North Dome climbing wall taken down in preparation for new Wellness Center

Last Wednesday, April 17 was closing day for the bouldering rock wall in MSU’s North Dome. After years of use and appreciation by student rock climbers, the Outdoor Recreation Program is taking the feature down in preparation for the climbing wall located in the new Student Wellness Center (SWC), which is projected to open this summer.

Naomi Deridder, a junior at and program lead for the climbing wall, explained the value of the feature as an opportunity for aspiring climbers to get their foot in the door. “We really tried to make it accessible for people who have never climbed before,” Deridder said.

According to Deridder, the North Dome climbing wall has been around since the roof of the old fitness center collapsed in 2019. Since then, the ASMSU Outdoor Recreation Program has encouraged students to use the temporary wall in North Dome. “We do clinics and intro to climbing classes so that people who maybe have never seen a climbing wall before can get on it and start to have fun with other people. So yeah, it's pretty special,” Deridder said.

Now that the semester is wrapping up and the new SWC is in the final stages of construction, the Outdoor Recreation program is selling the North Dome bouldering wall back to EP Climbing, the company they originally bought it from, Deridder said.

Freshman Owen McDonnell, who has been climbing since he arrived at MSU last fall, expressed his appreciation for the feature. According to him, the North Dome rock wall provided an inexpensive alternative to the popular commercial rock gym in town, Spire Climbing Center. “It’s been really nice to have somewhere to go because the spire membership is brutally expensive,”  McDonnell said.

He said that once the rock wall in the new Student Wellness Center is open for use, even more students will take advantage of the climbing access included with their tuition. “Super excited— glad I don't have to get a spire membership and I think a lot of people are probably going to cancel their spire memberships, so it's going to be sweet,” McDonnell said.

From 5 - 9 p.m. this past Wednesday, ASMSU Outdoor Recreation hosted an hourly free raffle giveaway aside the wall. Attendees had the chance to win a number of different prizes, including a large bouldering chalk bag and grip strengthener workout tools.

The climbing wall in the new SWC is said to be three stories high and includes 24 ropes. In addition, Deridder claims that it will have a very high-quality construction, utilizing a panel design that will make it easier to set routes and prolong the wall’s overall lifespan.

Whether you’re new to MSU and looking to get into climbing, or you’re a graduate student who has climbed avidly for years, next semester will grant you access to the most indoor rock climbing access MSU has ever had to offer.