For active teens and college students, summer break is a sweet spot for pursuing outdoor activities. After April showers have subsided, the summer season brings warmer and drier weather, which is especially the case on the East Coast.
This change in seasons also coincides with “summer break”—which those of us with full-time jobs remember fondly. For much of the youth, summer break is a chance to play, explore, relax, and have more time to pursue leisure activities. It is an opportunity to put the books down and take a breather.
Rock Climbing Has Become a Choice Activity for Young Adults
Once considered a fringe sport, rock climbing has become a popular American pastime over the last decade. Professional climbers like Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell have become household names, and climbing has even become officially recognized as an Olympic sport.
More and more gyms are opening in cities across the country, making the activity more accessible than ever to young urban climbers. Naturally, this has led to more climbers transitioning from gyms to dabbling in outdoor climbing.
Why Rock Climbing is One of the Best Summer Activities
One of the top reasons that rock climbing is one of the best summer activities for teens as well as college students is that it’s fun, plain and simple. Regardless of your fitness level or climbing experience, climbing is an activity that is suitable for everyone. It can be a very personal sport where you set individual benchmarks and goals; and at the same time, the climbing community is a supportive collective of folks that will help build the stoke, cheer your progress, and celebrate your sends.
Climbing builds total body strength and over time, climbers refine technical skills to supplement their strength. While most climbers start by learning the basics in the gym, where they can easily climb year-round, summertime is the prime time for outdoor climbers seeking dry rock on the East Coast.
What Vertical Rock Climbing Has to Offer Young Climbers
Rock climbing gyms can provide the perfect environment for young climbers to learn the skills needed to climb safely and competently both indoors and outside on real rock. For locals in the Manassas, Virginia area, Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness offers both bouldering and roped climbing and boasts the only walls over 50 feet tall in a 30-mile radius, along with a 125-foot arch!
Rock Climbing Events for High School and College Students
Focused on building community and bringing local climbers together, Vertical Rock hosts regular youth climbing events, including parties, summer BBQs, and climbing meetups both inside and outside the gym. Beginner and intermediate introduction to rock climbing classes, fitness classes geared towards building strength, balance, and flexibility—like yoga classes, Pilates, and even slacklining—and thoughtful route setting offer an excellent environment for new and seasoned climbers to learn, train, and grow.
College and high school students are encouraged to attend regular meetups. Plan college summer climbing events with your peers with the goal of attending one of Vertical Rock’s outdoor climbing meetups and transitioning from the gym to the crag. High school students can look forward to our Monday and Friday 3 p.m. meetups, while college students can attend a Monday 6 p.m. meetup. No experience is necessary.
Interested in seeing what Vertical Rock has to offer and want to learn more about our rock climbing events? Visit our website or drop by one of our two locations and take a tour of our facilities. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to answer any questions that you may have.