On Wednesday, Sept. 7 the Climbing Gym on the Kennesaw campus hosted their monthly Women’s Climb Night where staff members of the Student Recreation Center gather together to encourage women to try rock climbing.
One of the program’s coordinators Ransley Cummings stated that “the point of this event is to make women feel more comfortable participating in a predominantly male activity.”
According to statistics from Zippia, rock climbing is an occupation dominated by men, who make up 96.8% of climbers. Meanwhile, only 3.2% of professional climbers are women. This demographic shows the large disparity between men and women climbers, which is why a Women’s Climb Night is such a great resource to have on campus.
It was clear that the women there were at ease. The event was designed to be judgment-free and beginner-friendly because, for a lot of the participants, it was their first time rock climbing.
Auri Hogg and Elizabeth King were among some of the students to try rock climbing for the first time that night. The relaxed way that they joked around and tried on harnesses made it obvious that the program had reached its target audience.
Many first-time rock climbers found climbing the 47-foot rock tower in the middle of the gym thrilling and fun. The size and dimensions of the tower may seem daunting at first. Beginning with the 15-foot bouldering wall that covers the back wall, however, can build confidence before taking on the tower.
Having so many experienced rock climbers around who were ready to help also made the experience that much more inviting.
Women’s Climb Night has been a recurring event for over two years now; it began just before the campus shutdown due to COVID-19. Cummings stated that “this has been the biggest turnout since the event was started.” Cummings loved bringing women together to try something new and thrilling in a judgment-free zone.
Throughout the night, Cummings was very enthusiastic while teaching students how to put their harnesses on and educating them on the specifics of the rock climbing wall.
By making women feel more confident and comfortable enjoying a hobby such as rock climbing, the gender gap can be bridged more and more over time.
Cummings, as well as the other coordinators, are very excited for the next event on Oct. 5.
On the first Wednesday of every month, the Recreation Center Climbing Gym hosts Women’s Climb Night from 4-8 p.m. For more information on future events visit their website.