Behind all the harnesses, helmets and special shoes, there is a lot more to Marquette’s rock climbing than just climbing up the rock itself.
Although the laid-back, recreational practices are a portion of what it means to be a part of the club, the main purpose is to create forever friendships and social connections.
Casey Perez, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and club ambassador said that the great people she’s met allow for creating a great community.
Club president Jackson Ressner, a senior in the College of Business, agrees.
“I joined this club and met a lot of really good friends. It’s been awesome that this has been a way for me to create these relationships,” Ressner said.
Each week, the club holds practice every Monday and Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. at Milwaukee’s Turner Hall, which is a 15–minute walk from Marquette.
Connor O’Malley, a senior in the College of Business, said that the hall is such an unexpected place to hold practices, but is worth it because of the relationships he made.
“It’s funny. You would never expect a climbing gym at a place that’s also a concert venue, a restaurant and a ballroom,” O’Malley said. “I prefer this kind of tight knit community compared to some larger gyms. You can climb with everyone and form friendships, so it’s really cool.”
Isaac Anderson, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and the club’s gear manager, said that Turner Hall gives climbers more of a variability to try to climb something new by changing up how the courses are set up.
Perez said these routes force the climbers to think about their next move.
“It’s not only physically challenging, but it’s like a maze at the same time because you have to figure out how you’re going to climb the wall and what kind of route you’re going to take and what way you’re going to do it,” Perez said.
Being gear manager for the club, Anderson is in charge of making sure that the members have everything they need not only for practices, but also for trips.
Each semester, the club tries to take at least one trip to Devils Lake State Park as well as fall and spring break trips to various locations.
Perez said she is looking forward to the upcoming trip to a climbing area in Kentucky.
“People went last year, so I’m super excited to check out this new outdoor climbing spot and we’re going to camp there for a couple days, so it should be fun,” Perez said.
Ressner said the outdoor trips are open to everyone.
“It’s a lot of fun, like a road trip for 8-12 hours sucks on its own but hanging out with a bunch of friends that entire time, and then going to climb together, doing what we love, it’s just really great,” Ressner said.
The e-board works together to make sure that any member who wants to be a part of these trips does not have to face a financial burden. As club president, Ressner is in charge of being in contact with both MUSG and club sports to make sure that there is enough funding, as well as gas and camping payments.
The club aims to make sure that anyone can come out and have a great time outdoors.
After piquing more Marquette students’ interest in the club after O-Fest, Anderson said he was satisfied with the turnout at the information session they held.
“We actually had to keep tearing out more paper because we ran out and so many people put their names down,” Anderson said. “Then we got a really good crowd to show up at our info session. We have a lot of new members and that’s really exciting.”
Perez said he believes that this sport is for anyone who is interested, and wants students to know that they are going to welcome everyone with open arms.
“There’s a spot for everybody at every skill to shine,” Perez said.
This article was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @raquelrz15.
