In the primarily flat landscape of South Central, a large community of adventurous individuals come together multiple times a week to pursue the thrill of a challenging climb. 

The USC Climbing Club dedicates itself to being an inclusive and accessible environment for climbers of all proficiencies and goals — providing a judgment-free space for those who have never attempted rock climbing, all the way to others who have years of experience under their belt. 

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“The beauty of climbing is that everyone starts somewhere; there is no one ‘right’ way to climb,” said Micah Chow, a junior majoring in communication who also serves as the club’s co-DEI officer. 

As a historically affluent sport dominated by white men, the climbing community at USC has been making strides in trying to rectify this; the club offers a variety of affinity groups through dedicated community Slack channels and outdoor trips for women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, international students and Black, Indigenous and people of color, respectively. 

“This is so we can have a safe space for these community groups to hang out in the outdoors and feel seen, and where their identity is not necessarily a talking point — but it’s just a daily part of who they are,” Chow said.

Mandy Hartman, a club member and a senior  majoring in chemical engineering, echoed a similar feeling on their positive experiences joining the groups.

“I love the affinity groups. I’m in the women’s chat, where  we have climbs together,” Hartman said. ”It’s really freeing just to be in that environment.”

The club also tries to support members wherever they’re at financially — with climbing shoes alone typically ranging from $60-$200, Chow concedes that getting started in rock climbing often entails a financial investment that can make the sport inaccessible to many.

“We hope that by providing scholarships, we can help to alleviate some of the financial burden, because some of the initial starting costs, especially, can be a lot,” Chow said.

Head trip lead and a graduate student studying astronautical engineering and computer science, Sahana Ramesh emphasizes how the club strives to make the endeavor of rock climbing as easy as possible, offering members the option to choose their commitment level to the team. 

In paying the team dues of $30 per semester, club members gain access to the twice-weekly rock climbing practices at Cliffs of Id, weekend outdoor trips, opportunities to test for different climbing certifications and carpools for said practices and trips.

Considering that group rock climbing can be a dangerous sport if not led by experienced individuals, Ramesh noted that the club takes the utmost care in making sure that their climbing activities are safe — especially for those new to the sport.

Practice plans for indoor climbing are designed by team captains and can be easily adjusted from V0 to V16 to accommodate the skill of the climber — Ramesh says it’s common for newer climbers to start at a V0-V2 climbing grade level whereas more experienced climbers opt for V6 and above. Similarly, the destinations of outdoor weekend trips are determined by what participants feel comfortable taking on.

Ramesh takes these responses into consideration so she can group climbers based on skill level to ensure everyone feels equally included and challenged by the climbing experience. She also underscored the value of the skills that members can learn in the club — skills that are comparatively more expensive to obtain outside of Climbing Club.

Ramesh explained that many climbing gyms require participants to have top rope or lead climbing certifications before even being eligible to rope climb. 

“We’re actually running a bit of a skills clinic this weekend, just to be able to teach people how to [climb] in a manner that’s as safe as possible,” Ramesh said. “If you don’t know someone that can teach you [these skills], it costs so much money — taking a class in a gym [is] like hundreds of dollars.”

However, Ramesh, Chow and Hartman all independently agreed that the team is so much more than what can be gained from a technical standpoint; despite the fact that climbing is often an individual sport, they sang high praises for the social and personal development aspect of Climbing Club.

“It’s really great to be around a group of people who are passionate about a sport, and also willing to support you along the way,” Chow said.

Hartman enthusiastically recalled the enrichment in her life that she’s gained since joining the climbing team. 

“I found the majority of my [climbing] community — and my current partner — [through Climbing Club], and it’s honestly changed my life entirely,” Hartman said. “I really wish I joined earlier because having that kind of community where you grow together is really rare.”

Ramesh expressed similar sentiments as Chow and Hartman, noting that her involvement in the club has empowered her to enjoy her college experience in a way she didn’t imagine for herself previously. 

“It’s nice working [with the climbing] group and seeing a lot of people that are very extroverted and welcoming — [I] just like being in that space,” Ramesh said.

When asked about what message they’d give to people who are “even vaguely interested” in rock climbing, Ramesh, Hartman and Chow gave simple instructions. 

Don’t be intimidated by the “climber bros,” ask about the things you want to know and join as early as you can.