Rope climbing in gym class

I am going to guess late 80’s, it was done and over with in my school by the early 90’s. But then some years later my high school built a huge climbing wall and ropes course only to not use it because some idiot on the school board didn’t check to see if they could afford the insurance on it first.
I don’t remember anybody falling or remember even hearing of a fall. That stuff usually make it to legend status and told orally for decades amongst the kids.
 
We did it in our gym in the 90's but we had a huge foam mat several feet thick maybe 3'. there was a super thick rope like 3'' diameter with knots going up. We would climb to the very top, ring a bell, then get a friend to hold the rope over to the side and we'd let go and drop to the mat. It was tons of fun. We did 'circus' for a few weeks with vaults, trampolines, unicycles, beams and bars. It was all fun but the rope was definitely the highlight!
 
In Jr. High we climbed rope(1970). It must have been 1.5 inch diameter manila. We had a one inch thick rubber mat on the floor and climbed I bet to over 25 ft. Don't remember any falling.
 
My school kept their climbing ropes until at least 1999, at least in the elementary school. Probably 2” diameter hemp rope, well oiled, and a foam pad on the floor. No knots on the rope to climb.

I never even got off the ground on that rope, which is funny since I went on in later years to become a professional tree climber…
 
I remember climbing the big hemp rope. Angst, peer pressure, beginnings of puberty, reputation, adrenalin and a gym teacher who body built. Zen ;) grade 8 Sure all my friends felt the same way.
 
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