12 Climbers, A Dozen Stories

From gym rats to hard core, indoor climbing evokes elevated emotions

- Andy Dappen

Once it was my driving outdoor passion. I liked to hike, bike, kayak, and ski, but I lived to climb.

Over time, family, profession and other outdoor interests filled my life to the point that the strong hands and tough mental mindset needed for climbing atrophied.

By the time I was middle-aged what I lived for had changed.

Last fall as a recent retiree I decided to reconnect to climbing. I got a membership at Wenatchee’s Riverfront Rock Gym, thinking the ability to practice quickly and frequently might whip my physical and mental abilities back to those glory years now some 30 years distant.

The venture held big surprises — one of the greatest being how much I enjoyed climbing indoors.

While climbing in my youth had been an outdoor experience shared with one partner, the indoor experience proved pleasantly social.

Also, my fear that oldsters might feel the condescension of younger, better climbers was unfounded. The young hotshots willingly shared tips and strategies when I asked for their advice.

Before long, my forays to the artificial walls were as much about interaction as they were about technique.

Another surprise? The range of different reasons that drew others to the rock gym — everyone seemed to have a unique story.

Some were top guns, others just learning; some were married and arrived solo for personal time, others came down with their spouse as a date; some were single and enjoyed pursuing their climbing goals without distraction, others were single and hoping to meet someone with shared passions; some were kids training with the afternoon Youth Team, others were seniors gathering for Geezer Tuesdays.

Talk to a dozen people and you’d hear 12 different stories, like the following ones, explaining what drew them to this new facility.

Jack Bevier ~ New challenges keep him growing