Rock climbing inside a Midwestern silo

Published May 5, 2004 12:00AM

Week of December 11-17, 1997 Lodges that can hold a big family reunion Safety issues and best travel times for Ecuador Oceanside camping near Florida’s panhandle Rock climbing inside a Midwestern silo Avoiding touristy riff-raff on St. Lucia


Rock climbing inside a Midwestern silo Question: Where is the Midwestern silo that’s been converted to a climbing wall? I’ve seen it in an issue of Outside, but I can’t seem to find it. Neil Statz Wisconsin Rapids, WI Adventure Adviser: You must be thinking of the “Little Half Dome on the Prairie,” a short Dispatch that ran in the April 1996 issue of Outside. The abandoned grain silos in Bloomington, Illinois, were formerly owned by Funk Brothers Seed Company until they were bought for $10,000 by Chris Schmick and his wife Pam. At last count, the 13 concrete containers featured 40 routes ranging in height from 30 to 145 feet. The additional garage area has another 25 routes at about 35 feet high, and there’s even an outside route climbable only in summer that winds 160 feet up the outside of a silo. Or, in winter, the Schmicks freeze a special ice-climbing wall. The weekend rate is $11 per day, or $9.50 on weekdays. The monthly rate is $40 for adults and $30 for students. Call Upper Limits at 309-829-8255 for more details.

Rock climbing inside a Midwestern silo
Question: Where is the Midwestern silo that’s been converted to a climbing wall? I’ve seen it in an issue of Outside, but I can’t seem to find it. Neil Statz
Wisconsin Rapids, WI Adventure Adviser: You must be thinking of the “Little Half Dome on the Prairie,” a short Dispatch that ran in the April 1996 issue of Outside. The abandoned grain silos in Bloomington, Illinois, were formerly owned by Funk Brothers Seed Company until they were bought for $10,000 by Chris Schmick and his wife Pam. At last count, the 13 concrete containers featured 40 routes ranging in height from 30 to 145 feet. The additional garage area has another 25 routes at about 35 feet high, and there’s even an outside route climbable only in summer that winds 160 feet up the outside of a silo. Or, in winter, the Schmicks freeze a special ice-climbing wall. The weekend rate is $11 per day, or $9.50 on weekdays. The monthly rate is $40 for adults and $30 for students. Call Upper Limits at 309-829-8255 for more details.

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