To View - Sydney University Sport

ROARBy Rebecca PageTO CLIMB IS SUBLIMEWith the recent release of the film ‘127 Hours’, YOU may be asking YOURSELF why ANYONE WOULDleave the house, let alone go climbing. Why do we do it? Not an easy question to answerwhen the reasons are as many as there are climbers.Climbing is simultaneously ameans and an end, a pursuitwithout any tangible purposeother than its own intrinsic value, butwhen partway up a cliff consideringyour next move and how exactly to getthere, everything else just seems todrop away. It’s about solving problemswith your body and mind, when you arecompletely in the moment and lettinggo of everything other than the rockunder your fingers. Climbing gets underyour skin, and as it does, it teaches youabout yourself and about trust, andmeans that you’ll never be able to lookat a rock the same way again. Best of all,you get to see places and the world froma perspective that few ever understandand no photo can ever capture.As for mountaineering and iceclimbing, I’m still unconvinced thatthey aren’t actually a form of torture, butif you were born with very little sense, oryou dream of spending the night in anice-cave and have a slight penchant forfrostbite, these “sports” could befor you.Sydney University Rockclimbing andMountaineering Club (SURMC) is opento anyone who is willing and able, andprovides opportunities for people tolearn to climb in a safe environmentor simply to have fun while gettingtips from more experienced climbers.Members of the club meet eachWednesday evening at The LedgeClimbing Centre at Sydney University,and are always happy to welcome newmembers and show them the ropes.Every year the club offers training inskills and technique, runs trips fromNSW to Victoria to Queensland, andeven dabbles in a little non-climbingrelated Machiavellian fun. We arealso working toward returning tocompetitions this year and hope to havea couple of members representing usat The Block – one of Sydney’s premierbouldering contests.Early this semester, the club offeredtwo beginners’ climbing courses, freefor new members, and all who cameimproved their climbing around 4 to 6grades. After the Easter break anothercourse commenced for intermediatescomfortable on grades 16 to 20 whowanted to focus on their technique andmove to the next level.Two trips to Dam Cliffs in the BlueMountains have provided an opportunityfor people to climb outdoors and learnto lead and build anchors. There hasalso been some bouldering closer tothe cityscape, in Lindfield and QueensPark. Over Easter the club headed downto Arapiles, in Victoria, where membersjostled with holiday makers to climbin one of the most spectacular andbeloved trad climbing destinations inthe country.Other future trips include singleand multi-pitch climbing in the BlueMountains, a women’s climbing trip, aforay up to Queensland to escape thewinter chills, and some ice climbing atBlue Lake for those who are a little shorton sanity.Whether you just want to climb at thelocal crag, be involved in competitions,climb mountains, or add something newto the work-life imbalance, SURMC canprovide the gear while you bring thedrive. So, why not come and learn toclimb something other than the corporateladder while you’re at university?For more information go torockclimb@sport.usyd.edu.au.WWW.SUSF.COM.AU 39