my travel holidays 2010: Climb On: A guide to rock climbing at Westminster

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Climb On: A guide to rock climbing at Westminster | The Forum

Alecia Cenaruzabeitia

Staff Reporter

Check out the video on Climbing at Westminster:

Climb On at Westminster by Alecia Cenaruzabeitia/The Forum.

For first time climbers, the idea of going outside to climb real rocks can be intimidating. But thanks to Westminster, students interested in climbing can start inside first.

Basics of Climbing

There are three different types of climbing. All three require focus and strength, but they also require different skills.

Bouldering is where a climber has no ropes or harness to climb a boulder. Bouldering is more about shorter distances and not necessarily about height. The reason bouldering is popular is because it requires less equipment, making it more accessible. Bouldering is fast paced and does not limit anyone.

?It?s the more punk rock side of the sport,? said junior Kevin Duffy of bouldering.

The other types of climbing require more gear for the climber. Just because there is more gear though, doesn?t mean that you have to be more experienced. Climbing with ropes requires more endurance because the routes are higher.

In lead and top rope, the climber is attached to ropes with a harness. Lead climbing is where the climber is attaching the rope to clips in the rock while climbing.

?If the climber falls they fall the distance from where they were to their last clip? said sophomore Caroline Dillon.

This aspect of lead climbing could be a fear for first time climbers. If your fear is falling, another way to climb with ropes is top rope.

With top rope climbing, the rope is already strung through a bar or a clip at the top. If the climber falls, it is the responsibility of the belayer to catch them.

For first time climbers it?s more about getting started than it is about being good.

?You are going to suck [the first time you go]. You just have to be willing to constantly push yourself,? Duffy said

Why Go?

Duffy started getting really in to rock climbing about two years ago and hasn?t stopped since.

?I would quit school if I had the money and just climb,? Duffy said.

Duffy became really interested in the sport after coming to Westminster and seeing the two walls. For him it is enjoyable because it is a battle with his own limitations.

?You aren?t competing against anyone. I beat myself up more than anyone else could,? Duffy said.

Dillon, a rock wall employee, started climbing last October. When she went for the first time she remembers it being intimidating. Since her first time being dragged to the wall, she has become an avid climber.

?You get to know a lot of people and it?s really inviting once you make that initial move,? Dillon said.

The one aspect that Dillon finds the most interesting are the problems that make her think. To her the thoughtful problems are the most fun because of all the factors she has to think about.

?You have to think about you body and plan where you are going to make it to the top,? Dillon said.

Dillon compares climbing to dancing. To do both, there has to be an awareness of the body and how it works.

?[Climbing] has these really unique movements that are strung together fluidly,? Dillon said.

For Dillon and Duffy, rock climbing has become more than just a hobby but also a way of community. Both have been able to go to places for climbing that they probably would have never gone to otherwise.

?The whole atmosphere that comes with climbing is what I live for,? Duffy said.

Both Duffy and Dillon agree that the people involved in the sport are positive which is what keeps them coming back.

Ladies Climbing Hour

A great opportunity for ladies who want to get started with climbing is the ladies climbing hour. For an hour twice a week on Tuesday and Thursdays the wall is only open for ladies to climb. One reason for this hour is to create an atmosphere that is less intimidating.

Outdoor Recreation Program Coordinator Tiana White said, ?Ladies climbing makes it more accessible especially for first timers.?

The idea of ladies climbing is to create a sense of community of women climbers. It is also a way to climb without the pressure from men climbers who can be intimidating. The hour allows ladies to work on specifics or just learn techniques from other girls.

?It?s good to talk to other girls [about climbing] because we have different techniques and our bodies move differently,? Dillon, who helps run the class, said.

Climbing Wall Hours

Mon-Thurs: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Ladies Climbing Hour

Tuesday: 10 a.m.

Thursday: 1 p.m.