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CLEAR Temp: 50 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 26, 2002 David Mostue demonstrates a new climbing wall at the YMCA he helped create as his senior project. Click the photo to see a larger (30k) version. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli The wall North Medford graduate helps create a distinct challenge By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune When David Mostue embarks today on the first leg of a rock-climbing expedition in Patagonia, he’ll go knowing that fellow Rogue Valley climbers won’t be idle. The 18-year-old North Medford High School graduate is leaving behind a considerable gift for the vertically inclined. It’s a spanking new 21-foot-high, three-sided climbing wall, complete with outcroppings, overhangs and 200 state-of- the-art molded holds. Dedicated Monday, the new wall resides in a renovated racquetball court at the Rogue Valley Family YMCA in Medford. It replaces a simpler, 15-year-old climbing wall in the YMCA’s main gym. "The old one here wasn’t too interesting," said Mostue, who’ll spend five months in Patagonia before he heads to Middlebury College in Vermont. The new wall, set for completion in October, will become an attraction for climbers near and far, said Jim Eisenhard, a local climbing enthusiast. "Since the demise of the Superior Courts facility, there hasn’t been anything in Medford," said Eisenhard, a former city planner who built the first YMCA wall in 1987. He believes local climbers will be attracted by the versatility of the new wall, which can be adjusted for a variety of skill levels and conditions. "It’s a very comprehensive climbing gym facility," Eisenhard said. The wall was Mostue’s high school senior project, a year-long effort that required research, construction and fund- raising skills. He had to win over the YMCA board of directors and pitch friends and relatives for $3,000 in donations. "I was impressed with him; that takes some cojones," said Lisa Rupert, membership director for the YMCA. She added: "Honestly, it wouldn’t have been something that we as a staff would set out to create." Mostue seemed serious about completing the project, however, so YMCA officials gave the go-ahead. But for the young man who comes from one of Medford’s most famous families — his grandparents are Dunbar and Jane Carpenter — the project was not just about meeting graduation requirements. "Everyone calls it a senior project, but I took it on for reasons beyond that," Mostue said. "I’ve been fortunate and I wanted to give something back." After learning to climb as a young teen, Mostue embraced the concentration and skill the sport required. "It takes a lot of mental strength as well as physical strength," he said. "Looking back at what you’ve just climbed, there’s something calming about it." Mostue’s project will allow YMCA members and non-members to hone their high-risk skills from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting in October. Rupert’s not sure how many folks will show up for climbing clinics and free-climb sessions. But she figures the new addition will offer the community another reason to use the YMCA. "Thanks to David and his creativity, time and talent, we can offer a new, more exciting wall," she said. Potential climbers must be certified to use the wall. For more information, call the YMCA at 772-6295. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S