Friday, December 6, 2013

"The rock wall? Oh yeah I've seen it. No, I've never tried it...."

You walk past it, glance over a little, maybe work up the nerve to walk over and take a peek, but you never get past the threshold of the first floor. Today is the day. The day you conquer the massive piece of rock looming in the corner of the rec center.



You step into the area and feel the floor give beneath you a bit. Woah, you weren’t expecting that. Sheepishly you walk to the front desk and ask what you have to do. They give you directions and you proceed. The woman hands you your equipment and asks you to take a seat on the large piece of black foam next to the desk. You obey silently and walk over, lacing up your climbing shoes and strapping on your harness. The nerves start to kick in at this point. “What am I doing?” you ask yourself as the employee at the base of the monument ties you in. You look up and see the end: daunting, so far away. You look over your harness one more time, desperately checking the complicated buckles and straps as if you know what you’re doing. All or nothing. “Ready sir? Just don’t look down.” It’s now or never. As you make your ascent you heed the employee’s warning and keep your eyes glued to the prize, the top. After what seems like forever you look up half-expecting to see the top…it’s not even close. At this point you’re ready to give up. “I’m no good at this…” but in the middle of your half-hearted defeat you hear a voice calling up to you. “You can do this! You’re half way there! I’ll walk you through the rest of it! I promise you’ll get to the top!” An OP employee sends up words of encouragement and suddenly that ascent seems doable. You decide to give it one more shot, because after all, you are half way there. The sweat beads from your forehead and your palms begin to perspire uncontrollably. “I can’t do this…” you mutter. Little do you know you’re ¾ of the way there. “You have a chalk bag behind your harness! Keep going you’re so close!” You reach behind you and feel the soothing relief of CaCO3 between your fingers and suddenly have new life injected into your hands. “Almost there.” After what feels like 30 minutes you reach a long stretch of an arm up and feel the top-most rock. You’ve done it! You’re finished! The OP employee slowly lowers you back to the ground and you await the embarrassing verdict of the evident time trial you failed. “Be honest with me…how long did that take me…?” Smiling, the OP employee looks at you and says “about 5 minutes. You did really well!” Shocked, an uncontrollable grin slides across your face and something you never thought you’d say escapes your lips: “That was awesome! Can I go again?”




Too often people are afraid to climb up the giant that is the UTSA rock wall. Standing at 54 ft tall, it is the tallest collegiate rock wall in the state of Texas. Yes, that’s a little intimidating, but that is what the OP staff is there for. As an employee I help UTSA students defeat the wall every day. More than often I receive students who tell themselves that they just can’t. After a little coaching they triumphantly slap the top of that wall and leave with the biggest look of satisfaction on their face. OP staff is there and ready to help you conquer your fear and get a great workout at the same time.



Unlike other universities, UTSA’s rock wall is free for you and your guests to use. After filling out some paperwork, with your UTSA or guest pass you are able checkout all the necessary equipment to climb the rock wall. Again, this is all free of charge. Worried about your safety? Employees who work at the rock wall are extensively trained to keep your safety their number one priority. We are belay (rope working) certified and ready to help you reach your goals! No pun intended. Ok maybe a little. Ropes and equipment are checked weekly and are always going to be safe for anyone of any size, age (18+ per rec policy), gender, or background to climb on.



Because of the popularity of our rock wall at times it can become busy, keeping staff occupied. We have a solution for this! UTSA offers FREE belay clinics Monday-Thursday at 5:00PM for anyone interested in learning. Our recommendation is to bring along a friend. When staff becomes occupied and can’t assist you up the wall, after you’ve finished your certification, you and your buddy can belay each other without the need for staff to help you. If you’re up for a challenge, we also offer lead climbing clinics once a month. For more information visit the rock wall’s information page at: http://utsa.edu/recreation/outdoor/rock_wall.cfm




The rock wall is a huge asset to anyone at UTSA who is willing to have some fun trying something new while getting a great workout at the same time. This free service is fun and safe to use for students and their guests. Come by the rock wall and say hi! We’d be happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. We’ll see you soon!

-Aneliz


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