Climbing, Community and Friendship

By: Benjamin Denton ‘20, communication

When the subject of puzzles is brought up, most people think of ones they may have played with as children, testing their ingenuity and problem solving ability. Many adults will solve puzzles for recreation, but most of them would not guess physical exercise to be a prerequisite to solve those puzzles. Raveena Doshi ‘18 and Tyler Kropiewnicki ‘18 are not most people.

Doshi, a senior at NC State studying mechanical engineering, and Kropiewnicki, a senior in computer science, solve a different kind of puzzle for fun, one that takes a little more than brain power: rock climbing.

“I like to think about it as solving a puzzle with your body” said Doshi. Rock climbing is done on both natural and artificial rock with the aid of chalk and various safety equipment. According to the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), an estimated 25 million people participated worldwide in 2018, and between 1,000 and 1,500 people are trying the sport for the first time every day in the United States alone.

Doshi and Kropiewnicki have been climbing together at Carmichael Gym’s indoor climbing wall since the fall of 2017. Once Doshi and Kropiewnicki started climbing together, they were hooked, climbing between three and six hours a week. Of course that may not be manageable for everyone “You could do it for just 20 minutes” said Kropiewnicki. There are plenty of physical benefits of rock climbing such as cardio and strength conditioning. A recent study by the University of North Florida found that climbing can increase working memory capacity.

The is more than physical gain involved, Doshi and Kropiewnicki each have additional thoughts on what makes climbing great for them. “I think the community aspect is what I like the most” said Kropiewnicki. “Even if you don’t know how to climb, just show up and everyone there is very helpful”. Kropiewnicki explained that Sundays are when newcomers are specifically encouraged to come, and the members of the community can–quite literally– show them the ropes.

“The biggest benefit is confidence in my physical skills” said Doshi. “Because you try a route five or six times and keep failing, but then you get it one day and you feel much more confident”. As computer science major, Kropiewnicki spends the overwhelming majority of his work day looking at screens, so being on the wall provides a mental escape.

[pullquote cite=”Tyler Kropiewnicki ‘18, computer science.” color=”wolfpackred” align=”alignleft”]This lets me practice my rock climbing skills because it’s close and convenient.[/pullquote]

Since rock climbing is becoming so prevalent nationally, skills in that area are extremely useful.You can climb on outdoor courses around the United States Kropiewnicki said.

Courses are scored on the “Yosemite system”, which ranges from 5.1 to 5.12, based on their level of difficulty as determined by a professional climber. This system allows for standardization so that users won’t end up on a course that is too advanced for their skill level Kropiewnicki said.

Many people might have the impression that rock climbing is very difficult to start and that only the “athletes” can be good at it. “I did not play a single sport in my life” said Doshi, “I was a robotics kid growing up”. It of course requires some level of fitness but like with anything that requires skill, learning and perfecting it can be done with time and practice. “If I can do it, anyone can do it” said Doshi.

The climbing wall in Carmichael is located just behind basketball courts nine through 11 and is open six days a week. With a welcoming community, no previous experience required and all the benefits that can be gained, what’s stopping you?