Climbing Center boasts female-only climbing night
In effort to make the University of Idaho Climbing Center more welcoming and approachable for women, the Student Recreation Center has reserved a block of time each week to make the climbing wall exclusive to females.
Jackson Flynn | Argonaut
Senior Kate Johnson practices her climbing skills on the wall Wednesday evening at the Rec Center. The Rec reserves the climbing wall for women only every Wednesday from 9-11pm.
Trevor Fulton, assistant coordinator for UI’s outdoor program, said women climbers sometimes garner feelings of intimidation and anxiety when approaching the Climbing Center because of its popularity among men and focus on upper body strength.
To combat those feelings, Fulton said UI offers women-only climbing opportunities every week.
Women’s Climbing Night is held 9-11 p.m. every Wednesday. During those hours, Fulton said the Climbing Center in the SRC is reserved specifically for women. Female staff members lead the program and the cost for climbing is reduced to $4, which pays for both equipment and instruction.
Fulton said the intimidation women sometimes feel may become an issue in climbing because it could create a false sense of exclusiveness within the climbing culture.
“We try to get rid of that as much as possible so it’s welcoming and open and it’s an environment (where) — in this particular case — females are comfortable stepping in the door with the idea that if they do Women’s Climbing Night once, they get it and feel comfortable,” Fulton said.
Fulton said there is definitely a demographic of women who have no issue climbing and learning with males, but said Women’s Climbing Night is offered for women who are more comfortable in a female-only environment.
The basic clinic, or training, for the Climbing Center is taught the same to everyone, whether it’s part of Women’s Climbing Night or not, Fulton said.
Fulton said there is also a female-specific training offered during Women’s Climbing Night. Women have the option of taking it formally with an instructor, and informally through climbing with a group of the same gender.
There is also a number of basic rock climbing classes taught at the Climbing Center, for academic credit or just for personal knowledge.
Fulton said in his time as a teacher he’s seen a trend of new female climbers starting their training more easily than new male climbers. He said it all comes down to technique.
“Females have a much better gauge of their own body movement,” Fulton said. “They understand body movement better than males do, for the most part.”
Jackson Flynn | Argonaut
Faculty member Sam States practices bouldering on the shorter bouldering wall Wednesday evening at the Rec Center.
Fulton also said males tend to be stronger in the upper body, while females tend to be stronger in the lower body. A lower body strength combined with an awareness of movement on the wall is what makes a good climber, he said.
“Women tend to be more honest about the fears and characteristic traits that are revealed as part of the challenges and process of climbing,” said Wendy Carbone, an authority at Women’s Climbing Night. “When it’s all women, I find that we talk more about these things as they come up for us, and we keep an open dialogue about the struggles physically and maybe emotionally, too.”
Large, bold moves requiring a lot of upper body strength comes naturally to men, Carbone said. For women, what comes easier is the footwork, finesse, balance and flexibility.
Carbone said Women’s Climbing Night is a good place for beginning climbers to find mentorship, and a good place for advanced climbers to work on skills in an open, reserved space.
Carbone said during the fall 2014 semester, Women’s Climbing Nights had a core group of five to seven climbers on average, which was good in comparison to when she first arrived in Moscow and started to attend Women’s Climbing Nights.
Carbone said women should try to climb and give climbing more than one shot because those starting out often don’t quite have the hand and finger strength required to be good at it instantly.
Elise Clausen, UI Climbing Center coordinator, said she started climbing about eight years ago at UI while working on her undergraduate degree. Clausen initially didn’t believe climbing was for her.
“The Climbing Center is viewed as exclusive or only for people who are tough and not fearful, and they’re real go-getters,” Clausen said.
Clausen said Women’s Climbing Nights give women a space where they don’t have to worry about being timid or being less sure of themselves and their abilities as climbers.
Jake Smith can be reached at [email protected]