The nerves started to build and sweat rolled down her forehead. Freshman Carsyn Carter’s muscles ached and her left foot was barely hanging on. About to slip and fall off a 15 foot wall without any ropes to catch her, Carter makes a rash decision, and jumps to try and reach up a few feet to a hook that she can slide her hand into. As she’s about to jump, her step father screams at her, bringing a large blue rock about a foot and a half from her left foot to her attention. Grateful for the help, she adjusts, making it almost easy to climb to ring the gold bell at the top of the wall. Relief fills her as she makes this week’s practice a success.

Carter has been rock climbing for about a year now. She participated in a bouldering competition last summer, where participants climb a wall no more that 20 feet, without ropes. But the lack of ropes doesn’t phase her.

“I honestly love it,” Carter said. “In my gym, there’s a little cave where you can go onto the ceiling, and it’s my favorite area.”

Carter has spent lots of time doing free weights to build up her strength and has gotten better at thinking on her feet.

“I used to not be good at it,” Carter said. “It can be scary the higher you get and the more your nerves need to be controlled. I still get nervous up there, especially if it’s a hard one, it’s like ‘Okay where do I go next?’”

Luckily, she has learned how to navigate the ropes and has a great support system backing her up.

“I really enjoy talking to other rock climbers,” Carter said. “It’s kind of sad because there’s no one my age or a girl, but it’s really nice being able to socialize with other people who love the same thing as me. Everyone is really nice and supportive, and it was really awesome because I got to talk to some new people and it makes you more competitive so it’s more pressure on you and I work well under pressure.”

Carter also deals with the pressure of pre-AP classes, AP classes, and band, but she still finds time to climb on the weekends. She wants to be a band director in the future, so rock climbing is not always a top priority for her, but she never wants to stop using this hobby as a stress reliever and a way to express herself.  

“It’s just really fun and you get this rush when you’re climbing,” Carter said. “When I’m at the top of the wall and I’ve finished one that I’ve been working really hard at, I just get really happy.”