Alex Alberti is a student at the University of Oregon and an avid rock climber. He is a student instructor for one of the Rock 1 classes offered at the university and he enjoys travelling to places such as Smith Rock to partake in outdoor climbs as well.

Why rock climbing?

It’s definitely an expression kind of thing, I don’t know especially outdoors, in the gym you can’t be super creative, they’re trying to force your movement to do exactly what they want you to do, but outside you can really, you can put your own moves in, you can really figure things out for yourself a little more. I hear it described as flow, you’re in the present you don’t think about anything else.

Have you ever been in a scary situation climbing?

Yes, at a good point just last weekend I actually had a really, probably the scariest event definitely in my climbing career, potentially in my whole life.

What happened?

I was climbing the tallest route on Smith Rock, and they tell you there’s a 4 inch crack and you only need two or three pieces to protect it, but last second I decide to bring a couple extra sizes just to be careful – very smart decision. So we start climbing, I climb through the 4 inch section, put all the pieces they told me to bring into the wall, and I keep climbing and I can’t find the bolts. And it’s really shitty rock, really terrible conditions, so I get a good hand jam and I turn around and I have about 40 feet between me and my last piece of protection, which means if I fell that’s about an 80-foot fall. And still no bolts to be found. So I started down climbing, which was scary, but then soon I got to just face holds that kept pulling off, so luckily I had one extra piece and there was only one area that size that would take it, it was very suspect but I had to fit it, took the carabiner, hammered it in as deep as it would go. The climbing was scary but as soon as I had that clipped in I had my partner lower me the initial 40 feet back down to my piece, and that was the scariest part of all.

When you get to the top of a climb what are some of the feelings you have?

I think there’s always that accomplishment, but yeah, it’s kind of more onto the next thing. It’s almost less about the summit more about the climb. It’s less about where you’re going more about the going itself.

 

Jennifer Strong is a faculty member of the University of Oregon as well as one of the Rock Climbing class instructors. She has many years of outdoor climbing experience and uses climbing as a mental and physical strengthening tool.

When did you first start climbing?

I first started climbing in 1990, my boyfriend at the time now my husband introduced me to the sport.

What kept you coming back?

Well I’ve always been kind of the outdoor girl growing up, I was really into mountain climbing and so it was kind of a natural extension of an interest of mine. Plus it was something that he and I did together and enjoyed a lot together and I liked that it was a way to train physically, be physically strong, and it was a low impact activity, it was challenging not only physically but mentally, and plus we went to some beautiful outdoor areas that offered rock climbing so it was good for travel.

Did you start outdoors?

Yes, actually when I started climbing I don’t think there was even such a thing as an indoor rock wall, so I got my start all outdoor climbing.

Where is your favorite outdoor climbing spot?

Oh, easy. There’s a place in Leavenworth, Washington, beautiful granite wall, such a nice climb. Just gorgeous scenery as well. We actually, me and my husband, take a trip out there every year, spend a few days out there climbing.

When did you decide that you wanted to instruct climbing?

I was climbing one day at the columns and I was approached actually by a fellow who was the programmer for the city of Eugene’s outdoor program. And he approached me and asked if I would be interested in teaching climbing because I was a woman, and he didn’t have any female instructors. And so I kind of got into it accidentally and did that for the city of Eugene for over 10 years.

What, mentally, does rock climbing do for you? Does it have a sort of calming power for you?

I really appreciate rock climbing because it gets me out of my head. I would say that I am somebody that even when I’m working out I’m constantly thinking about what am I going to do next, what’s on my to-do list, I’m worrying about this student or that thing, and when I’m on the rock the only thing I’m thinking about is my next move. Particularly outdoors where it’s usually very beautiful and serene. So it gets me out of my head and it’s almost sort of a meditative experience, and I love that.