Social climbers wanted
Published on August 19, 2008 by The Sentinel
Published on August 19, 2008 by The Sentinel
If stress is driving you up the walls and crawling on the ceiling
seems like a reasonable way to spend an afternoon, rock climbing could
be for you.
It works just fine for Chris Sierzant, owner of Kennesaw’s Escalade Rock Climbing Gym, who said he climbs for “the release it gives me from the monotony of everyday living.” Chris is a sponsored climber, a professional who recently made the cover of Urban Climber Magazine. His gym offers climbers, from beginners to professionals, the opportunity to enjoy both top-roping and bouldering, the two ways of getting one’s butt up the wall.
Top-roping requires two people: one remains on the ground, taking in and letting out a rope that runs through a carabiner at the top of the wall and connects to the climber below. A carabiner, a vital piece of the climbing apparatus, is an oblong metal loop with a hinged opening on one side. Bouldering also involves scaling a wall, but only to a height at which ropes are not necessary. Therefore, bouldering is a more individualistic challenge, whereas top-roping calls for teamwork and builds strong personal bonds.
Both bouldering walls and top-roping are available at Escalade, which is located off of Kennesaw’s Moon Station Drive and is the nearest climbing gym to Kennesaw State University. Housed in an industrial warehouse, the gym contains “over 13,000 square feet of climbing,” according to the gym’s Web site. The atmosphere inside is relaxed and air conditioned, a welcoming environment for beginners and skilled climbers alike. Senya Laryguine, another sponsored climber who regularly trains at the gym, said, “Of all the gyms around the world that I’ve been to, this gym provides the most methods of getting strong.” These “methods” include a low ceiling speckled with climbing holds that make it possible for one literally to crawl upside down, defying gravity with strength, and an almost vertical wall on which one can grip boards and ascend using only one’s hands. There are also the standard bouldering walls and higher top-roping walls common to most climbing gyms.
Outside of the gym, climbing is growing in popularity—and availability. According to Sierzant, the southeast has “more rock than we know what to do with,” with “three to four areas found in a given year.” For those who wish to find local climbing spots, Sierzant recommends visiting seclimbers.org .
On Mon., Aug. 25th, from 2 pm until 10 pm, Sierzant will open Escalade’s doors to KSU students free of charge (there will be a fee for climbing shoes, which are optional). Students will be given access to the full range of climbing equipment and an introduction to the sport by the gym’s instructors. All students must show their KSU card and have a Release of Liability Form, which can be downloaded via the gym’s Web site (www.escaladegym.com ). Also, every Wednesday, students who present their KSU card are offered a discounted rate of $12 for male students and $6 for female students.
seems like a reasonable way to spend an afternoon, rock climbing could
be for you.
It works just fine for Chris Sierzant, owner of Kennesaw’s Escalade Rock Climbing Gym, who said he climbs for “the release it gives me from the monotony of everyday living.” Chris is a sponsored climber, a professional who recently made the cover of Urban Climber Magazine. His gym offers climbers, from beginners to professionals, the opportunity to enjoy both top-roping and bouldering, the two ways of getting one’s butt up the wall.
Top-roping requires two people: one remains on the ground, taking in and letting out a rope that runs through a carabiner at the top of the wall and connects to the climber below. A carabiner, a vital piece of the climbing apparatus, is an oblong metal loop with a hinged opening on one side. Bouldering also involves scaling a wall, but only to a height at which ropes are not necessary. Therefore, bouldering is a more individualistic challenge, whereas top-roping calls for teamwork and builds strong personal bonds.
Both bouldering walls and top-roping are available at Escalade, which is located off of Kennesaw’s Moon Station Drive and is the nearest climbing gym to Kennesaw State University. Housed in an industrial warehouse, the gym contains “over 13,000 square feet of climbing,” according to the gym’s Web site. The atmosphere inside is relaxed and air conditioned, a welcoming environment for beginners and skilled climbers alike. Senya Laryguine, another sponsored climber who regularly trains at the gym, said, “Of all the gyms around the world that I’ve been to, this gym provides the most methods of getting strong.” These “methods” include a low ceiling speckled with climbing holds that make it possible for one literally to crawl upside down, defying gravity with strength, and an almost vertical wall on which one can grip boards and ascend using only one’s hands. There are also the standard bouldering walls and higher top-roping walls common to most climbing gyms.
Outside of the gym, climbing is growing in popularity—and availability. According to Sierzant, the southeast has “more rock than we know what to do with,” with “three to four areas found in a given year.” For those who wish to find local climbing spots, Sierzant recommends visiting seclimbers.org .
On Mon., Aug. 25th, from 2 pm until 10 pm, Sierzant will open Escalade’s doors to KSU students free of charge (there will be a fee for climbing shoes, which are optional). Students will be given access to the full range of climbing equipment and an introduction to the sport by the gym’s instructors. All students must show their KSU card and have a Release of Liability Form, which can be downloaded via the gym’s Web site (www.escaladegym.com ). Also, every Wednesday, students who present their KSU card are offered a discounted rate of $12 for male students and $6 for female students.
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