Summer Times 2021

Page 77

Indoor rock climbing, an activity for all

BY MOSS BRENNAN

W

hen the weather isn’t cooperating and the mountain rocks are too slippery to climb, people can turn to indoor rock climbing. Enter Center 45 Climbing and Fitness, located at 200 Den Mac Drive just off of Hwy. 421 on the eastern edge of Boone. Center 45 has several indoor climbing walls that are on several different angles that climbers with several different abilities can attempt. “(There’s) not a limit to how much you can learn

PHOTO BY MOSS BRENNAN Finan Kiser climbs one of the bouldering walls at Center 45. There are multiple routes for people to climb that are varying in difficulties.

in here,” said Finan Kiser, an employee of Center 45. “You can start in the gym and take it to the national level without even ever having to step outside on

rock.” Kiser has worked at Center 45 for about five months, but has been climbing rocks for about five years. There are mul-

tiple benefits to climbing indoors, Kiser said. He said starting in a climbing gym is a good way to start. In a climbing gym, people have the benefit of having color coded climbing routes that vary in difficulty. There’s also thick pads to protect people if they fall off the wall. According to Center 45, the walls at the climbing center are all 14-feet at the apex with varied rock sizes. Center 45 does bouldering, which is a popular form of ropeless climbing — typically done on a wall or rock formation at 20ft or less in height, according to the climbing center. Kiser said climbing to

him isn’t about the sport or about the exercise, it’s about the process. “I love the process of trying something really hard, something that you can’t do at first or second try, then doing all the moves and then eventually linking them together and then completing the entire route,” Kiser said. “It’s not getting to the top, it’s how you get to the top.” A lot of times, Kiser said beginners will forget to use their feet. Kiser said he also forgets to use his feet at times. “It’s very, very easy to come in and just step on the sides of your feet or

just neglect using your feet at all,” Kiser said. “Learning to use your feet is probably the mark of a really, truly good climber.” Climbing is not just for the young and athletic, Kiser said anyone can do it. “I’ve seen so many different types of people, so many different walks of life,” Kiser said. “Toddlers enjoy it. I’ve seen their grandparents enjoy it. There’s a lot of people who like it. It’s not just one dimensional here.” More information on Center 45 and how to get into indoor rock climbing can be found at www. center45.com.

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Articles inside

Beer and Wine

6min
pages 172-175

Camping

2min
pages 168-171

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

3min
pages 160-163

Take a tour down on the farm

3min
pages 166-167

Appalachian Theater

2min
pages 158-159

Ashe County Arts Council

3min
pages 156-157

Ensemble Stage

2min
page 150

Bring a dog along

4min
pages 140-141

Arts in the High Country

4min
pages 148-149

General Stores

7min
pages 136-139

Kids like to fish

3min
page 109

Watauga Lake

11min
pages 112-119

Fly Fishing

10min
pages 106-108

Equine Experiences

4min
pages 98-101

Cycling and Mountain Biking

7min
pages 92-95

Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show

2min
pages 102-105

Motorcycling

2min
pages 96-97

From the Mountains to the Sea

11min
pages 88-91

Pickleball

5min
pages 82-83

Disc golf

2min
pages 80-81

Linville Caverns

5min
pages 69-71

Hang gliding

4min
pages 78-79

Rock climbing in the High Country

4min
pages 75-76

Caving and spelunking opportunities

5min
pages 60-68

Zip lining

9min
pages 72-74

Indoor rock climbing

2min
page 77

Keeping the culture in Boone

3min
pages 48-59

Say ‘hello’ to the High Country

7min
pages 41-43

Flat Top Manor

2min
pages 38-39

Blue Ridge Parkway

11min
pages 25-30

Tweetsie

3min
pages 32-33

Grandfather Mountain

9min
pages 34-37

High Country Host

3min
pages 12-13

Mystery Hill

2min
page 31

High Country Chambers of Commerce

3min
page 11
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