Kori Cuthbert at the Hive, in Winnipeg. He has turned his passion for climbing into a business.Wild House Media/Supplied
In most sports, it’s easy to hit a wall. In rock climbing, the whole point is figuring out how to scale it. The combination of physical and mental challenges is a big part of the sport’s appeal, says Kori Cuthbert of Winnipeg.
“The problem-solving part of it I really like – that opportunity for continual learning and growth.”
Growing up, he would travel from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba to visit family in Squamish, B.C., climbing with his relatives in one of Canada’s premier rock-climbing locations. Cuthbert started climbing in earnest during his university days. Now he’s the managing partner at Winnipeg’s Hive Climbing and Fitness.
In more and more indoor facilities like his across Canada, people of all ages and abilities are chalking up their hands and trying their hand at climbing. According to Climbing Escalade Canada, the number of commercial climbing gyms in the country tripled over a decade. The debut of climbing at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 also spurred curiosity about the sport.
Emily Fraser of Ottawa says she finds bouldering motivating.Jelan Maxwell/Supplied
“The best part of my job is that I can hear people in pure joy, laughing and having fun,” says Cuthbert, whose gym attracts everyone from children to people in their 70s.
There are two types of indoor rock climbing. In bouldering, the wall is 4.5 metres high (or 15 feet) with no ropes – just padded crash mats below. In rope climbing, participants wear harnesses attached to rope, which is secured to the wall. The heights can vary by gym but are usually at least twice as tall as bouldering wall.
Couple Jelan Maxwell and Emily Fraser go bouldering on an Ottawa gym twice per week. Fraser, who fondly remembers climbing trees and monkey bars growing up, was the driving force. Maxwell, who also skates, says bouldering can be hard at first. “You’ll be struggling with a climb and then see a 10-year-old breeze through it.” But he loves the feeling of community. “A lot of people are going there for that social interaction. We have all these friends at the gym.”
Ryan Kelly, also based in Ottawa, has been hitting climbing gyms for 20 years. “It’s a fun way to keep fit,” Kelly says.
He goes once a week, and brings his 9-year-old son Sam, who has also attended rock climbing camps.
Whenever you progress to new levels in rock climbing, “You tend to be failing 99 per cent of the time,” says Kelly. While Sam initially wasn’t a fan of failing, “The elation he has when he succeeds is quite something.”
Kelly notes that a lot of people think of rock climbing as dangerous. But with safety ropes and easy-to-use gym equipment, “It’s an activity that a lot of people can enjoy for many years.”
Climbing demands strength and flexibility, but for many participants the sport offers more than just exercise. “Lifting weights can get dry, but with climbing you’re always solving puzzles,” Kelly says.