The NYU Rock Wall is located in the Palladium Athletic Facility and features five stations for top-rope climbing and a bouldering area. Climbing shoes and harnesses are available for use at no charge. New to Climbing? No worries, it's easier than you think. Look for our Rock Wall student employees. They will check you in, explain how to put on your harness and shoes properly, and teach you the skills you need to have an enjoyable time on the Rock Wall.

Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the NYU Rock Wall currently remains closed. As a staff, we hope that we can reopen soon and continue to serve our dynamic community of students and members.

From its earliest days, climbing has always been a boy's club. There were a handful of female role models, like Lynn Hill, Steph Davis, Robyn Ebesfield-Raboutou, and Kitty Calhoun, but they were few and far between. Today, however, there are women dominating the climbing world.

Women are making a name for themselves as the top climbers in the world regardless of gender. There are climbing events devoted solely to women and weekend women's-only trips sponsored by all-female climbing organizations. At the American Bouldering Series Open National Championship, women now comprise 50% of all competitors. And, it is no longer a rarity to see women's names linked to the most difficult and cutting-edge climbs in the world.



Whether we are talking about an elite female climber or a woman climbing for fun in a climbing gym or university athletic center, many of them have encountered gender stereotypes, faced self-doubt, and felt held back by the fear of not fitting in, not being good enough, or not matching traditional cultural or gender expectations. Their identity as a woman has shaped their experience climbing. It has also served as a galvanizing force, and has led to new opportunities for women in climbing, a culture of self-acceptance and deep connection with others. In this article, female staff members at NYU - the women of the wall - reflect on their own climbing journey, the experience of being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated sport, and share words of encouragement for those in the NYU community who want to try climbing for the first time.

A Wall of Her Own
Many of our Rock Wall assistants started climbing before arriving at NYU. In their experiences, they often felt intimidated by male climbers who were generally taller and stronger. The men, it seemed, could scale a wall with relative ease; their climbing style suggested that the most important assets for a climber were muscle, power and brawn. But, climbing is a sport where it is possible to level the playing field. Women's superior strength-to-weight ratio helps offset anything they may lack in power and reach. Judy Zhang, a junior double-majoring in Computer Science in NYU's College of Arts and Science and Photography in the Tisch School of the Arts, reinforces this idea by pointing out that women have what it takes to be good climbers based on a different set of skills than those used by men.

"Sometimes, being shorter and weaker can actually be beneficial in climbing," Zhang says. "When you lack something, it forces you to compensate with other skills, which is why I have gotten good at utilizing my flexibility and footwork instead of relying on muscles."

For all the physical prowess that climbing demands, it also requires intellect and creativity. For Rachel Lee, a senior majoring in Dance in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, working at the Rock Wall has shown her that "gender isn't necessarily a factor in how someone climbs. It really comes down to individual preferences and how someone chooses to solve a problem."



In climbing jargon, a "problem" refers to the route or, more specifically, the sequence of moves that a climber performs to complete the climb. A more advanced climber can look at a route or problem and figure out all their moves before stepping onto the wall. This intellectual exercise is as critical to successfully completing a route as the physical execution of it, and it leaves room for a variety of approaches and climbing styles.

"The beauty of the sport is that there is no correct way to climb," Lee explains. "A route can be approached from a million different angles. Girls and guys approach climbing differently, and it makes me love climbing even more."

A topic that affects female climbers, but too often gets swept under the rug, is the relationship between climbing and body image. Climbing affects people's bodies differently. Not every female climber can look like Ashima Shiraishi. Some women will naturally bulk up with muscle, which can put them at odds with society's preference for women who are skinny and toned.

"When I found a home on my climbing team, I realized that I looked out of place in photos with my friends," said Maria Olifer, a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience in NYU's College of Arts and Science. Maria spent five years on a competitive climbing team in Atlanta and competed at a local and national level before attending NYU. "I have since come to terms with the fact that I care much less about how my body looks and more about how it acts. For example: Do I feel focused? Do I feel strong? Do I have enough energy? It was a difficult journey to get to this point. As a female in the climbing community, I hope to help the younger generation realize earlier that they are strong and beautiful no matter what they look like."

The best part of being a woman working at the Rock Wall is being able to encourage other women to try climbing regardless of who they are, what they look like, their skill level, or previous experience. Professional climber Ashley Cracroft has talked about the "magic of women empowering other women." At the Rock Wall, located at the Palladium Athletic Facility, there is a growing community of women to support each other.

"By providing reassurance and being helpful, I am able to make the other women who come to climb more comfortable and excited about trying something new or improving their skills," explains Emily Arcuri, a senior majoring in Cinema Studies at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Climbing is for everyone!
While women are redefining the climbing paradigm, it remains rare to encounter women of color in climbing. Emily Figueroa, a 2018 alum of NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, believes that the first step in addressing this disparity is to make those who come to the Rock Wall feel that they can visit without fear of judgment or harassment.

"It is especially important to create spaces like these on college campuses," Figueroa says.



