Are your Scouts looking for a winter activity? How abour indoor rock-wall climbing? During November, 19 Scouts and 6 adults from Troop 335 (Palatine) traveled to the G.A.R. Climbing center in Rockford for a day of climbing. This facility has plenty of climbing challenges and available ropes and walls. Even though we had 25 climbers, the facility had room and rope availability for more.

Safety is strongly emphasized during the 2 hour introductory instruction session. No one is allowed to climb until all knots, rope care, and belay safety instructions are understood and properly demonstrated. Upon check-out, the Scouts were free to climb.

In December, 7 of the 19 Troop 335 Scouts returned to the Center and earned the Climbing Merit Badge. The second visit took about six hours to complete and demonstrate the merit badge requirements.

I placed a brochure for the G.A.R. Climbing Center in each Signal Hill Troop's folder at the January Round Table. I hesitated to make such a commercial endorsement, but this is the best indoor climbing facility our Troop has been to. Our Scouts had such a great time, your Scouts will too!