Whether it's in the gym or on real rock, students find places to get vertical
By Michael Houston
There is something about the rock climbing community. It is a relaxed group of people that have a passion for the climb and enjoy encouraging others to attain their highest goals.
They seem to have found something that really works.
Climbing has become increasingly popular in recent years, in part, because of its accessibility. Climbing gyms are opening up in cities and college campuses across the country.
Junior Jake Benz thinks climbing has been getting more media coverage with the introduction of new climbing videos that show some incredible climbers attacking pitches.
Benz has been climbing for about four years, getting his start with friends who already had a passion to climb outside.
Since moving to Portland from Arizona (which has several outdoor places to climb), Benz has continued to climb, but in a different environment.
"It seems like it rains too much, so we just go to the gym," Benz said of Portland.
It rains so much that Benz and his housemates decided to build a climbing wall in the attic of their house. The wall is about eight feet wide and goes from one wall, over the ceiling and down the other.
For those not willing to shell out a couple hundred dollars to build their own wall, several climbing gyms in Portland offer an easy way to get started or strengthen for outdoor climbs.
The sport of rock climbing can generally be divided into two categories: traditional climbing and bouldering.
Traditional climbing got its start from mountaineers who turned to steep rock faces in part to train, but also because most of the highest peaks had already been climbed, so climbers turned their attention to new, challenging routes up peaks.
Bouldering essentially started with John Gill in the late 1950s. A gymnast credited for being one of the first to use chalk in order to generate more friction on rock, Gill focused on short, difficult climbs rather than attaining a peak.
He started a sport that requires no rope, little technical skill and no partner. This goes against traditional climbing that requires all of the above and then some.
The simplicity of bouldering is a reason for its increase in popularity the past few years.
Senior Alex Drew got into climbing last year when RAs on campus organized a trip to the Southwest Portland climbing gym The Circuit, which has only bouldering problems.
Drew enjoys the relaxed environment and the encouragement from others. No one is competing against others.
Given the ease with which Drew got involved, his advice for new climbers: "Don't be discouraged if you've never done it before."
He also believes that it is cheaper than other recreational alternatives. Drew has looked for deals, including the trip with UP RAs where they got discounted passes; he also got a discounted deal last summer.
One popular climbing gym among UP students is the previously mentioned The Circuit located at 6050 S.W. Macadam Ave. Day passes are $10 for students and month passes are $45.
Portland Rock Gym is another popular place to climb. It has limited bouldering, but makes up for it with 40-foot route walls. It is the best place to go in Portland if you want to climb on a rope. Passes are a little more expensive and cost $14 for the day and $67 for a month.
Both gyms offer shoes to rent for $4 and chalk bags for $2.
The most attractive thing about climbing is the individuality of the sport. People have different goals and expectations of the sport and decide for themselves.
Drew would eventually like to move his climbing experience outside. He would love to try it.
Benz likes "the gymnastic aspect of climbing." He wants to do some multi-pitch routes, which involve lots of technical knowledge and increasing heights.
The dynamic aspect of climbing allows everyone to get involved to a certain degree, each person with his own sphere of expectations on the climb.
