DON'T LOOK DOWN
by Caleb Regan
Rock climbing at the Rec
I was standing at the base of the KU Recreation Center rock climbing wall, looking 42 feet upward at the small cow bells that dangle atop each route of holds. Holds are your alies — small, irregularly shaped fixtures on the wall that you grab onto with your hands and push off of with your feet.
My nerves set in right away My hands started sweating and my face felt hot, almost like I was embarrassed.
Man, I thought, It looks a lot higher when you're standing at the bottom. That's a long way to climb.
I was nervous when I arrived, but I thought the climbing would not be that difficult. As someone who had never climbed before, I didn't even know how to put on a safety harness. I didn't want to look clueless.In retrospect I didn't need to worry about that. Ian Johnson, Lindsborg senior and the person who would belay me, was awesome about showing me how to hook everything up to the harness.
The rock climbing wall at the Rec Center is different from other universities around Kansas in that it is free with a valid KU identification card, and it doesn't require belay certification before
you can climb. It took 10 minutes for me to go down the stairs to the Outdoor Pursuit desk, check out a harness and climbing shoes and walk to the wall. The ease with which students can try this activity, coupled with the free use, makes the rock wall a great recreational outing.
No prerequisites
The University of Missouri, the University of Colorado
at Boulder and the University of Nebraska all require belay certification before students can attempt to climb on their rock walls. To belay means to secure someone by rope. The belay is anchors you while climbing. The rope is secured with a figure-eight knot to the front of your harness, then runs up to the top of the wall, through an anchor point and passes back down where it runs through a latch that another person, certified to belay, tightens and loosens depending on what movements
you need to make as you negotiate the wall.
Outdoor Pursuits offers belay
certification which only takes about one hour. For beginners who want to try the wall out, the certification is not necessary.
"Our belay certification is more based towards the regular climbers, so that they can
ROCK WALL HOURS OF OPERATION:
No fees necessary
know how our belay system works and balay on their own with their friends," says Mike Dickey, Outdoor Pursuits coordinator.
MONDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY:
SUNDAY:
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
4:30 p.m.to 10:30 p.m
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY:
closed
"I climbed for the first time a week and a half ago and I've been here every single night since then. It's free. It's a blast." James
Another enticing aspect of the Rec Center's rock wall is that it's free. At the University of Missouri you have to pay $30 for an annual pass after belay certification to climb. It's $35 annually at the University of Colorado. This is a big draw for most beginning climbers at KU.
"I CLIMBED FOR THE FIRST TIME A WEEK AND A HALF AGO AND I'VE BEEN HERE EVERY SINGLE NIGHT SINCE THEN. IT'S FREE. IT'S A BLAST."
town fairs — the ones with the big red pad underneath that run at a 45 degree angle, where you try desperately to reach the bell so you can get a Chick-a-Stick. This wasn't for the candy, like it used to be, but it was a challenge met.
"It's the same as getting addicted to wrestling or weight lifting. If you're used to competing in high school and come to college and don't do a sport, you have to have something to challenge yourself." Trey Greenleaf, Derby freshman
says. Along with Kritenbrink, the challenge of the wall has made Greenleaf an avid climber ever
JAMES KRITENBRINK,
OMAHA, NEB.,
FRESHMAN
Kitenbrink, Omaha,
Neb., freshman says.
The challenge
About three quarters of the way up the wall, my forearms were tight from pulling myself up the holds, and the joints in my hands felt arthritic as fatigue set in. I thought about how out of shape I was. But when I rang the bell at the top, it reminded me of those little rope-ladder setups at small
since he tried the wall a couple of weeks ago.
What's more, climbers control how challenging they want the wall to be. There are six sets of color coordinated holds, each representing a different skill level. From beginner
to expert, there is no reason to be intimidated, unless you just don't like looking down from 42 feet up in the air.
The next time you're looking for an inexpensive activity to try, think about visiting the Rec Center's rock wall. If you like it, you've found a new hobby that will give you a good upper body workout.If climbing's not for you, you've wasted very little time
ROCK CLIMBING AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES
COLORADO: $35 per year, belay certification required
MISSOURI: $30 per year, belay certification required
NEBRASKA: free to students, belay certification required
OKLAHOMA: free to students, no belay certification required
TEXAS: $8 per day or $35 per semester, no belay certification required
KANSAS STATE: simulated rock wall, a belt that cycles through as you climb,free
PHOTOS/RYAN MCGEENEY
Above: Tyler Fox, Lared senior, looks down to his belay partner while climbing the KU recenter's rock wall. Left: Climbers and belayers gather at the base of the climbing wall.
09.21.2006 JAYPLAY <07