By Nate Wertjes, Tumwater High School Intern to ThurstonTalk
I meet Patrick at 5:30 p.m. at the Warehouse Rock Gym. The parking lot is packed, so I park along the street. We enter the gym, leaving behind the darkness and entering a brightly lit lobby. Patrick waves at several people behind the counter and they wave back. Patrick is clearly a regular. I quickly follow him through another doorway and see an array of climbing walls. Patrick changes into a tank top, and puts on his climbing shoes. He dips into his chalk bag, rubbing the white grit into his hands.
Patrick Wees is many things, but a rock climber? “I had no idea what I was getting into,” he says with a grin. His older brother brought him rock climbing several times and he became completely engrossed. Patrick, a Tumwater High School senior, really started regularly rock climbing the winter of his junior year, and hasn’t stopped since. “It just felt like my thing,” he says.
Rock climbing isn’t typically considered a “mainstream” sport. Despite this, there is a vibrant community of rock climbers throughout Olympia. “It’s a sport that anyone can get into,” says Patrick. And looking around the Warehouse Rock Gym, it appears to be the case. People of all ages are pulling themselves higher and higher, clapping more chalk dust onto their hands, and generally just having a good time. Patrick says that anyone can learn to rock climb, just come with some friends and have fun. “It’s important not to get discouraged,” he says.
Right now Patrick is warming up. He reaches far to his left to grab a protruding purple “rock” (technically called a “grip”) and then swings his entire body in that direction. He looks more alive when he is dangling off of the concrete cliff than when he is on the ground. His body appears unrestricted when he climbs. Patrick is in his element.
There are roughly two divisions of rock climbing – bouldering and sport climbing. When asked which his favorite is, Patrick quickly responds “bouldering.” He pauses, then quickly adds, “because it’s not sport climbing.”
In competition climbing there are three universally recognized categories: lead, speed and bouldering. In lead climbing, competitors attempt to climb a long, difficult route designed by a route setter. The climber’s performance is determined by the highest hold reached. In speed climbing, it is exactly as it sounds. The fastest time to the top wins. Both lead and speed climbing involve the use of ropes and harnesses, and are considered to be under the umbrella of sport climbing. Bouldering is the exception. It does not include ropes or harnesses and while the routes are usually shorter, they can be very difficult.
After answering my questions, Patrick goes back to climbing, specifically bouldering. He actually starts now sitting on the ground and lifting himself from there. He rises, reaching one way, then the other gaining height with each step. Suddenly, with an explosion of muscle, he vaults five feet higher, and through a precarious finger hold, pulls his whole body up. He reaches one last time and finishes the route.
Patrick seems unafraid when he climbs, as if the higher he goes, the more comfortable he gets. I ask him about his favorite part of rock climbing. He thinks for a moment then says confidently, “It’s thrilling to know that you could fall at any time.” I laugh thinking it’s a joke, but he’s dead serious. I quickly write it down. I haven’t seen anyone fall, but the thick pads underneath the walls makes it clear that safety is a priority.
Patrick is part of a competitive team, consisting of students from grades 9 to 12. To compete, individuals on each team attempt to climb a route determined by competition officials. The better the individual does, the better his or her team will do. This fall, Patrick’s team will compete at regionals. There are three levels of competition after regionals: Districts, Nationals and then World. Patrick says his highest ambition is to make it to Nationals.
I look around the room and it’s packed. I ask Patrick if it is always this busy. “Oh, this is nothing. You should see it when it really gets going,” he says casually. Rock climbing has become an integral part of the Olympia community. In fact, it has become so popular that The Warehouse Rock Gym is merging with Purdy Fun Climbing to build a brand new, 10,000 square foot facility in Lacey. It is slated to open in the winter 2016.
I ask Patrick about his future in rock climbing, specifically if he intends to rock climb in college. “I don’t think so,” he says. “I’ll definitely do it recreationally. I just want to continue to have fun.” And that seems to be what rock climbing is all about.
