CRISSA NELSON | features editor

Whether indoors or out, APU students "Rock on" — all the way to the top!

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Mt. Everest once said, “because it was there, I climbed it.” And many students at APU are finding lots to climb, whether outdoors or indoors, in the Southern California region.

On the second and fourth Friday of every month, Outdoor Adventures sponsors a free rock climbing experience at the Arcadia Rock Climbing gym (ARC) from 8:30-10:30 p.m., and twice a semester students of every level can learn to climb at “Intro to Rock Climbing,” an all-day outdoor adventure.

This past weekend, over 90 students conquered the rocks at the ARC, and 15 students scaled “The Cemetery” at Apple Valley, lead by Outdoor Adventure coordinator Mark Hsieh.

“It’s a great experience,” senior business administrator Mark Hsieh said. “You get out and relax and get to check out God’s creation.”

“Intro to Rock Climbing” teaches students different types of climbing styles, how to rate the difficulty of a climb and safety techniques for climbing and belaying. The rest of the day is spent climbing and learning from experience.

Senior applied health major Travis Walker had never climbed before he joined 14 other students last Saturday for “Intro to Rock Climbing.” He said he had no idea what to expect, but now would encourage everyone to try it out.

“Right before I started I was a little nervous, but once you started climbing you got so focused on just making it to the top,” Walker said.

And once he made it, that was all that mattered. The sense of relief. The sense of victory. But then came what Walker found even more daunting, getting back down.

“Once you made it to the top, it was a little nerve-racking repelling but you just had to trust your belayer,” Walker said. “You definitely learn to trust. You have to trust the people holding you up because if they don’t do their job you’re falling to your death.”

Yet, nature’s own creation is not the only option for climbers. Rain or shine, climbing gyms can offer the same exhilarating experience and benefits of outdoor climbing.

From completely horizontal roofs to virtually vertical slabs, indoor rock climbing is a hands-on sport inspiring many students and young adults to climb.

“[Rock climbing] is a very social event. It’s a great adrenaline rush, it’s physically challenging and it creates a bond between you and whoever your climbing partner is,” manager of the ARC Joe Deluca said.

Today, with busy schedules making it difficult for many students and young adults to exercise, indoor rock climbing offers an alternative exercise and way to release stress.

Rock climbing is not only a challenging physical sport, but a mental workout as well.

“On average you can burn up to 800 calories an hour. [Rock climbing] strengthens and tones because you’re pulling your own body weight,” Deluca said. “It’s not a high impact sport, [so] there’s no pressure on the bones.”

It isn’t easy for anyone at first, according to Hsieh, rather it takes time and persistence to learn and condition the body. Hsieh said that anyone can learn and everyone should try.

“There are three main types of indoor and outdoor climbing,” Hsieh said.

Bouldering, which is popular at indoor gyms and is the featured style at ARC, involves large boulders less than 20 feet high with no rope to support or suspend the climber. With someone spotting, it is not only safe, but also fun to plummet to the soft cushions below.

Traditional and sport climbing are more common outdoors. Sport climbing, probably the most familiar, uses metal hangers to clip a rope and safety harness, while traditional climbing uses cracks to wedge nuts and cams to hold the rope which supports the climber.

While Hsieh recommends many outdoor climbing locations, including the world renown “climbing Mecca” Joshua Tree, Malibu Creek and Stony Point, for all levels of climbers, he encourages new climbers to grab a friend and head down to ARC for some indoor practice first.

“One mistake can be very bad, very consequential,” Hsieh said. “But with the right gear, the right knowledge and experience it really is very safe.”

ARC provides an open gym for APU students and their guests twice a month. As Christians, the owners want to provide an opportunity for students to bring non-Christian friends and just enjoy a night of climbing, Hsieh said.

So whether for a fun fitness alternative, a chance to enjoy the beauty of creation, or as Sir Edmund Hillary said, just because it’s there, rock climbing is a sport that anyone can enjoy for many different reasons.

“I think people who climb also just deal with life situations a lot better. Every rout is a problem, a difficulty you have to learn to overcome,” Hsieh said. “Later you can transfer that to your own life.