Rock Climbing Club brings extreme sports to campus

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Author: William Stupp

A strong passion for rock climbing unites sophomores Billy Cornell and Cliff Cody and exchange-student John Beesley, the new heads of Occidental College’s Rock Climbing Club. Under the new leadership, the club is expanding its presence and providing all students with opportunities to engage in the extreme sport of rock climbing.

According to a recent Forest Service report, the number of rock climbers in the U.S. grew by 9.5 percent in the decade leading up to 2009. The sport is projected to grow by an additional 50-85 percent within the next 35 years. Experienced rock climbers at Occidental would like to see the trending sport gain popularity and attract interested students.

Marking a significant turn for the club, which was largely inactive in recent years, the group’s leaders are targeting climbers of all experience levels to participate in club events.

Rock climbing, as a sport, is divided into more than a dozen subcategories, ranging from adventure-oriented and potentially life-threatening (such as free solo climbing, where no safety equipment is used), to the safer practice of climbing on established routes, sometimes with gymnastic movements (as in sport climbing). A day spent climbing can involve anything from a trip to the local indoor gym to a week-long expedition accessing back-country routes.

Occidental’s climbers hope to engage in activities across the entire spectrum. Cornell has been climbing since he was in the eighth grade, developing a great love for the sport over the years.

“[Climbing] is about getting in touch with your wild side,” Cornell said. “It’s about developing motivation, confidence and physical and mental strength. You’re competing with yourself; It’s about getting the next climb done and fulfilling your personal goals.”

Beesley agrees, sharing his philosophy on climbing and its deeper cathartic meaning to his life.

“When you’re on the wall, there’s nothing in your head except the holds and moves ahead of you — it even helped me get through my father’s death,” he said. “I find that this state of pure focus is hard to achieve with other sports. It allows you to develop social relationships that will always stick – once you’ve caught someone on a belay after a big fall, that kind of trust just doesn’t go away!”

The three individuals share an enduring passion for climbing. It is this passion that motivates them to branch out, hoping to form lasting foundations of an on-campus climbing culture. Aiming to appeal to first-time participants, the club has already organized two trips to local climbing gyms. For the club’s first event of this year, first-time climbers learned the ropes at the Arc bouldering gym in Arcadia with funds from the Office of Student Life (OSL) paying for student admission.

“Our main goal for these trips was to train new members how to climb safely,” Beesley said via email. “I just want to expand the sport to as many people as possible.”

With this aim, Beesley is starting to organize weekly rides via the Bengal Bus system to local gyms. Cornell also has his eyes on The Stronghold, a facility in Echo Park that is set to open this winter. If enough students are interested, discounted membership and other benefits can be arranged.

“We want to develop a relationship with [The Stronghold] from the get-go,” Cornell said.

The organization has been relatively successful so far in achieving its goal of student outreach and establishing relationships with local institutions. The continued securing of funds from the OSL will play a big role, since short-term gym memberships can cost upwards of $100 after equipment rentals.


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