Take It to the Extreme
New Wilson Gym climbing wall provides a good workout
Richard Hain has been a rock climber since the early 1970s.
With a dearth of rocks to climb in the Triangle, he trains on indoor walls. While there are several indoor facilities in and around Durham, he's had the option since mid-September of using a new one on Duke's campus.
Nestled in a corner of Wilson Recreation Center stands a climbing wall with nearly 30 different routes, ranging from beginner to expert, to the top of the three-story structure.
"I use the indoor wall for training," said Hain, a Duke math professor who visits the climbing wall once or twice a week. "Climbing on anything is fun."
The 32-foot tall climbing wall opened in September and is available to anyone at Duke who has a Wilson membership. All climbers must first take a belay certification course before using the wall. The $25 fee includes the belay certification, access to the wall and all other climbing necessities. The one-hour class is currently offered two days a week. All other climbing necessities are available at the wall, free of charge.
"The classes have been filled since virtually the moment I put out the sign-up sheets," said Jan Hackett, who oversees the wall.
So far, Hackett said the wall has been immensely popular among students. In an effort to introduce more faculty and staff, Hackett said it could be used by various university departments for team-building exercises.
"It's pretty personal to be standing on the other end and holding somebody up on the wall," Hackett said. "If you let them fall, they're going to be not real happy."
The wall can accommodate as many as 22 people at a time. Because of the belay technique necessary to safely climb, one person scales the wall, while one person guides them with the rope from the ground and acts as their safety net.
"One of the things we talk about is getting faculty, staff and students doing something together," said Lee Tucker, director of Wilson Recreation Center. "It takes two people to climb. It doesn't matter who's holding the rope and who's climbing. It's a bonding thing."
While students are mostly using the wall now, Hain, the math professor, would like to see it turn into a gathering place for the entire Duke community.
"My hope is that in the near future, it's a place where there are undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff who climb, and they all interact," Hain said. "That's the goal."