Rock Climbing Club

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Climbing to the top at UCF
Kari Wilberg
Central Florida Future
10/1/2007

Oct. 20 will kick off the competitive season for the Rock Climbing Team at UCF.

The UCF Rock Climbing Team is composed of the top 15 members of the Rock Climbing Club, nine men and six women. Members of the team are part of the club.

This is only the team's second year competing, but the club has been at UCF since 2001. The club pays for the team to compete through dues, which are $20 per person each year.

On Sept. 14, the club had tryouts at Aiguille Rock Climbing Center in Longwood to determine which members of the club would lead the team's quest to make it to nationals held in Boulder, Colo., later this school year.

For the first competition, the team will compete in Tampa at Vertical Ventures gym on Oct. 20.

Last year, the team placed high enough at the regional competition to qualify for nationals held in Baltimore.

This year, club president and team coach Mike Roller, a second-year UCF student, is enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

He said he hopes to encourage many students to join the team, help them overcome any fears they may have, share his experiences and pull them into the climbing family.

Members of the climbing club do not see each other as only friends and teammates but consider each other family. Through climbing trips to Tennessee, Alabama and competitions, members become very close.

"You want to get to know people really well, especially the ones at the other end of the rope," Roller said.

Roller also expressed concern that many people shy away from rock climbing and joining the club because it is a sport where public failure is possible. Looking back, he said he couldn't even begin to count the number of people he has seen walk up to the wall and then turn away without even trying.

He said UCF team members and other competitors never tease or taunt fellow climbers.

Teammates are there for encouragement, support and, most of all, safety. They check and double check each other's equipment and, at times, even prohibit members from climbing if they feel their equipment is unsafe.

"We acknowledge that we are putting ourselves in danger, but we take every precaution possible," Roller said, hoping to reassure people who feel it is a dangerous sport.

He could say, without a doubt, that he has never heard of or seen anyone get seriously hurt who didn't first make a foolish and unnecessary mistake.

The climbing team takes two trips each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. This is a way for climbers to get out of the gym and gain some truly life-changing experience.

In addition to the two scheduled trips, many members also take weekend excursions, gaining experience and also relieving all their pent-up stress from school.

The club practices twice a week at Aiguille, where club members can get a discounted rate. Meetings are held at the beginning of each month and members are only required to pay a small due for various costs throughout the year.

As for new climbers, Roller said that there is plenty of extra equipment at the climbing tower for anyone who may be worried about the costs.

The comradery between the teammates, the stress-relieving workout and the experience are all benefits to joining the club, he said.

The spots for the team were given at tryouts, but anyone interested is encouraged to join the club.

Check www.therockclimbingclub.ucf.edu for more information.