Reaching New Summits: the Rock Climbing Club builds bonds at weekly meetings

Swiftly moving up rock climbing walls with deceptive ease in the College of William and Mary’s Campus Recreation Center, members of the Rock Climbing Club gain a unique work out and an incredible community. Many in the club emphasize how the intensive and energetic exercises, in tandem with the support of their peers, can help with stress and anxiety.

“The actual rock climbing itself as a workout is really good for stressed out students, because you have all your friends around you cheering you on, and you’ve got an intense HIIT workout,” Mia Carboni ’25 said. “It’s like a burst of dopamine once you get to the top of the wall, and then you get to come down and again get congratulated by your friends.”

Although the Rock Climbing Club may seem intimidating to prospective members, both new and veteran members alike all collaborate together in order to work towards the same goal of making sure any student at the College interested in the activity is able to perform to the best of their ability. Many longtime members of the club recalled, despite any initial concerns, how great their first experiences with the organization were.

“The climbing community just really took me in wholeheartedly, I went on a trip with them within my first month and immediately it felt like I had a family,” said Erin Ramsey ’23, the president of the Rock Climbing Club. “They put such an emphasis on learning and accessibility and availability, and that’s really what the core of the club is about. It’s been really cool to see that carried on through the generations since I’ve been here.”

Even though a few members of the club have been doing rock climbing since long before their time at the university, most have only truly gotten into it in recent years. 

“I started at a very beginner level and now I’m less of a beginner, and it’s really fun, and it’s fun at any level,” Carboni said.

In fact, members of the group point to the club’s openness and acceptance of all skill levels as one of their favorite parts of it.

“People are very supportive and you don’t need to be a great climber, it’s just for if you want to hang out and climb for a little bit,” Josep Ocampo ’25 said. “That’s what I like about it, it’s very inclusive.”

And regardless of how much experience in rock climbing one has, they will still be able to make and create lifelong friendships and connections through the club all the same. The bonds created in the tight-knit club often extend outside of the hours of the organization and become staples of a member’s college experience.

“I’ve gotten really close really fast to a lot of people in the club and a lot of people who come climbing because it’s just such a collaborative sport,” said Will Florentino ’24. “When you need a belay and someone just offers you a belay, that’s a chance to meet someone new and make some new friends that way, and help each other up the wall, give each other some tips and tricks and maybe then you get lunch after.”

These strong friendships can be especially helpful to younger members who are just starting out with college life as it allows them to begin their university experience by being mentored by older students of the college.

“I’ve gotten really close really fast to a lot of people in the club and a lot of people who come climbing because it’s just such a collaborative sport,” said Will Florentino ’24. “When you need a belay and someone just offers you a belay, that’s a chance to meet someone new and make some new friends that way, and help each other up the wall, give each other some tips and tricks and maybe then you get lunch after.”

“It’s been really nice to have those older connections,” Peyton Whirley ’26 said. “It’s just nice to have people in a different circle besides just freshmen in my classes and people in GGV. They have good advice about classes they’ve taken and handling work and what else to do around campus.”

And even if a member is feeling tired for any reason during a meeting and elects not to engage with the rock climbing wall a lot during a particular day, they are in no way prohibited from making the great connections the club is known for. 

“A lot of people come here and just talk during club meetings,” Ocampo said when discussing the inviting and relaxed nature of the organization.

With everything mentioned above, the Rock Climbing Club is not just an enjoyable activity for students to partake in, but also a method for making new friends and learning about how to succeed in college. Because of how much the club offers its members, the only limit to what a member can gain from it is how involved with it they are.

“You get back what you put into it. The people who take the most out of it are the ones who come to the meetings and go to the social events, but also are climbing,” Rock Climbing Club Vice President Patrick Doyal ’24 said. “It’s pretty easy to make a lot of friendships through that.”

For those that have been with the organization for a while, the rewards they have reaped last for their entire time at the university. 

“Most of my best friends I’ve found in climbing, and the people that I live with I found in climbing,” Ramsey said. “Everyone is just so down-to-earth.” 

The members of the club are so dedicated to and engaged with the club because they see every meeting how great of an experience it is for all who show up.

“The climbing has just become this vehicle for everybody, no matter who you are or what background you have,” Josh Miner ’24 said. “You’re able to have conversation and engage in an activity with new people you’ve never met and give them that trust to belay you or let you know how you should proceed on a route. You can form a connection with someone you otherwise wouldn’t have.”’

At the end of the day, when considering the physical benefits of the club, in addition to the club’s upbeat and laidback essence, every member had nothing but praise to give. 

“There’s no real downside to joining, it’s just such a great community that I definitely think it’s worth giving it a shot if you’re on the fence,” Florentino said. 

For all interested students, the College’s Rock Climbing Club meets every Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the rock climbing wall in the Student Recreation Center.