W
hen you think of the Midwest, what comes to mind? Maybe you envision peaceful plains and wind farms, or forested hills and sparkling lakes. You consider pastimes like hunting and fishing, maybe biking, in addition to more adventurous activities like water skiing and zip lining—but what about rock climbing? Believe it or not, rock climbing is a thing in the Midwest. A growing number of climbing gyms in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area have formed a community of climbers who don’t let the lack of mountains stop them from climbing. For Kelly Walden, her rock-climbing adventure started on a whim after returning home to the Kansas City area from Florida. Walden shared that she’s always lived an active lifestyle, whether running, competing in triathlons or surfing. “I like to find a way to be active,” Walden said, “and be physically and mentally engaged, all in one.” But her passion for rock climbing took flight after a chance encounter at a dog park. Walden bonded with a woman over experiences about their non-traditional breed of pet, the Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. As the conversation continued, the woman shared that her husband was opening a rock-climbing gym. This intrigued Walden and she signed up, patiently waiting for the gym to open that spring. “I was curious about rock climbing,” Walden said, since she’d never done it before. “I started going to the gym and
just pretty quickly got hooked.” Climbing holds an interesting dynamic that Walden describes as a duality. “You’re hyper independent when you’re actually climbing. When you’re on the wall, it’s just you and the wall. No one else can do it for you,” she explained. “But simultaneously, climbing is very team and community orientated. You have to have a partner and your partner literally has your life in their hands.” This subculture of rock climbers in Kansas City is a very tight-knit group of individuals, she admitted, sharing that you learn climbing by spending time with climbers. “You forge really close bonds, but you still get to test your personal fortitude,” Walden added. She found herself at home with a family of climbing friends at RoKC after she jumped into climbing with both feet. “I joined a league and through that league I made close friends and really lasting friendships. People that I’m still very close with today,” Walden said. The common thread amongst climbers is that they seek adventure by pushing themselves, and Walden believes climbing is a very social activity. “It’s a way to meet like-minded people,” she concluded.
“You’re hyper independent when you’re actually climbing. When you’re on the wall, it’s just you and the wall.”
Kelly Walden & Josh Burns at RoKC climbing gym in North Kansas City.
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