Leaders of University of Iowa Recreational Services announced today that the climbing wall in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will re-open with the start of the spring semester on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Staff closed the climbing wall Nov. 8, immediately after a student climbing the wall fell from a height of approximately 30 feet.

The university’s investigation of the incident found no indications that the wall or its components contributed to the accident. The report concludes that the cause of the accident could not be definitively identified.

Two separate climbing wall firms inspected the wall and reported that the wall is in good condition and ready for use. Other than the wall itself, the climber and belayer were not using any other UI equipment when the fall occurred.

A redacted version of the report that excludes the names of students, as required by federal privacy law, is available online at http://www.uiowa.edu/~our/misc/121912memo-climbing-wall-incident-redacted.pdf.

Risk Management, working with the UI General Counsel's Office and Recreational Services, also developed policy and procedure recommendations regarding the bouldering and climbing walls. A copy of the recommendations is available online at https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz3WPgvSTtQWNmVQSXBLc1hCdHc/edit