Protests against closure: Stendal's climbing park in acute danger!

Protests against closure: Stendal's climbing park in acute danger!

Since the beginning of June, schoolchildren from the private high school have been climbing at dizzying heights in the Stendal high ropes course. Led by two experienced climbing trainers, the children tackle elements up to six meters high. Lower climbing stations are available for little ones who have not yet reached 1.50 meters. A special focus is on promoting courage and social interaction, as Monika Scheel, a teaching assistant, emphasizes. The children report enthusiastically about overcoming their fears and the mutual help they receive. Dante Stepponat from the 6th grade, for example, emphasizes the joy of floating freely on the cable car.

However, the climbing park in Stendal is under pressure: it could close at the end of the year due to high operating costs. The city administration has estimated the annual costs at around 15,000 euros, which include maintenance, MOT, training and trainer fees. In this context, Ralf Schulze, the former head of the youth club, initiated a collection of signatures among parents who are vehemently committed to preserving the climbing park. So far, a remarkable number of over 2,000 signatures have been collected, accompanied by suggestions for reducing costs. Parents and citizens agree that renovating the climbing tower for around 30,000 to 35,000 euros is both a long-term solution and a valuable investment.

Current usage and challenges

Despite the impending closure, the climbing park will remain open during the summer holidays and can also be visited without prior registration. This is particularly beneficial for grandparents, who often climb together with their grandchildren. However, those responsible have noticed a decline in the number of visitors compared to the previous year. City spokesman Armin Fischbach makes it clear that use of the park is restricted by requirements such as wearing a mouth and nose mask. Especially on hot days, when temperatures rise to 35 degrees, many visitors shy away from the effort in the climbing garden. As a rule, only a good half of the guests have used the climbing elements to date, even though they enjoy coming.

No further actions are currently possible due to planning problems during the Corona crisis. However, the Mad Club has organized short-term climbing tours to motivate the young people. Registrations are required for all visitors, both for the club area and for the high ropes course. To ensure safety, a maximum of 25 people are allowed to enter the club area at the same time.

The importance of climbing

The positive effects of climbing go far beyond the physical. Climbing plays a crucial role in experiential education because it promotes physical, psychological and social skills. Participants learn to overcome challenges, which helps develop courage, trust and cooperation. Climbing requires strategic thinking and perseverance, skills that are important not only in sport but also in everyday life. Climbing together also strengthens the bond between each other and promotes important social skills such as communication and a sense of responsibility.

The combination of physical effort and mental challenge makes the high ropes course a valuable place for personal development and shared learning. Climbing is not only a leisure activity, but also an effective way to promote resilience and environmental awareness. Anyone who climbs not only gets to know their own limits, but also those of nature. Therefore, maintaining the climbing park is not just a question of leisure activities, but also of promoting skills that are of great importance for the future of our children.

With the great commitment of parents and citizens, the climbing park could perhaps be saved. A climbing tower renovation could give the high ropes course the desired stability. The city administration has already taken the first steps to examine savings. We can only hope that these efforts bear the necessary fruit.

Until the possible closure, those interested should not miss the opportunity to enjoy the height and the challenge of climbing. The climbing park remains open from April to October, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (during holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Further information about the current situation in the climbing park can be found in the reports from MDR and AZ Online. For a deeper understanding of the importance of climbing in experiential education you can also Coyote Outdoor visit.