FROM BOULDERING GYMS TO BELAYS: A LOOK AT THE BLOOMING ROCK CLIMBING COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST OHIO
STORY AND PHOTO BY LAUREN STIDHAM
Athens, Ohio, a city amidst the sprawling Appalachian Mountains and an array of wildlife, is a quick trip away from various outdoor recreation hotspots. Whether it’s Hocking Hills State Park, Red River Gorge and New River Gorge, or local parks like Strouds Run State Park, the opportunity for adventure is endless.
Students at Ohio University find many ways to capitalize on these numerous outdoor sites, most notably Outdoor Pursuits (OP), or OU’s program for outdoor recreation opportunities. OP provides Adventure Trips across Southeast Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, which include activities such as backpacking, canoeing, bike packing and, climbing. But aside from these grand adventures, their rock climbing program — most notably the rock wall in Ping Recreation Center — is one way students can find adventure right here on campus.
Brenna McFarland, a senior studying environmental science with a minor in business administration, is a climbing wall supervisor for OP. McFarland rock climbed as a kid, but it wasn’t until transferring to OU that she rediscovered her love for the sport. “I just quit playing my sport [field hockey], so I gave it a shot — got a membership at my gym in Cincinnati for a month, and then got to OU and got involved with the climbing club and at the climbing wall,” said McFarland.
The Ohio University Climbing Club meets every Thursday at the Ping rock wall from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and for McFarland, it's one way she has found community here at OU. “I feel as though this [climbing] is very sentimental for me,” said McFarland. “When I transferred to OU, climbing was how I met all of my friends.”
“It felt like an instant match of immediately I met all of these people who were like-minded to me and interested in this common hobby, and really formed a community really fast, especially as a transfer student,” said McFarland.
While rock climbing clicked instantly for McFarland, she understands that for others, this jump may not be so simple. “I think initially it can be very intimidating because it feels like you don't know anything, and it feels like all these people are doing this cool thing that you've never seen before, you don't know how to do, or it's unfamiliar,” said McFarland. “Most people in the climbing community, when you talk to them and ask them questions, are really stoked on talking about it, and really stoked on involving new people.”
Outside of rock climbing opportunities offered through Ohio University, members of the community are creating climbing spaces for all ages.
Kate Bernens, co-founder of Blockhouse Bouldering, started a bouldering gym located in the Plains alongside her husband, Zach, in 2019. They began their business endeavor amidst the global pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped this gym from being a local favorite for climbers alike.
“It was COVID, so we didn't get a lot of traction. We didn't advertise a lot because we only had a very small thing, so, [we advertised] just kind of organically, like word of mouth — Facebook ... social media — and just kind of let it grow slowly which I think is what it needed,” said Bernens.
Bernens and her husband both attended OU and met in 2007 on the Ping rock wall. “We both were OU students, so that's kind of really cool to be the adults now, and just see that full circle and see all the students that are in the same position that we were,” said Bernens.
When they began their journey opening Blockhouse Bouldering, they found they were able to make a career path out of their lifelong love for the sport. “We never thought we would make a career out of it. We both have degrees and other things,” said Bernens. “We moved back to Athens for Zach to go to grad school, and there was no gym here, and we were like, the wheels started turning.”
“As we've gone through life, we realize that it's more important to have a job that you're passionate about,” said Bernens. “Hopefully your generation has taken more of that and are gonna like their jobs.”
Bernens found that in building the Blockhouse community, it has been more than just the nearby college students who have created the tight-knit group. “We were excited to build a climbing community that was adults, students, families, everyone, basically … and that's exactly what it's been,” said Bernens.
She feels as if this variety has been the crux of their community — not just those with a range of age groups, but also those with varying skill levels. “[We try to] make sure that the environment is inclusive and so it's for everyone,” said Bernens. “We don’t care who comes or who you are, where you're from, how good you are, if you're brand new. We really want beginners.”
Blockhouse offers private coaching and group lessons alongside various after-school programs and classes for kids in the community. Bernens feels this mentorship is critical for the climbing community as a whole. “There's like this lack of leadership, as far as people who kind of know what they're doing, so someone to take you outside and show you what to do, that's a huge barrier. As far as progressing and climbing,” said Bernens.
“Our goal is to kind of have a community where that's possible, and the elders or the more experienced people can welcome those new people with open arms,” said Bernens. “I feel like that's how it is here.”
McFarland credits Blockhouse as one of her favorite spots to climb nearby. “I started going there last summer. I think I was a little burnt out with ping, just because I also work there, and so I wanted something new, and immediately fell in love with it,” said McFarland.
McFarland also started working at Blockhouse’s front desk, and from working to climbing at the gym, she had found her own perspective of how the community has helped her grow as a climber. “My perception from working at both Ping and working for Blockhouse is that Ping is a really good place to learn and to teach, and Blockhouse is for people who are kind of trying to upgrade their skill set and improve on the wall — it's a lot more technical,” said McFarland.
While Blockhouse has made waves in the Southeast Ohio rock climbing community, it seems as if its story has just begun, and Bernens recognizes this, saying, “We still get people that come in, and they're like, ‘I had no idea this was here,’....That's good. We want to hear that. ... We hope we haven't tapped our full potential yet.”
