CSU’s New Climbing Wall Opens to Crowds, Injuries

Climbing Wall from the Outside

Climbing ground to a standstill Wednesday night at CSU’s new climbing center as paramedics flooded the bouldering area. Once the woman was packed onto a gurney, a group of wall employees gathered in the cave where the injury had occurred. There was still some blood on the mats, and climbers were not allowed to return to bouldering quite yet.

“Did you see her fall?” asks Rodney Ley, director of the Outdoor Adventure Program and head of the climbing wall. A few nod their heads and Ley delves into the proper response to injuries in the gym. “You’re not supposed to call 911 unless someone is dying,” says Ley, only half joking. This is the second injury since the wall opened on Sun. March 21, both of them ankles. Unfortunately, the latest resulted in a compound fracture.

“Its because of the pads they have,” says Priscilla Williams, the first victim of the new wall. “The floor padding isn’t broken in yet, so everyone is using those big custom Asanas.” CSU had several custom crash mats made, green and gold and complete with logo.Williams ankle, severely sprained, is two to three times its normal size and she hasn’t been able to weight it since the accident. “My boyfriend always called those things ankle-breakers,” says Williams, referring to the foot-deep custom mats with vertical sides, “Now I know why.”

In addition to injuries, the new wall has also been plagued by large crowds. “Our goal is to keep it to between 45-55 people at a time,” says Matt Norville, junior Wildland Fire major and wall employee. “Sometimes the line gets pretty bad.” On Wednesday night, the line was twenty people deep at one point, and more than one person left rather than wait it out.

“Hopefully some of this will resolve itself once the novelty wears off,” says Norville, “And once the pads get broken in.”

The Rope Wall