SCHOOL CLIMBING WALLS

There are an increasing number of walls being built at schools (both Primary and High Schools) across Scotland. The MCofS supports the development of these walls with the following aims:
- To increase the number of children having access to our sport
- To establish the first rung in a player pathway in our sport
- To increase suitable venues for delivery of coaching at all ability levels
- To enable grass-roots competition development
- To allow for dissemination of next-steps information (outdoors)

There are three types of wall design:

Traverse Walls – principally designed for Primary schools. They can be placed on any flat wall surface, or can be free standing, and are designed to allow unsupervised ‘play’ activities by children during break time. Risk is very low as the height that can be attained is minimal and the surface vertical not overhanging. No technical climbing equipment is required and normal footwear can be used.

Boulders – man-made boulders suitable for placement in parks or play areas, never more than 4m in height and usually with some form of softer ground surface surrounding them such as pea-gravel. They can incorporate roofs and slabs as well as vertical walls. They are unsupervised play / training facilities. No specialised technical climbing equipment is required and any footwear can be used, although specialised climbing shoes give better performance.

Lead / Top-rope Walls - These walls are any height above 7m. They require the use of technical climbing equipment and when introducing beginners, supervision and instruction. They are more suitable for Community School campuses and High Schools.

Climbing Walls at Schools Database
We are keeping records of all walls installed at Schools in order that we can help support their use: Competitions, FUNdamentals Coaching, Next-steps etc.

SCHOOL CLIMBING WALLS LIST (updated 01.09.09)

If you have a climbing wall installed and are not on the list could you please send details to the Development Officer, Kevin Howett at: kev@mcofs.org.uk

Include: School Name, School Address, Type/Style of Wall, Wall Size, Head Teacher / Other Main Contact, School Roll.

Want Advice about building a New Climbing Wall?
The design and the management of walls are interlinked – good design can make management easy.

The MCofS has contributed to, and endorsed, the BMC Climbing Walls Manual (2008 update). Copies are available from the MCofS webshop.

It is recommended that anyone investigating the practicalities of building a climbing facility refers to the Manual in the first instance.

Further advice is available from the MCofS Development Officer, Kevin Howett at: kev@mcofs.org.uk.