Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Ontonagon seventh graders Jackson Rader, left, and Alicia Steve scale the rock climbing wall in the school gym last week.
ONTONAGON - Ontonagon Area Schools seventh grade students were given an opportunity to try their skills on the school's gym climbing wall last week.
Former Ontonagon teacher Jim Waters volunteered his time to teach the kids how to don the safety harness and how to communicate with the person holding their safety line.
"Communication between the climber and the person minding the belay line is a critical part of the chain of events that keeps the climber safe," said Ontonagon teacher Ken Raisanen. "One does not simply grasp the climbing blocks and start up the wall like Spiderman."
Assisting Waters were Scott Smith and Eric Hopper of Ontonagon, and the school's Senior Service Project volunteers Lori Wardynski and Taylor Beaudry.
"The students involved must have enjoyed the activity because the first question asked at the end of the extended gym period was 'Can we do it again?'" said Raisanen.
