An ever growing number of schools now have some sort of climbing faciltiy for pupils to use. In this article Mike Toley, a teacher at Verulam School in St Albans, Hertfordshire describes his school's experience.

Two thousand years ago St Albans, Hertfordshire was a major city during the Roman occupation. Today it is known for many things – unfortunately rock climbing isn’t one of them!

In fact there is next to nothing in the way of climbable natural rock nearby! So, working in a school that has, for many years tried hard to encourage Outdoor Education despite the amount of ‘red tape’ that exists, it seemed that the only way to keep climbing was simply to build some walls in the school!

Therefore, during the summer just past, we built two traverse walls totalling approx 20m in length, finger boards and a bouldering room in the school gym.

The money came intially fom school itself, but when the PTA saw the benefits they also helped raise money through activities such as quiz nights, balls and raffles.

Once work started everyone helped out.  First professional contractors did the intial work.  Others, such as staff, pupils and parents, helped with sourcing holds off Ebay, shifting and carrying, drilling for bolt-on holds on the traverse walls, cutting and fixing panels for the bouldering area as well as spraying on rock effects and painting parts of the walls, and so on.

The Verulam School Climbing Club is now open four nights a week and most lunchtimes for pupils. The club regularly attracts 20 different pupils per session. Many of these have come up through our ranks of Lake District trips, Snowdonia adventures or the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme. Although, for many, the school's indoor climbing club will be their first taste of climbing and such adventures.

To celebrate the new climbing facilities, Paul Cammack, President of the Union of Intenational Mountain Leaders Associations, came down to school on the 16th of September to open the facility officially. During his time in the centre, Mr Cammack chatted with pupils and posed for the pictures with the local press. He went on to say – “I think the climbing wall is exceptional. As a country it seemed like we had at one time moved away from outdoor sports but it seems they are now making a comeback.”

A teacher at the school, Mr Toley, said that at a total cost of less that £3,000 these facilties can help support our young people with their climbing and all the benefits in terms of their health that this brings them.  He added "Next time your son's or daughter's school is looking for ideas that will appeal to pupils, think about climbing and consider installing some indoor climbing facilities.  It's quick, inexpensive, and relatively easy to do"

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