Hands stretched and fingers splayed, climbers reach for the next handhold, some with practiced ease, while others carefully calculate their next move.
The wall is covered in holds of various shapes and sizes, each painted in bright colors to signify different routes, with varying difficulty levels ranging from beginner-friendly to advanced.
Belayers, those responsible for managing the rope attached to the climber, direct climbers on where to maneuver next, adjusting the rope length as the climber moves up the wall.
Every Wednesday at 10 p.m., climbers of all skill levels gather at the Johnson Recreation Center (JC) climbing wall to develop their climbing skills as a community.
According to the club’s president, Ellie Carter, a sophomore electrical engineering major and student employee at the JC, all University of Kentucky students are welcome to join the Rock Climbing Club.
Carter explained a typical club meeting to consist of a challenge or team-building activity with free climbing at the end. Some challenges include racing to the top of the wall, climbing with only one arm or climbing while blindfolded.
Joining the club comes with no membership fees or additional costs. The JC provides all necessary equipment, including shoes and harnesses. The only requirement is to complete a brief online waiver each year to be eligible to climb.
Carter said the club is a great place for beginner climbers to start, as it was through the club that she discovered her own passion for climbing.
“I had just come to college, I didn’t know anybody, and I was like, ‘oh, climbing sounds fun.’ And I came to club (meeting) and I really liked it. And then soon I found myself climbing like every day,” Carter said.
Carter credits her love for climbing to the friends she made at the club as a freshman.
“Last year I really appreciated all the time and effort the leaders had put in and how much this club helped me find my place at UK,” Carter said. “If I can help other people find friends and find their place, I want to be a part of that.”
Without the club, Carter said she would have never discovered her love for outdoor climbing, which she described as her “true passion.”
Carter was not the only one to discover her passion for climbing through the club. Caroline DuVall, a sophomore marketing and management major, also came into the club with very little experience and now serves as the vice president.
According to DuVall, the club is an “open community for people with similar interests. A lot of us like rock climbing and problem-solving, but also the physical aspect of pushing yourself,” DuVall said.
DuVall also joined the club as a freshman and said it was what grounded her on campus. As vice president, she hopes to “make sure other incoming freshmen had the same experiences I did.”
With almost 200 members, the club has grown significantly in the past year. However, Carter and DuVall both said the typical turnout is about 20 people per meeting.
According to Carter and DuVall, since the club is so casual, members get out of it however much they put in.
“It’s a really low-key, low-stress way to meet people that are very chill and very laid-back,” DuVall said. “It’s an easy way to make connections and meet people and build friendships on campus.”
In addition to climbing and meeting like-minded people, the club has also helped members feel a sense of success and accomplishment.
Caleb Campbell, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, joined the club with minimal climbing experience and has worked his way up to the more challenging routes in the short time he has been involved.
“It’s really easy to grow quickly,” Campbell said. “You start on the easy routes and work your way up to the harder ones, and it makes you feel successful like you’re making progress in a good way.”
Campbell has also learned the importance of recognizing his limits, understanding that pushing beyond them can lead to injury.
“You can’t walk up to the hardest route and be super confident. You can hurt yourself. You can hurt the person holding your rope. So being careful in that way is another big thing,” Campbell said.
Izzy Schmidt, a sophomore animal science major, joined the club as a freshman and now holds the position of treasurer. Schmidt said she first joined the club as a way to stay active and has since learned skills such as problem-solving and strategizing.
“It’s fun and it’s really at your own pace,” Schmidt said. “So, if you’re a beginner or you’ve been climbing forever, you can do whatever you’re comfortable with and I think it’s a good space because we’re all friends and we all get along.”
Another club member, Max Zengel, a freshman aerospace engineering major, joined the club only knowing the basics of climbing.
Zengel said the Rock Climbing Club has taught him “a lot about balance and creativity to figure out where to put your hands and feet and different ways to hold grips.”
He said he also enjoys the social aspect of the club and how it is an easy way to make new friends since he gets to climb with the same people each week.
For those wanting a bit more competition, the JC hosts a climbing competition once a semester. This year, the fall competition took place on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
With all new routes ranging from beginner to advanced, the competition offers something for climbers of all skill levels. More information about this event can be found on the Campus Recreation website.
The Rock Climbing Club is ideal for students eager to dive into a new hobby, stay active and connect with others. It has empowered members like Carter and DuVall to find a sense of belonging on campus and uncover a true passion for climbing.
According to Carter, the club’s mission is to “foster an environment for people to be active and try a new activity, but also feel safe and able to be themselves.”
