As magnet students leave LASA at the end of the day, some go home north, south, west, or east. But a growing number of them are choosing another direction: up. Climbing, an activity that bridges the definitions of a sport and a pastime, is drawing participants looking for a workout, a challenge, and simply fun.
Rock climbing is a general term for climbing activities, describing someone gaining height by climbing on a rock covered wall while attached to ropes and equipment for help and safety. Bouldering, a popular variation, is a type of rock climbing that covers short distances without the aid of a rope or harness and instead has mats under the rock face to cushion falls. In the 2023-24 school year, there was a rock climbing club that brought the activity further into LASA. Though the club was not renewed in fall 2024, the sport has continued in its popularity. LASA freshman Ian Hawthorne took up bouldering after moving into Govalle 2 years ago.
“The big appeal for me is problem solving,” Hawthorne said. “It’s not all about just pushing as hard as you can to complete a climb, you have to know what steps to take.”
Hawthorne likes to see the process of completing a climb as working out a series of problems. According to him, climbers always have to figure out where to move their hands and feet to ascend a wall.
“I think rock climbing is so popular at LASA because there’s a gym nearby and because it caters to our population because of the aforementioned problem solving,” Hawthorne said. “My favorite part of rock climbing is completing a hard climb after lots of attempts. I may feel worn out, but I know that I got the climb done and pushed past exhaust to get there.”
LASA sophomore Alex Gilbert found that climbing can be used in place of things like lifting weights and going to the gym because of the physical effort it requires. He credited climbing’s popularity among LASA students to how casual it is while remaining difficult.
“It’s really fun for me and it’s something I like to do to pass the time,” Gilbert said. “It’s a really good workout. I sometimes do it in place of going to the gym and lifting weights.”
The LASA climbing community has been growing throughout the past few years. Gilbert explained that one reason for this is the climbing gym Austin Bouldering Project’s proximity to campus.
“The gym is just so close. It’s just so easy,” Gilbert said. “Another reason is, Austin Bouldering Project is listed as an option for OCPE (off-campus physical education).”
According to LASA senior Astrid Gothard, a part of climbing’s newfound popularity among LASA students stems from the sport’s identity between a competition and a hobby, both of which make participating with friends more fun. She herself has been climbing and bouldering for a year, often with her friends.
“It’s a good sport to be able to see what you can improve on and know exactly what you need to work on,” Gothard said. “It’s really fun to do with friends.”
According to Gothard, the activity is also great for young and inexperienced athletes, as it doesn’t require a lot of prior experience to start. As a result, more and more LASA students have begun going to the gym close by after school and getting credit for it.
“It’s a great sport at intro level, you can do it,” Gothard said. “If you’ve never done it before you can jump right in and if you’re already really strong or have a lot of experience, it’s still fun.”
The Austin Bouldering Project is a mile away from LASA on Springdale Road and open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. They offer classes, day passes, and memberships for anyone wanting to try out the gym and get into climbing. Hawthorne believes that its membership will only go up from here.
“As LASA’s size grows, I think more people will see rock climbing as a fun way to get exercise after school,” Hawthorne said. “It’s a great way to get exercise after an eight-hour period of sitting around looking at laptops and packets.”
