How to rock your world

Ask them why they do it — latch on to the angular edges and curves of slabs of rock on perilously high mountain walls — and climbers may liken it to something transcendental. Or maybe it's the way climbing tests muscles and stamina, or how it goads willpower.

For rock climbers, reaching new heights is both an objective and a metaphor for a sport that requires a certain level of athleticism and challenges its followers to confront trepidation to achieve the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Whether climbing on an indoor rock wall or ascending the side of a mountain, there's a profound sense of satisfaction, peppered at times with the frustrations that also come with climbing.

Snohomish County can be a dream for climbers, with scenic spots off Highway 2 and the Mountain Loop Highway and near Index and Darrington that are well-traveled by seasoned rock climbers. As the weather improves and interest in outdoor recreation heats up, more people may try climbing for the first time.

For newcomers, taking an introductory course to acquire the fundamentals is highly recommended, whether it's in climbing with a rope and belayer — known as top-roping — or bouldering, lower-to-the-ground climbing without rope.

Climbing at a rock gym or as part of a group outing, such as those offered by The Everett Mountaineers, can provide a solid introduction to climbing, with lessons on techniques, necessary equipment and, above all, safety.

One of the better-known indoor climbing gyms is Vertical World in downtown Everett. The gym offers a variety of rock walls with varying heights and degrees of difficulty.

Established climbers encourage first-timers to start indoors because it provides a controlled setting and opportunities to learn from experienced peers and instructors.

At Vertical World, visitors can learn about belaying — a belayer is the person who is essentially a spotter on the ground, letting out and taking in rope for the climber — and how to best use their legs for maximum benefit and to avoid arm fatigue. They also can talk with those in the know and get the scoop on the best places to climb and areas to avoid.

Another advantage: When you fall from a wall inside a gym, you land on padding and mats that have the cushioning springiness of a bed of marshmallows.

The walls themselves, while a far cry from the granite, limestone and andesite rock of the outdoors, allow climbers to push ahead at a comfortable level — and under the watchful eye of a skilled climber.

The highest climbing walls at Vertical World, marked with shoe smudges and strips of colored masking tape that designate difficulty level, are upward of 30 feet.

Instructor Stella Moll-Nevins teaches a basic climbing course that covers the requisite gear to get started. For $160, climbers can purchase a harness, carabiner, good climbing shoes, chalk bag and chalk, which is used on the hands for a better grip.

Moll-Nevins, of Whidbey Island, knows the feeling of successfully completing that first climb. For her, it was climbing Mount Erie in Anacortes.

"It was awesome. I felt alive," Moll-Nevins said. "When you get that first rush of adrenaline, you don't want to let it go."

The chance to push one's limits while getting a good workout lured Riley Sullivan, of Everett. Sullivan, 19, has been climbing since October and in that time has come to appreciate both the camaraderie and the intensity. Climbing keeps his body "cut," he said, and rivals what he could achieve in a typical workout.

"It's really addicting," said Sullivan, who got his start with an indoor class and now climbs five to six times a week. "It's most rewarding," he said, "when you are halfway up the wall and you don't know if you are going to make it — and then you do."

Marysville resident Henry Leap hones his climbing skills through weekly visits to indoor gyms. A member of The Everett Mountaineers, Leap has been climbing for three years and is driven by the mental and physical challenges. After his first climb near Leavenworth, Chelan County, he said he was hooked.

"It's like you are in the air," said Leap, who climbs three times a week. "It's so exciting. You're like a kid at a water park."

Whether new to the sport or devoted veterans, rock climbers are trained on safety above all else. As with many sports, there are inherent risks.

"Rock climbing, like any extreme activity, is dangerous, but if you learn how to do it properly it is no more dangerous than football or any other sport," said Tyson Schoene, a longtime climber and head coach for the Vertical World gyms.

Tony Tsuboi, of The Everett Mountaineers, urges beginners to educate themselves before attempting an outdoor climb. While Darrington, Index and the Skykomish Valley score high marks in the sport, those locales are not for casual or uninitiated climbers because of the terrain and potential for rock falls.

The Everett Mountaineers offers introduction-to-climbing courses "specifically targeted to indoor-gym climbers who are seeking to transition to outdoor rock climbing at nearby crags," he said.

For those who want to be at one with nature, another option is customized climbs available through Cascade Adventure Guides.

Director Peter Zyniewicz has climbed throughout the U.S. and abroad, and closer to home he likes to take climbers to Mount Erie. It's a great place for beginners, he said, and "the views are spectacular."

Interest in rock climbing among young people appears to be strong, if a recent climbing competition in Everett was any indication. Dozens of youths were top-roping and bouldering with the best of them.

The benefits of climbing for youth and adults alike go beyond the physical, said Schoene, a climber since the age of 6 who now trains children and teens for national and international competitions.

"More than anything, it is mental," he said. "For the kids, it allows them to branch out and do things they normally wouldn't do. It opens doors for them."

As a regional coordinator for USA Climbing in the Pacific Northwest, Denise Nerison assists at many youth climbing competitions and praises the sport's benefits. Rock climbing, she said, is akin to mastering a math problem: It requires mental acuity and focus.

Her son Alex, a freshman at Henry M. Jackson High School, has been climbing for seven years. Competitively, he has taken many top honors, including a recent 10th place in a national bouldering contest.

"Climbing keeps you grounded," said Schoene. "Even when you are really high up on a wall."

Although rock climbing is a physical sport, nearly anyone can give it a try, said Zyniewicz, of Cascade Adventure Guides.

"If it is cleared by your doctor, and you can go up and down stairs, you can do some rock climbing."