Vertical Science: Rock Climbing class combines hands-on STEM learning with lots of time climbing and progressing on the wall. 

 

Like all of our Wake The Wild classes, we love taking things students are naturally doing during the activity and diving deeper into the why and how behind them.

 

Each week will include a 30–40 minute STEM lab where students will explore the science and engineering they’re experiencing every time they climb—things like force, gravity, friction, balance, body positioning, route design, climbing holds, harnesses, belay and auto-belay systems, and even how the climbing facility itself is engineered and constructed.

 

Then we take those concepts onto the wall! The remainder of the class will be spent climbing, where students can experience firsthand the concepts they’ve been learning about while also receiving instruction and progressing at their own skill level.

 

Throughout the semester, we’ll also dive into route design and planning. Students will use what they’ve learned about climbing, movement, engineering, and problem-solving to design their own climbing route. For their final project, they’ll present their route designs to the Fort Rock team, who will select some of their favorites to actually build on the wall for the students to climb!

 

That combination is really what Vertical Science is all about: learn the science and engineering, experience it on the wall, and then use that knowledge to create something of your own.