4 minute read
On the ascent
Trinity students have been exploring and climbing for decades, on trips, as part of the Combined Cadet Force, or through Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The indoor climbing wall, which opened in 1999, has enabled students and staff to develop new skills, friendships, and often a new mindset.
Richard Holdsworth, Head of Academic Music, Head of Climbing:
Climbing’s recent inclusion in the Olympics has propelled it to ‘household status,’ but its history is long, illustrious, and colourful. Deriving from mountaineering’s ‘Golden Age’ in the 19th century, climbing became as much an expression of self, a journey of introspection, and a counter-cultural statement against an increasingly risk-averse society, as it was a physical activity. Nowadays, at its finest, climbing is the confluence of meditation and exertion; a mountain martial art.
Whilst I have overseen climbing at Trinity, I have been thrilled to see the levels at which our students perform gradually increase, as well as the breadth of our student population who engage. Students can take climbing as a games option from the Third Year, and through our Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced clubs, can climb from any age and at any level. We regularly take students to competitions and have enjoyed significant success.
Ben, Upper Sixth
When I joined Trinity in the Third Year, I had never climbed before. When I saw it as a games option, I chose it for my first half term at Trinity, and I am so glad I did!
Since then, climbing has easily become my favourite sport, influencing my university decisions and A Level Design Technology coursework project.
I particularly like climbing because it isn't dependent on muscle alone. You need to think about how you're going to get up the wall and can progress at your own pace. Sometimes the weirdest positions and moves can enable you to reach further than expected, and it's so rewarding when you do! I’ve loved participating in competitions and also racing against friends, although I am yet to beat them (less than 3 seconds up the wall!!).
All of this would not have been possible without Trinity offering it as a games option and allowing me to try something new.
As a lifelong climber and mountaineer, I have recently gained further qualifications with the school’s support and can provide different experiences to our students. I'll be able to safely take them into the UK’s most challenging, beautiful, and inspiring environments and expose them to the raw natural beauty of the UK. Through this, I believe we can all gain a deeper understanding of the natural world, our place within it, our responsibilities towards it, and, therefore, a deeper understanding of ourselves. But most of all, I want to open their eyes to the world of adventure, self-discovery, and self-reliance. I want climbing and mountaineering to be for them what it has been for me: an ethos, an identity, a calling, a reason.
The summit is what drives us, but the climb itself is what matters.
- Conrad Anker, The North Face Mountaineer (1962-present)
Caden, Lower Sixth
I have loved being part of the Trinity Climbing Team, I have found it to be an incredibly exciting experience, frequently participating in competitions across the UK and achieving much success.
My favourite aspect of climbing is its accessibility. I have had countless opportunities to introduce friends to this enjoyable sport. However, it still maintains a high skill ceiling, which allows you to constantly progress to higher levels.
Inspired by success at school, I decided to apply to more solo competitions and events. This led to me entering the try-outs of the Catalyst team. [an external squad headed up by a former member of the Olympic climbing team] who I’d heard about through social media. I succeeded in getting a place and now go to HarroWall every Saturday to train for about 3-4 hours. This has been invaluable to my climbing and my motivation, as I get to practice with people who share my values and are incredibly skilled. I highly recommend trying this sport to anyone and look forward to seeing our small team at Trinity keep growing.
We cannot lower the mountain, therefore we must elevate ourselves.
