story by Victoria Cahoon

When walking into the RoKC, a rock climbing gym in North Kansas City, I was optimistic. From what I had seen on their website I was excited to try it out and improve my experience in rock climbing.

The building was in a warehouse and had a bit of a rustic feel to it. I was kind of surprised by the fresh vibes that you wouldn’t really expect from a rock climbing gym. There were two main climbing sections, one section was for climbers with a harness where the walls were much higher than the walls that didn’t require a harness. Other than the climbing sections there were two small gym sections, one had generic equipment such as a treadmill and weights but the other had more rock climbing oriented equipment.

But as I walked around the facility I realized how many kids were running around, making me skeptical of how the following 30 minutes of my life was going to go. Was this more of a fun place for kids to bring their friends or an actual gym?

My previous rock climbing experience was limited to a 7th-grade summer school field trip, and I was ready to redeem myself from that first traumatic experience. It’s not like I fell from a 30-foot wall, but as I made my way up I froze. My classmates were cheering me on but even the slightest fear of falling was getting to me so I slowly worked my way down shamefully.

Looking up at the impressive rock climbing structures, I saw the little kids who had reached the top with no fear. The 7th grader inside of me felt ready to take it on, and I knew I needed to make it to the top. I climbed higher and higher with each step, but eventually, old fears resurfaced, and I was stuck, I pushed myself a little farther up the wall, but as I took a deep breath I realized I needed to accept my fear of heights.

Having a fear of heights may have stopped me from enjoying my time at RoKC but for those who aren’t and don’t mind climbing, RoKC might be worth a try. The people around me seemed to be having a wonderful time and even the staff was enjoying the crowds of people walking in and out.

I don’t think I would be able to put down 65 dollars a month for a visit of two or three days a week due to work and homework getting in my way. RoKC is a new way for an alternative workout, but be sure to get your money’s worth.