The Joys of Solving Epic Rock Problems

School terms have always been stressful, so I’ve been looking for things to do to take breaks that would not only offer relaxation but would also be something exciting to me. Rock climbing, while not “relaxing” to some, has been that hobby for me. I started rock climbing about a year ago, but it has now become a constant in my life. I look forward to getting my assignments and studying completed in a timely manner because it means that I have more time to go climbing.  

The climbing gym to me is like a sanctuary where I can forget about everything around me. When I enter the climbing gym, my only focus is solving the challenging rock problems in front of me. Climbing has not only benefitted my mental health, but it has also made me physically stronger.  

I have also found a strong community within the climbing world through the many friendly people that I’ve met and talked to at the climbing gym. I’ve brought many of my friends to come climbing with me and I’ve found that everyone enjoyed it a lot and found it to be a more exciting way to workout!  

There is even a rock-climbing club on campus that hosts climbing competitions friendly to all levels that I’ve joined with my friends. Competitions are super exciting, and I closely followed Olympic rock climbing for the first time last summer. My favourite professional climbers are Janja Garnbret and Ai Mori, who have been my motivators to improve in climbing and get stronger. To whoever has read this far, I would highly recommend you try climbing or at least go watch Janja Garnbret highlights and then tell me you don’t want to go climbing :)