Climbing Wall

Get ready to scale new heights with our Intro to Top Rope Belaying class! Whether you're new to climbing or looking to enhance your skills, this 90 minute hands-on course will teach you the fundamentals of belaying in a safe and supportive environment. Learn essential techniques for securing your climbing partner, managing the rope, and ensuring a smooth, confident climb. This course prepares climbers to take the UWL Climbing Wall belay qualification check, and the necessary skills, and knowledge to get tested at others gyms as well. Join us and gain the knowledge and confidence you need to enjoy the thrill of climbing!

Who should attend? Anyone! Whether you’re a first time climber, or a pro looking to brush up on current standards, this class is great for you!

Get started on your climbing journey with our Introduction to Fighting Gravity class. Learn the fundamentals of climbing movement and technique, and become a more efficient climber!

Who should attend? This class is great for novice climbers who climb with little to no experience climbing at or under the V2/5.8 grade range.

Alright gym rats, I know you've been looking for a class to overcome that plateau you been stuck on. This advanced-level rock climbing movement class is for the experienced climber who wants to see immediate gains in their climbing performance. This class will focus on advanced-level techniques that will dial in your technique on the rock. So if you want to have precise footwork, incredible body position and movements, the ability to onsight more difficult routes, and learn other advanced techniques like heel hooking, toe hooking, twist locking, and drop knees, then enroll in the Fighting Advanced Gravity Class to receive experienced coaching and motivation to help you reach your highest climbing potential.

Who should attend: Climbers who can climb V2 / 510 or greater

Get a behind the scenes experience on what goes into creating the routes you all love. This hands-on class will teach you the art and technique of setting challenging, fun, and safe climbing routes. Learn the process of route setting at UWL from stripping old routes, and hold selection, to testing and revising a route. Create your very own route for participants to enjoy!

Who should attend? This class is best suited for those with two or more months of consistent climbing experience.

This comprehensive course will teach you everything you need for safe and efficient lead climbing indoors. This class teaches you essential skills like belaying, clipping, and rope management, and prepares you to become lead blay qualified through the UWL Rec Sports! 

Who should attend? This course is great for the intermediate to advanced climber, climbing 5.9 or higher, looking to expand their skill set.

Crate stacking gives you the chance to test your balance and agility as you stack and climb crates higher and higher, all while competing for the ultimate bragging rights. Offered only a few times per semester, this exciting challenge is perfect for anyone looking to push their limits and have fun in a supportive, high-energy environment.

Get ready to glow and experience climbing like never before as you scale vibrant, glowing walls. This electrifying event transforms the climbing experience into a neon adventure, where every move lights up the night. Perfect for climbers of all levels, this limited-time event is a fun, immersive way to challenge yourself and enjoy the thrill of climbing in a whole new light!

The Midwest Climbing Series (MCS) aims to promote and support the growth of the Midwest Climbing community by fostering connections and building relationships through collaborative efforts and the spirit of competition. We are happy to be one of the many schools across the Midwest to host a competition as part of this series. Typically our competition is hosted mid to late April and requires we be closed for a week prior for a complete reset.

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Parking is a premium on UWL's campus and the parking lots are regularly patrolled by University Police. Visitors must follow University parking policies and procedures. Visitor parking is available in lot C-7. Visitors may purchase short-term or hourly parking at Parking Services during business hours or by using the Passport Parking mobile app.  

We recommend wearing breathable, flexible clothing that allows for a full range of motion. Climbing shoes and a harness are also highly recommended for safety and comfort, and are available for free check-out. Additionally, be sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout your session.

Top rope climbing is a style of climbing that utilizes a harness as well as a rope or auto belay to protect a climber from falls. When using a rope a climber ascends as a “belayer” takes in excess slack to maintain a climbers progress up a route. Auto belays takes up the task of a belayer, automatically taking in slack as you ascend, and slowly lowering a climber at the end of a climb.  Top rope climbing often emphasizes endurance as well as slow, controlled movements as is a popular option for beginners. Learn how to belay through our Introduction to Top Rope Belaying Class, which is offered frequently each semester. 

Bouldering is a form of climbing that prioritizes the use of mats for fall protection, rather than ropes and harnesses. Typically, bouldering routes are shorter, ending closer to the ground, and emphasize power, precision, and body control, with a focus on short, intense bursts of effort. Offering a variety of difficulty levels, bouldering provides challenges for both beginners and experienced climbers alike.

Lead climbing is a style of climbing that involves using a rope, harness, and quickdraws (devices that secure the rope to the wall) to protect against falls. As the climber ascends, they clip their rope into quickdraws, which serve as checkpoints marking their progress. Meanwhile, the belayer feeds out slack to allow the climber to climb higher. Lead climbing is typically considered an intermediate to advanced skill level due to its physical and technical demands.

All climbers who wish to belay must be belay qualified by a UWL Rec Sports Climbing Wall staff member. To do so, request to be belay checked as you check in for your next climbing session. Belay checks typically take about 10 minutes. Both top rope and lead climbing qualifications are offered and must be completed separately. Before getting belay checked, you should be able to verbalize complete system safety checks, and confidently belay a climber and catch a fall. Belay qualifications last the course of the academic  year and must be renewed each academic year.  Learn how to belay through one our belay classes, for more information see the “Classes & Events” section of our website. 

• The Kilter Board’s light-up holds and adjustable pitch give you access to over 100,000 unique climbs created by climbers worldwide—from casual gym-goers to professional athletes.
• Use the Android or iOS app to connect to the board, set your preferred climbing grade, and browse the extensive catalog to find climbs that match your training goals.
  • This how-to video from Kilter will walk you through the process
• Each climbing path, or “problem,” is highlighted by LED-lit holds, with colors indicating start and finish points and specific hand and foot placements.
  • Green: Start here by placing both hands on these holds. Don’t reach for other holds until both feet have left the ground. You can also step on these holds as needed.
  • Yellow: These holds are for your feet only. You can also use the board’s black surface for friction if necessary.
  • Blue: These holds can be used for both hands and feet during the climb.
  • Pink: These mark the final hold(s) of the climb. To complete the problem, reach these holds using only the designated holds according to the climb’s rules.
• After selecting a problem in the app, adjust the board’s angle using the control panel to customize your climb.

A handful of routes are switched out every 2-3 weeks during the school year. Complete wall resets are completed at the start of both fall and spring semester, as well as mid to late spring for our climbing competition.

Route grading systems are a way to gauge the difficulty of a climb. Bouldering and top rope climbing use separate grading systems with bouldering being on a V-scale and roped climbs are graded on the Yosemite Decimal Scale (YDS) starting with a 5 (indicating a roped climb), followed by a decimal point and a number grade. As the difficulty of a climb increases so does the associated number. Number grades can be complimented by a “+” or “–“ depending on their difficulty within a grade. Additionally roped climbs 5.10 or higher can utilize an a, b, c, or d (a is easier, d is harder) similar to the use of “+” and “-“ to signify difficulty within a grade.

Outdoor Connection offers various outdoor rock climbing and ice climbing trips to some of the areas premier climbing crags. Stop by Outdoor Connection to learn more or register online.