Climbing Mt. Everest wouldn’t be easy. This Friday, however, ETSU students will try to scale the 29,028-foot behemoth 35 feet at a time.
On Sept. 28, students can climb the 35-foot wall in the Center for Physical Activity during the ETSU All Night Climb. This free event is sponsored by the ETSU Climbing Club and will serve as a membership drive for the organization.
The All Night Climb begins at 7 p.m. Friday and goes until 7 a.m. Saturday. There will be door prizes, competitions, music, movies, refreshments and the goal of climbing Mt. Everest.
“We are going to log all climbs and hopefully be able to climb as high as Everest,” said Melissa Robertson, a junior and president of the climbing club. “That’s 830 laps on our climbing wall. We want to cumulatively do that many, not individually.”
Robertson, who has been climbing for five years, says the members of the club are very active. “We practically climb everywhere,” she said. “We have about a dozen areas less than an hour away for day trips on real rock.”
The members of the club also travel to other states, says Robertson. A trip to Hueco Tanks, Texas during Christmas break is on the schedule.
Chris Carver, a member of the club, enjoys the trips.
“I climb for the excitement and the relaxation it provides from school and work,” said Carver, a junior. “It’s a noncompetitive environment where everyone works together to accomplish goals. And then everyone just hangs out at night and enjoys everyone else’s company.”
“I climb because it’s lots of fun and I love getting outside and doing stuff,” said junior Caley Gillis. “I’ve met most of my good friends through climbing and the club.”
The social aspect of climbing goes deeper than just having fun with friends.
“Rock climbing in general requires the climber to put their own life in the hands of their belayer – the person holding their rope,” Robertson said. “This requires a lot of trust in someone.”
The climbing club does more than climb, however. “We also do service projects,” Carver said. “For example, we are doing a clean-up at the Blue Hole this Sunday.”
The Blue Hole is a swimming spot located on the upper Ocoee River in the Cherokee National Forest.
“This year, we have made it our goal to not only focus on ourselves, but the community as well,” Robertson said. “This [the Blue Hole clean-up] is an open event and we would love for everyone to come out and support this gorgeous local area.”
Students interested in joining the climbing club can contact Robertson at etsuclimbing@hotmail.com or they can attend the All Night Climb and sign up there. The climbing club also meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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