At the University’s new and improved UREC, University junior Thomas Bozeman skillfully maneuvers his body across the 1,500-square foot bouldering wall completely freehanded.
“I never came in the UREC until they did the renovations and the climbing area came in,” Bozeman said.
Bozeman sees the climbing area as a place to do a different type of workout, meet new people and be active.
Since there aren’t many outside areas in Baton Rouge to “natural climb,” a type of climbing in the natural world with real rock as opposed to the artificial indoor climbing, Bozeman and other enthusiasts enjoy the 15-foot bouldering wall and the 35-foot climbing wall. The wall is marked from V-0 to V-8, labeling varying degrees of difficulty.
Bozeman warms up with the bouldering on V-2 or V-3 — an intermediate level course — but transitions to the top rope at the end of his workout, he said.
“I just think this is way more fun and interesting than just running or lifting weights,” Bozeman said. “There’s strategy involved, and the feeling of satisfaction when you finally complete a course you’ve been working on.”
During our interview, Bozeman was climbing a V-5, a course usually reserved for experts. He said he has been at this one for a week.
While Bozeman has been climbing on and off for three years, he intends to make the jump to natural climbing next summer.
“I’ve planned a trip to Yosemite to natural climb and that’s pretty exciting,” Bozeman said. “The only places close to here [to natural climb] are in Arkansas, and I’ve done that so I’m ready to explore more.”
Louisiana’s flat landscape doesn’t offer many options for climbing outside, but the indoor climbing wall at the UREC has proved to be a suitable alternative, creating a community of people who love to climb.
Bozeman met junior Mike Hodapp a few months ago through climbing at the UREC.
Hodapp, a native of Temecula, California, has been natural climbing from a young age.
“I kind of climbed on and off when I was younger, but picked it back up again pretty seriously a couple years ago,” Hodapp said.
Bozeman and Hodapp frequent the wall four to five times a week for a few hours each day, they said.
The duo learned their skills from watching other rock climbers at the UREC. They said the secret to being a good climber is to just watch and learn good technique.
In the UREC climbing area, it is mostly silent, save for a few spurts of disappointment or approval when a climber either finishes or misses a course.
The combination of grip strength and chalk helps the climbers keep close to the wall while climbing. Careful calculations and learning from other’s mistakes are part of becoming a better climber.
Whatever the level the climbers are, the UREC offers a space for everyone to try it out and be a part of something unusual on campus.
Armed with climbing shoes and chalked up hands, Bozeman stands back and charts out his course before making another run in the hopes of finally completing the elusive V-5 course.
LSU veterinary senior Sofia Raldiris participates in rock climbing in the UREC on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017.
