Rock climbing may seem like an unconventional form of therapy to most, but not to some Keene State College students who are discovering a passion for it.
“[Rock Climbing] is a blast, for me it’s mainly relaxing,” senior Mike Staron said. “It’s like dancing on the rock. All your moves have to be very calculated.”
Staron is the club treasurer of the Environmental Outing Club, which takes students climbing roughly once a week in the winter. “Obviously when it’s cold we don’t go outdoors as much,” Staron explained. “So we do a lot of indoor rock climbing. It’s a good way to keep people active in the winter.”
The Keene area features numerous options for indoor climbing. There’s Central Rock gym in Hadley, Massachusetts, which features 17,000 square feet of wall and is frequented by Staron’s club. Then there’s Vertical Dreams, which has locations in Manchester and Nashua, and Evolution Rock + Fitness that just opened in Concord.
“[Rock climbing’s popularity] is definitely growing, it seems like there’s gyms opening up all around,” senior Max Sturges said.
Contributed Photo / Andrew Rossi:
Environmental Outing Club member, Samantha Caesar, begins her climb during a club trip on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Sturges is not part of the Environmental Outing Club, but has been rock climbing his whole life and brought his hobby to the attention of KSC’s campus recently. This year, Sturges has been setting up a slack-line between two trees on the quad of Huntress, practicing walking along the line to improve his balance.
Environmental Outing Club President, Velvet Young, had never climbed before the club went to Kentucky for spring break in 2011. Young said experience is not necessary at most climbing locations.
“Especially at a newer gym, you can be a beginner climber and there’s still something for everyone,” Young said. “Basically, you climb up as far as you can and the more you climb the better you get.”
Staron also explained that indoor climbing locations have ratings systems for their walls that allow climbers to choose between difficulty levels.
But that is not to discourage outdoor climbing.
The Environmental Outing Club has also made trips to Rabbit Hollow in Swanzey and a place known as “The Bridge” near Marlborough.
Although these locations may lack difficulty ratings, not to mention floor mats, Staron insisted they were no less safe. Just like climbing indoors, all outdoor climbers are assigned a belayer, or someone assigned to keep an eye on each individual climber. If someone is tired, struggling or falling, it is the belayer’s responsibility to help their climber reach flat ground.
There are also training courses club members have taken that teach climbers how to make the knots necessary to ensure safety.
“The only thing that can happen is you can fall and scratch yourself on the wall,” Young said. “It’s pretty low-risk if you have good equipment and a trustworthy belayer that knows what their doing.”
Staron also said it is important to be diligent every single time you’re make your knots.
“It’s all safe as long as you have set everything up properly,” Staron said. “I’ve heard stories of professionals not taking their time and slipping up.”
Still, Staron said the uniqueness of climbing is another draw for him, describing it as unlike anything he’s ever tried before.
Sturges said he loves the way climbing makes him feel. “It’s definitely a buzz, you feel a high as you climb,” Sturges said.
For Young, the prize is on the summit of the walls she climbs.
“It’s so satisfying when you get to the top of a wall and look down, it’s an accomplishment,” Young said excitedly. “[Rock climbing] is completely rewarding physically and mentally, it’s pretty bad-ass I guess.”
Zach Winn can be contacted at zwinn@keene-equinox.com