your trust in other people and equipment because, really, you are very safe out here," Harpman said. "We do every precaution we can to make sure that the experience will be a good one."

Although the climbing wall is not exactly like climbing real rocks, it gives beginners the chance to learn and more advanced climbers the chance to sharpen their skills.

"Starting on a wall is usually less daunting than starting on rock," said recreation, park and tourism administration graduate student Elizabeth Slack.

With five open climbing sessions per semester, Slack tries to make them all.

"I like that it's a physical challenge and a mental challenge, too, because you need to plan out your moves as you go up. If you're not careful, you end up in a dead end and then you're stuck," she added.

Since there are no transportation routes by GoWest Transit, one problem Harpman and others at Horn Field Campus are trying to solve is how to get the word out about where they are. To alleviate this problem, new brown signs were recently installed around town. These signs lead you past Macomb High School and directly to Horn Field Campus, just south of Macomb.

Although making students aware of where they are is one problem, getting students to Horn Field before they are ready to graduate is another.

Continued...

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