For those bored with the con
fines of the ground, Oregon is a
great place for the gravity-op
pressed to expand their horizons on
a number of premier outdoor rock
climbing sites.
For the agoraphobe, there is the
URock Climbing Wall, located on
the first floor of the Student Recre
ation Center next to the weight ar
eas. The wall is open for climbing
Monday through Thursday from 4
p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through
Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The
cost of renting equipment and a day
pass is $6 and private lessons are
available for $10.
The University also offers a num
ber of climbing classes through the
Outdoor Pursuits Program, includ
ing Rock Climbing I, which re
quires no prerequisite but "a lot of
interest," according to Outdoor
Pursuits Coordinator Michael
Strong. Rock II is the advanced ver
sion of Rock I, and Rock III offers
instruction on safety to prepare stu
dents for a three-day class outing to
Smith Rock, a climbing site north
east of Redmond, about three
hours from Eugene.
Smith Rock is a spot that offers
"world class climbing" according to
senior biochemistry major Joel Spal
tenstein.
"Even though it's three hours
from Eugene, I have gone out there
for afternoons," he said. "There's
just so many different routes, and
many of the routes are very high
quality."
Skinner Butte Columns is an excel
lent site for the beginning climber,
and is located next to REI at 306
Lawrence St. The Columns offers pri
marily crack climbing or climbing us
ing cracks between rocks. The difficul
ty of the climbs ranges from easy to
hard, so the Columns is an ideal place
for a beginner.
"The Columns is a great place for
beginners to leam," sophomore and
URock Wall supervisor Tino Vil
lanueva said.
Additionally, the Outdoor Pro
gram is offering a Rock Climbing
101 clinic at the Columns on May
15 for beginning and intermediate
climbers. Check out the Outdoor
Program Spring 2004 newsletter for
more information.
Located only 90 minutes from
Eugene, Flagstone is another popu
lar site for climbers. Villanueva said
the site is great for those learning to
lead climb. The site also features
routes of varying difficulties.
Junior psychology major James
Evans, a climbing enthusiast, said
climbing could be a valuable expe
rience for most.
"Whether you perceive yourself
weak, wild or even just willing, climb
ing is an experience that should be
sought to be had, * he said.
Contadtthe people/culture/
faith reporter
at moriahbalingit@dailyemerald.com.
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