In addition to the efforts to create a diverse and inclusive community at the wall, accessibility is another core value, opening up the sport to those who may otherwise not have the means to try climbing elsewhere. Patrons can borrow shoes and harnesses at no cost and the staff will teach climbers for free, so there is no need to spend money on expensive lessons.

When a patron arrives at the wall to climb for the first time, a member of the staff will instruct them on the proper way to fit their shoes and harness. After that, staff give a brief orientation to the wall, including the different routes, types of holds, and difficulty levels; review important safety information; and provide introductory tips for new climbers. At 30 feet tall, the Rock Wall is smaller than other walls at climbing gyms around the city, making it the perfect place for one's foray into climbing.

"My favorite part of the job is helping patrons take their first climbing steps," Olifer states.

With a safe physical environment in place, all climbers - from beginners to advanced - can focus on improving their skills, competing, getting a good workout, problem solving, building confidence, pushing their personal boundaries, and going outside their comfort zone knowing that they are working with an emotional and social safety net should they fall. Lauren Gordon, who worked at the wall from 2013-16 and then as a part-time supervisor after graduating from NYU's College of Arts and Science in 2016, tried climbing for the first time during her first year at NYU. As she started her first ascent, she recalled wanting to quit because of her fear of heights. But the staff encouraged her to finish the route, which she did. A few hours later, she was climbing some of the hardest routes on the wall. That experience motivated her to begin working at the Rock Wall, wanting to provide the same support to other climbers who needed a little boost to get off the ground for the first time.

Don't be afraid to fall!
At the Rock Wall, and in life, falling is the first step on the journey upward. Falling is inevitable, but the staff's got you!

"Don't be afraid to fall," suggests Marshall Driskill, a 2020 alum of NYU's Stern School of Business. "We've all been new to climbing at some point in our lives, so we understand how scary it can be to step out of your comfort zone and try something completely new, especially something that you are most likely to be pretty bad at for quite some time. Ask for advice, chat with other patrons, try difficult routes. Everyone will cheer you on and help you achieve your own goals, whatever they may be."

The Rock Wall is not only where somebody can become a better climber. but also a place that fosters personal development and self-discovery. Lila Majano, a 2018 alum of NYU's Silver School of Social Work, described how working at the wall gave her the space to grow.

"I was able to engage with highly adventurous people who have and continue to inspire me," Majano says. "This role gave me the opportunity to improve my leadership skills, build on my creativity, and make lifelong connections with others."

Driskill believes that working at the Rock Wall was one of the best decisions she made in college, finding a community that accepted her for who she was.

"I got to rediscover my passion for climbing, and I got to share that passion with others," Driskill explains. "I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to meet so many extraordinary people with such unique perspectives, backgrounds and stories. I'll be forever grateful for the lifelong friendships I made at the Rock Wall."



Lee's experience at the wall highlights how climbing helped her deepen her understanding of herself, find balance, make new discoveries about the world, and, quite plainly, just have fun - and survive - as a college student.

"Working at the Rock Wall is pretty much the reason why I enjoyed college so much, and the reason I was able to survive college, honestly," Lee reveals. As a dance student, Lee spent most of her time with other dancers since their classes are held in their own building. By working at the Rock Wall, she was able to meet people outside of her program and enjoy a brief reprieve from the serious and competitive culture of her academic program. "Climbing has also allowed me to realize that I'm more than just a dancer, a label I love, but one I had associated my entire identity with. It was so nice to have another thing that I was passionate about. I used dance to influence my climbing and climbing to influence my dancing, so that was really cool."

A Home Away from Home
If building community is one of the pillars of NYU Athletics, it is on full display at the Rock Wall, where the community is welcoming, compassionate and authentic. Some staff, like Driskill, who climbed competitively in high school, didn't visit the Rock Wall until her sophomore year. Feeling like she had not yet found a community at school, and missing climbing, she applied for a position at the Rock Wall.

"From day one everyone made me feel incredibly welcomed," she explains. "I could truly be myself."

Gordon described how the Rock Wall community gave her a caring and loving group that she felt strongly connected to.

"The staff and managers were there when I needed advice whether it was related to school or my personal life," Gordon offered. "Being the first in my family to attend college, it was very important to have this community."

The Rock Wall has become a place on campus that is a "home away from home." Figueroa describes the community at PAF, and especially at the Rock Wall, as her "surrogate family."



It doesn't take long to be embraced, and moved, by the climbing community - and extraordinary women - at the Rock Wall. Even for someone like Zhang, who started working in early 2019 before the closure of athletic facilities due to the pandemic.

"Although I only spent a few weeks at the Rock Wall, it already made my time at NYU a little brighter," Zhang says. "It's an incredibly tight-knit community, and I'm glad to be a part of it."

The NYU Department of Athletics thanks all of our past and current staff members who contributed to this story. As expressed, the NYU Rock Wall is a space on campus for every student to rise higher together. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Rock Wall in the near future.