Area climbers climbing to new heights

EVERETT -- Kids like to climb, we all know that. Turn them loose on some playground equipment or in some spreading trees, and they're pretty much guaranteed a good time.

And for some youngsters, that climbing urge never really goes away.

Which is why indoor climbing gyms like Everett's Vertical World (formerly Cascade Crags) are a great place for kids and adults to learn the techniques of climbing. It becomes a vigorous workout and terrific fun, all in one.

And there is an opportunity to compete, as a team from the Everett gym will experience this weekend as it heads to the American Bouldering Series (ABS) nationals in, fittingly enough, Boulder, Colo. On hand will be a few hundred other climbers -- almost equal numbers of boys and girls -- from across the country, competing by gender and in age groups of 11 and under, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17 and 18-19.

The Everett team includes 17-year-old Rosie Bates of Snohomish; Bellingham's Kayla Erickson, 17; Mill Creek's Alex Fritz, 14; Everett's Sam Wolff, 13; and Arlington's Sidney Trinidad, 9.

Bouldering is one type of rock climbing, and it can be contested indoors or outdoors. In competition, the routes are not particularly high -- usually 15 feet or less -- or dangerous, but they can be complex. Climbers do not rely on ropes, but they usually wear a harness attached to a rope in case of a fall.

Everett's coach, Sydney McNair, says people get really good at climbing "by just being really motivated. Because if you're not motivated to come in and climb, or if you don't enjoy it, then you're not really going to spend the energy to get better."

All-around athletic ability helps, she went on, "but there are a lot of different types of people that come in and climb. It's pretty much for everyone. … And I think the kids that actually do well just enjoy it a lot."

Fritz, for example, has been climbing for eight years. At the recent regional qualifier in Tigard, Ore., where the top three finishers in each age group qualified for nationals, he finished first.

Fritz, a freshman at Jackson High School, tried other sports as a younger boy, but has since given them up to concentrate on climbing. He enjoys "the thrill" of the sport and, he added, "I wouldn't give this up for anything."

Wolff, who is an eighth grader at Mukilteo's Explorer Middle School, says he likes climbing "because it's different than other sports. I used to play soccer, but I get a better feeling when I finish a (climbing) route that I've been working on than beating another team in soccer.

"Climbing is something to just work at," he added. "It's good to keep in shape. And it's just something that if you work at it, you'll have a lot of fun doing it."

There is also a Sport and Speed Climbing (SSC) nationals, which involves rope climbing. Fritz has been to the SSC nationals twice, and this week's trip will be his second to the ABS nationals. Wolff, who is in his third year of climbing, went to the SSC nationals a year ago and is making his first trip to the ABS nationals.

Fritz enjoys events like this week's nationals partly for the competition, but also for the camaraderie. "The people that climb," he said, "are really nice to each other. At competitions, we become competitive, but it's a friendly competition."

Though indoor gyms like Vertical World emphasize safety, there is the issue of heights, which is something some climbers have to overcome. Still, the chances of being hurt are slight, particularly indoors where climbers are typically roped in case of falls.

"If you're outside climbing, it's kind of scary," Fritz said. "But it's also fun."

"Rope climbing outside I thought was kind of scary," Wolff agreed. "But in the gym it's not that scary. In the gym it's really controlled."

"I know some climbers who are scared of heights," McNair said. "But they enjoy climbing more than they're scared of heights."