The Whitman College Outdoor Program is home to one of the largest and most extensive climbing programs in the region. In addition to leading climbing OP trips, SSRA trips, and scrambles, the OP also provides climbing equipment for rental through the rental shop. This eqiupment, which includes shoes, crash pads, harnesses, helmets, and holds, is available to students, staff members, and the Walla Walla community. Because of the large climbing community at Whitman, and the growing interest for the sport, the OP maintains ,and is currently renovating, a number of different climbing facilities. In addition, the OP also teaches a variety of climbing courses, from the most basic, to the very advanced.

Climbing Wall Renovation
Whitman college has recently contracted with Entre Prises USA to renovate Whitman's outside climbing facilites. The new climbing facilities will be at the location of the current wall, and will be part of Sherwood Athletic Center renovation. The climbing wall will removed and replaced by an extended wall that will be a combination of imprint panels and free form. In addition, the climbing facilities will be extended both upwards and downwards (making for a noticably taller climbing wall), and will include bouldering wall renovations. The new climbing facilities, to improve year-round usability, will be enclosed. Climbing wall schematics for the new wall are available for those interested. (Schematics 1, Schematics 2, & Cost Overview) Renovation should be completed sometime in the late spring of 2009.

Climbing Facilities
The outdoor climbing facilities at Sherwood Athletic Center are currently undergoing renovation, and will be unavailable for use until the late spring of 2009. The indoor climbing wall, will however, be available for use beginning at the start of the 2008/2009 school year, and will be open to students and staff of Whitman College for certification purposes during open-climb on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30. Please note our Rules and Regulations for climbing on the Sherwood Center Climbing Facilities. Before using these facilities please complete a Climbing Wall Liability Waiver, which can be obtained at the climbing wall in the green metal box or by speaking with a climbing instructor or the rental shop staff. A liability waiver is required even to use the bouldering facilities. To obtain a Wall User Card or Lead-Climb/Belay certification one must pass a Climbing Proficiency Check. These tests are $15 for community members and free for Whitman students, faculty and staff. The checks are completed at open-climbs. If you want to have a group event at the wall then you need to fill out the climbing wall rental form For more information about wall usage please contact the Outdoor Program (527-5965) or Brien Sheedy (522-4395).

Sweet Onion Crank Climbing Competition
This year's Sweet Onion Crank was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen, from volunteers, to sponsors, to climbers. Due to the ongoing renovation of the outdoor climbing wall, it is unclear whether we will be holding this annual competition in April of 2009.

For more information about rock climbing on and off the Whitman College campus visit Kevin Pogue's rock climbing website.