Strength, Stress and Skill

My essay will focus on two of the Big Questions; what is good, and what should we do. I will be arguing that climbing is an amazing and unique sport, and BYU needs an indoor climbing wall, particularly in the winter when the mountains are inaccessible. There are a ton of climbers at BYU. There are so many climbers at BYU partly because outdoor climbing is so available, and also there is a climbing culture that emanates from the mountains themselves.

One must only try climbing to discover why people love it so much. Climbing is an amazing combination of strength, stress control, and skill. Climbing makes one strong like few other sports. It doesn’t create bulk, but rather a strength to weight ration that allows you to control your own body at new levels. Perhaps the only other sport that creates a similar strength to weight ratio is gymnastics. Climbing truly reveals some of the incredible things the human body is capable of. Climbing also requires one to control their stress. Humans are afraid of heights since falling really far can kill you. Climbing is safe as long as the climber and belayer communicate well, double check each other, and use proper gear correctly. Even when one knows they are tied to a rope and won’t fall to the ground, it still require stress control when you are tired and trying to clip the next quick draw while lead climbing. Climbing is extremely satisfying as ones skill level increases and progress is made with each new day of climbing. Once one discovers these amazing attributes of climbing, it often becomes an important enriching activity in their lives.

When one understands these things, it is clear why BYU climbers would be so excited to have a climbing wall right on campus. Available for when there is not time for a trip to the canyon, or especially, when outdoor climbing is not possible because of the snow. When winter comes, BYU climbers have two choices, stop climbing till the snow thaws, or go to an indoor gym, the closest being The Quarry. BYU climbers need a third option, that of an on campus gym. If enough climbers rallied together and came up with some logical options for where a climbing wall could be installed, then a proposition could be presented to the administration at BYU.

A climbing wall on campus would provide the most accessible climbing area for BYU climbers, and would be of great value.