Whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber, Outdoor Adventures hosted a short climbing class at Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg on Saturday, April 11. Enchanted Rock is an excellent spot for hiking thanks to the unique shape of its rocks and their smooth yet rugged surfaces; it is also ideal for practicing various climbing techniques that can only be mastered on the terrain this location offers.

The hiking trail leading to the climbing spot is incredibly steep. However, this is not entirely typical, since, instead of the terrain being built up like a staircase with dirt and rocks, it has an almost smooth surface across nearly the entire mountain. For this reason, having good leg strength is recommended for exploring this area. Furthermore, because of the nature of this natural landscape, the climb up the mountain served as practice for the subsequent climb, since, just like the trail, the climbing surface would also be very smooth and slippery, making it difficult to use your hands.

Once the hike was over, before we started climbing, we had to learn the knot that’s essential for climbers’ safety: the figure-eight knot. This knot ensures that, if a climber falls, they won’t slip off the rope and die. It also serves as a safety measure for the second most important person in this activity: the belayer. The belayer’s role is to manage the rope and ensure the climber’s safety by absorbing falls and providing tension when the climber rests or moves. They must also safely lower the climber when they finish climbing or need to descend. The figure-eight knot, in this case, serves both purposes to ensure the rope can withstand the forces exerted by both the climber and the belayer.

At Enchanted Rock, because of the smooth surface—which is not as advantageous as it sounds—there is almost no place for climbers to brace their hands between holds. For this reason, the legs and calves become the primary source of strength for climbing. Here is how Outdoor Adventures teaches us to climb in this situation. Instead of looking for a place to grip with your palms, you look for small indentations in the rock to shift some of your weight onto, and use your legs to propel yourself upward. It sounds difficult, and it is; however, once you master this technique, climbing becomes much easier, since there is only one area of the body the climber needs to focus on.

Throughout the day, two routes were climbed. One was for practice, and the other was to demonstrate what had been practiced. On the second route, unfortunately, because it started to rain and time was running out, we were only able to climb it four times. However, despite this setback, the small class proved effective, as the entire group was able to complete the practice route without any problems, and half the group was able to climb the second route at least once.

Despite the setbacks this time around, let us hope Outdoor Adventures decides to offer this session again next semester, because even though we were only able to climb once or twice, the group really enjoyed trying something new and challenging for the first time. At the end of the day, it is only through trial and error that you learn a new skill, and surely, if there is another session, this time’s participants will be eager to try and fail once more next time.