Hanging Out at New Heights Seniors battle their fear of heights by bouldering ARTICLE & PHOTO BY HAYLIE YEE • DESIGN BY VIDYA ACHAR
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enior Britney Stout’s fear of heights began at a young age, stemming from her father’s own fear. Whenever they came across high areas, he would retreat from the edge, and Stout followed in his footsteps. As she grew up, her fear of heights persisted despite her being old enough to make her own decisions. Due to her fear, Stout initially struggled to climb up the 15-foot walls when she began bouldering—rock climbing without ropes or harnesses—earlier this year with fellow seniors Arya Medapati and Sainirnay Mantrala to cross off an item on their holiday bucket list. “I used to go halfway up and then decide that was far enough and climb back down,” Stout said. “I’m very competitive, even with myself, so eventually it was like, ‘Okay, well, just keep going,’ ‘Do it, bet you won’t,’ in my mind and then I would push myself to keep climbing to the top. The more I did it, the more comfortable I got with being that high.” Stout, Medapati and Mantrala started with bouldering as it was more accessible than climbing with rope, also known as belaying, which required a license. While Medapati does not have a severe fear of heights similar to Stout’s, being high up in the air still induces some anxiety. “I feel pretty scared when I fall sometimes,” Medapati said. “I still have to overcome the fear, but it’s gotten a lot better since I started. Sometimes when I’m close to the top, I’ll be afraid to make a hard reach because I’ll be scared of falling and hurting myself.” When falling, boulderers are recommended to land on their feet, with their legs shoulder width apart with a slight bend. They roll on their backs with their arms crossed on the thick mats to prevent fracturing any bones. Climbers coat their hands
in chalk to prevent slipping, but minor injuries are still common. These can include blisters or small cuts from the holds. In non-emergencies at Movement Gym—where the seniors climb—the injured are given ice packs, but in the case of severe injuries, like torn muscles, sprained ankles and broken bones, the fire department is called. Spencer Kennedy, a gateway programs instructor, private coach and front desk worker at Movement, said at least one person a month has a severe injury. On March 1, Stout suffered a major
climbs and movements to try. In a climb called the “No-Hands Traverse,” climbers are not allowed to use their hands but can palm the walls. A dynamic movement, also known as a “dyno,” requires them to leap from hold to hold up the wall. “You need to be pretty fearless and pretty cocky,” Kennedy said. “I like to do a lot of dynos, and you have to get out of your own headspace and go for it. Ignore the consequences and go for it.” Additionally, there are different wall types that affect the climb too. The first, and simplest is a slab that requires balance and careful moves since the wall angle is greater than 90 degrees. The next wall is vertical, meaning the wall is mostly straight up. The last is overhang, when the wall angle is less than 90 degrees. “I like the concept of them, but [overhangs] are hard,” Stout said. “You literally have to put so much trust in your ability to hold yourself up onto that overhang, but they’re very accomplishing when you do complete them.” Each bouldering climb is graded on a V-scale from 0-17, however, at Movement gym, they range from VIntro to V9. V-scale is an abbreviation for Vermin after its creator John “Vermin” Sherman, a famous innovative climber. At Movement Gym, sections of walls are changed every week. They take down routes and create new paths of colored grips for climbers to attempt. “I used to run a lot for track, which was a good way to stay in shape, but then it’s also monotonous and boring,” Kennedy said. “Just running around a track. There’s nothing to do, nothing to spice it up. Climbing is a great way to stay in shape. There’s always something new to be doing, but then you’re also being healthy.” While the seniors have only bouldered indoors at Movement Gym, outdoor boul-
“Climbing is a great way to stay in shape. There’s always something new to be doing but then you’re also being healthy.” -Spencer kennedy
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sprain on her wrist while bouldering, not by landing badly but by slipping while her arm was stuck in a hold. “My mom asked me after she got to the ambulance when this happened,” Stout said. “She’s like, ‘Are you gonna go back?’ and I was like, ‘Yes. I will be back.’” Another critical tool required to prevent injuries and slipping are climbing shoes. They provide support and stiffness with thick rubber caps around the toes and heel. These prevent the shoe from coming off and allow climbers to perform movements called toe hooks and heel hooks. “They put a lot more rubber in the heel,” Kennedy said. “And that heel cup holds the shoe and that way you can utilize every inch of your foot.” In climbing there are a multitude of
