Before the Test of Metal holds its last race, it is spreading around some more goodwill.
The 麻豆社国产mountain bike race has long taken a role in supporting community projects, and it has played a pivotal role in helping along a new climbing gym at Don Ross Middle School.
鈥淭est of Metal always tries to give back to the community,鈥� said Cliff Miller, one of the founders of the race.
He estimates the organization鈥檚 contribution to the project at about $25,000.聽
The official opening of the climbing cave is set for May 10.
Test of Metal organizers point to the fact that mountain biking and climbing are both key facets of life in Squamish, so the project seemed like an obvious choice for them.
The climbing gym has a long history at Don Ross. Teacher Bill Rizun has been spearheading the project for years but says it represents the efforts of many people over more than a decade, back to when the school ran the outdoor leadership program.
Test of Metal was the perfect partner to come on board to help, Rizun says, because many of the teachers at the school have ties to both the climbing and mountain biking communities in Squamish.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all climbers and mountain bike racers,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a natural fit for 麻豆社国产and the schools.鈥�
The school ran a recycling program to raise funds for the project over the years. Rizun said the school used some money for table tennis equipment, especially when it seemed the cave portion might not be built.
The initial plans have been re-engineered, which added some extra costs, although between the money still left in the account from fundraising and a donation from Test of Metal, they were able to get new plans drawn up in early 2015.聽
Construction on the cave began last spring. Earlier this year, another longtime proponent, Jeremy Blumel, held a course with 13 teachers to train them for the facility. More recently, engineers conducted an inspection and now the site is ready except for a few minor details.
The school鈥檚 vertical climbing wall has been around for years, but the new cave represents a more up-to-date approach to teach climbing in schools. With specially designed mats, the caves are safer, as students climb at lower heights than on the old walls, but they also teach the students about finding their balance.聽
鈥淵ou have to get the kids off-balance, but you need to do it in a safe way,鈥� Rizun said.
He emphasized that the facility is a great fit for students in Squamish. 鈥淭his would be the place of all places to have a climbing facility in a school,鈥� he said.
While a few more mats need to be sewn, the work is otherwise done and some teachers have been using the cave on a trial basis. The idea now is to have a facility that teachers can use for class on a regular basis.
Rizun knows the facility will come with ongoing costs, so he and Blumel are now putting together a proposal to set up a climbing academy at the school to help generate funding.
As far as the mountain bike race itself, Test of Metal is combining with key sponsor Nesters Market to hold the final race on June 18, and Miller says so far registration has been strong.
鈥淓verything鈥檚 going great,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 ticking along as per usual.鈥�
