Su Valley High’s new climbing wall really rocks

MAT-SU — Talkeetna artists Bill Barstow and Tony Crocetto recently completed their largest project yet inside and on Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School’s walls. The men have been painting a mural in the school’s gymnasium on the newly built rock wall for the past several weeks. This is Crocetto’s second art piece in the school, the first being a triptych titled “Autumn Woods, East Talkeetna.”

The climbing wall goes up to the height of the ceiling in the gymnasium, a towering 28 feet and across two walls more than 50 feet long. For both painters, this is their largest undertaking. The mural consists of a large, purple-shaded boulder, a reflecting lake of the Alaska Range and Denali with blues of many shades.

This project was a difficult and time-consuming one for the painters, they say, but Barstow and Crocetto weren’t the only ones who put a lot of time and effort into this project.

Steve Harrison has taught physical education at the high school since 1998 and has worked to get a rock wall installed since the school burned down in 2007. He is a passionate mountain climber and has tried summiting Denali three times, once successfully. Having years of experience as a mountain man, he finally brought the wall to the school.

“What an awesome addition to this place,” Harrison said. “I’m really stoked.”

Since the painters have been at the school, the gym has had a curtain crossing through the center of it, slicing the room in two. On the right side of the gym is a lift, the two painters, the rock wall and their array of blues, greens, oranges, purples and white. On the left, the students gather in their cramped space at lunch hour to play either volleyball or basketball. Now that the painters have departed the gym, the students, as well as Harrison, are thrilled to get their entire gym back.

Even though the painters are finished, several things need to happen before the wall is accessible to the students. Handholds will soon be installed and staff will go through training so no accidents occur. These handholds will be set up so students will look like they are climbing the mountains illustrated by the two men.

The wall will be up and running around November. The students are all fired up for the new addition and the opportunity to use this new rock wall.

“I’m ready to climb it already,” said Su Valley senior Dustin Drover.

Harrison said he is thrilled to share his passion for climbing with his students at Susitna Valley High.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Right now, everyone thinks that this wall really rocks.

Samantha Davenport is a senior

at Susitna Valley High School.