1 2012 4 UTSAV GANDHI TechNem ||T Rock Climbin visits Red River Tu esda Ap campus@technew By Dan Zweig TECHNEWS WRITER Last week, TechNewr made eh immehse ettot mid eccidehtty ptihted this spteed With the imptopet text attached to it We apologize immehsety taHTRack Climhihg Club ehdehyohe else that this ihcohviehced We eppteciete yam imdetrtehdihg ehdpetiehce Over Spring Break 2012, 14 members of the 111‘ Rock Climbing C1ub travelled to Red River Gorge, Kentucky to rock climb for 4 days With the generous aid of the SAP and the commitment of the Rock Climbing Club’s Executive Board this event ran smoothly and very successfully with members of all skill levels learning, exce11ing, and developing as rockc1imbers The group made camp at Miguel’s Pizza with hundreds of other climbers from across the country for $2 per person per night At 8 00am on Thursday, as the final five members drove up from the seven hour drive, the entire group departed for the Great Wall at Muir Valley, a privately owned valley in the Red where climbing is free and all routes and trails aremaintainedbyavidvoiunteers and climbers After hiking 30 minutes into the valley the club started with a 57 and 5 8, with more experienced climbers 1eadingthe routes up the wall and setting equipment At the same mll we set a 510a, 5 10c,anda 5 5 Everymember was able to climb before the group moved on to Bruise Brothers Wail, where members chmbed 85’ 5 1053, 40’ roofed 5 113’s, and other challengingroutes Nearby, in thehotRentucky sun, members explored the preserve to discover huge erosions in the sandstone chffs where mterfalis had formed On Friday the group started at Volunteer Wall in the Rendergrass Murray Recreation Preserve where members climbed several cha11engingroutes before it started to downpour Manymembers learned to leadclimb atthismll before the rain forced members to either find a dry place for lunch, or rush to get their cars out ofthe muddyand steep parkingiotbefore itms too Wet We found a cave to eat lunch in that Ms several hundred feet wide and around two hundred feet deep After lunch we drove back to MuirVaiieywherewechmbed at the practice mll, teaching more members to lead and clean routes, While kept dry from the rain by the sandstonechfioverhangabove Routes included a chimney and a 511a crimprheavyroute On Saturday the group started at Left Flank near Military Wall and climbed several cha11enging routes unti1 lunchtime, teaching more members to lead chmb, lead belay, clean, and even set trad gear After lunch some members packed up to drive back to Chicago, whi1etherestofthegroupcontinuedontoRistoi Ridge in the north valley and climbed several more routes, conc1udingwith an 85: 5 9 that lead up a stepping outcrop ofsandstone at sunset Sunday the group chmbed at Gold Coast and Crossroads in the Rendergrass Murray Recreational Preserve and continued to teach more members to lead chmb and enioyed their 1astafternoon in sunnyand beautiful Red River Gorge, Kentuckywith some more 85’ routes Rock Climbing is definitely a great sport for anyone who enioys the outdoors and the club was excited to see members ofa11 skill levels learning, teaching, and having an amazmg spring break in Red River Gorge, Rentucky Club members are excited for more opportunities such as a trip to Devils Lake, Wisconsin or possible trips next semester to Jackson Falls in Illinois, or Joshua Tree, CA 'Ihps like these are funded and made possible byworking with ormnizations like the student Activities Fund and the Office ofCampus Life, and the entire c1ub expresses their gratitude to these organizations for helping make 111‘ experiences like this as incredible as they are The 111‘ Climbing C1ub chmbs indoors in Chicago almost every weekend and is always 1ookingto expandits membership from the 195 people on its emailing list or its 121 Facebook members To Join, emaii iitchmbing@gmai1 com and feel free to Join our Facebook Group Photo: courtesy ofll'l'Kock Ummmy