Salem, Oregon's
Running & Walking Club Site
Home of
Willamette Valley Road Runners (WVRR)
www.WVRoadrunners.org.

Climbing for Runners by Eb Engelmann

     I have had a very persistent and somewhat debilitating running and degenerative injury for the last 16 months. To help me cope with the injury, I started climbing. Some 19 years ago, I dealt with another long term running injury by starting swimming, which led to eight years of triathlons. My basic goal here is and was to make something positive out of adversity. I absolutely thrived upon the triathlons while they lasted, doing about 50 of them. Now I am really getting into climbing.

     To kick off my climbing, last spring, I took the local Chemeketans climb school. This was a truly exciting and challenging experience, and it gave me the impetus and the contacts I needed to get my new passion underway. The school takes place in late March and early April, and it costs $100, plus some minor equipment expenses.

     In exchange for this modest sum, the Chemeketans club provides two three-hour Wednesday night sessions of classroom instruction followed up by a full weekend of hands-on practicum. Saturday, the group of about three dozen participants spends the day at Horsethief Butte, across the Columbia River and slightly upstream of The Dalles. Here the students are under the watchful eye of 15-18 volunteer instructors (experienced climbers from the club), a ratio of roughly two students per instructor, as they become acquainted with basic rock climbing techniques and practice upon several prearranged stations.

     These stations include belaying, rappelling, traversing on a fixed rope, climbing on a fixed rope, prusiking, scrambling, climbing in a chimney, climbing on a slab, and so forth. At the end of the day, students get to practice some of their skills and at the same time experience both traversing upon a fixed rope while on belay and rappelling, with about 100 feet of exposure. That certainly gets your attention, but it is also exhilarating!

     Day two finds the group on snow early in the day near Timberline Lodge at 6,000 feet upon Mount Hood. Here they are practicing ice ax and rope techniques, especially the art of individual and group self-arrest of a fall upon snow or ice. Extensive practice is given to self-arrest in all the possible directions and combinations of potential fall (on your back, on your stomach, head first, and feet first). Other ice and crevasse rescue techniques are also reviewed and glissading is practiced. Attendance and commitment are followed by a late afternoon graduation ceremony in the Wy 'east Lodge next to Timberline and the trip home.

    Upon graduation, one is eligible to participate in the appropriate level of club climbs. One is also a provisional club member for a year, subject to completing at least one additional club activity during the course of that year. Perhaps more important, however, the graduate has "broken the ice," so to speak, upon a major new activity. Basic climb skills are now at least familiar. A modicum of simple equipment has been acquired. Contacts have been made—both with instructors and fellow students. And a modest level of confidence has been instilled.

     Oh yes, and why climb? Quite simply, it is one hell of a workout, both physically and mentally. Climbing up a 30%- plus slope at 7,000-14,000 feet with a 20-30 lb. pack is a major physical challenge— yes, even for accomplished runners! And managing and successfully integrating risk, exposure, discomfort, safety, navigation, route finding, weather, equipment, techniques, logistics, group interaction, and success or failure in reaching goals is a daunting mental challenge—even for a skilled Hood to Coast running captain.

     Although climbers often run for conditioning, I am suggesting runners climb for great cross-training and additional fitness and strength. Climbing also helps one learn to overcome fear and anxiety. I am truly hooked by the lure of the sport. I only wish I had begun to climb 23 years ago when I started running!

Ed. note: For more information on the Chemeketans, see their website:

http://www. chemeketans. org/climbing.htm