Acrophobia is a fear of heights and high up places. There’s one group of people on campus that can help conquer this fear… the rock-climbing club.
“It is a great exercise and activity for physical and mental health,” said Professor Mike Nelson, one of the clubs advisors. “Rock climbing is a fun sport that all sorts of people can do and try. It involves fun sorts of body movements and using your brain to figure out patterns on a wall and how to map your body onto it.”
Freshman Michael Beckett said one reason he likes the club is, “I look really cool doing it.”
“I like climbing the routes because when I first came here that’s something I didn’t know how to do,” said Beckett. “Now it’s like second nature, so it’s kind of an achievement and something my past self wouldn’t of believed I could do.”
Scott Cousins, a climber in the morning classes, says how his favorite part is socializing, “It’s like a big social event, just with people high up.”
Not only is it physically good for you, but rock-climbing can help you build friendships. Jayden Bedsole, a weekly climber, said “I feel like the friends I made through rock-climbing carry over to my life at Monmouth. I’m really glad I met people here because it’s a really fun community to be in.”
The club meets every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Trotter Fitness Center in the Huff.
