Old Grain Elevator Now A Rock Climbing Gym

Old Grain Elevator Now A Rock Climbing Gym AG WORLD Ag World 21-4-23 With a lot of imagination and hard work, Chris and Pam Schmick of Bloomington, Ill., found a unique new use for an abandoned grain elevator. The Schmicks bought a 50-year-old, deteriorating Funk Brothers grain elevator near downtown Bloomington, Ill., and turned it into a highly popular rock climbing gym which they call "Upper Limits". Four of the elevator's 13 silos have been rigged for climbing inside. One 110-ft. high outdoor wall is lighted for night climbing and has eight separate roped routes. There's also another non-lighted 110-ft. high wall. Altogether, the facility has more than 20,000 sq. ft. of climbing surface available and 44 separate roped routes. Shoes, harnesses, chalk bags, relay de-vices, and other equipment can be rented, and rock climbing classes are offered. An average of 30 climbers per day work out in the gym, but the Schmicks have hosted as many as 120 per day. While most of the climbing is done inside the converted silos, those seeking the ultimate mountain climbing thrill can show up on very cold days and climb a frozen ice wall. It's created by trick-ling water down the side of a 64-ft. high silo. Chris says he can climb the ice in 10 minutes. Pam says most of their customers are city kids with an average age of about 21. How-ever, students in their classes range from 9 to 65 years old. Rock climbing is gaining fast in popularity. Ten years ago there was just one rock climbing gym in the U.S. Now there are more than 250. The American Sport Climber's Federation predicts 30 new rock climbing gyms will be built this year alone. Chris, who is 28, did a hitch in the Army and then did some college but dropped out to travel and do rock climbing. He and Pam then operated a much smaller rock climbing gym in Peru, Ill. They were searching for a better facility when they came across the grain elevator. They decided it was right and tried to rent it. However, the owners didn't want the responsibility of a rock climbing gym so the Schmicks purchased it. First they had to do a massive cleanup and get rid of tons of rotten soybeans and old steel. Then they had to install lights, heat, water, and restroom facilities. To get the silos ready for climbing they drilled thousands of holes into the walls in order to attach handholds and other equipment. Rock climbers work in teams. Each climber wears a body harness to which is attached a rope and pulley, with the rope reaching down to the climber's buddy who remains on the ground. As the climber scales the wall, his buddy removes the slack from the rope and keeps the rope tight and secure with his own body weight. If the climber loses his hold - and this can happen easily - there's no danger of falling as long as the buddy is doing his job right. The Schmicks say Upper Limits is well located for a rock climbing gym. Bloomington is the home of Illinois State University and is also close to the University of Illinois at Champaign. Students from Decatur and Peoria also find it an easy drive. Still other climbers think nothing of driving from Springfield, St. Louis, and Chicago. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris and Pam Schmick, Upper Limits Rock Gym and Pro Shop, 1304 W. Washington St., Bloomington, Ill. 61701 (ph 309 829-8255).

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