San Diego State’s Climbing Club has served as a gathering opportunity for climbers and aspiring climbers at SDSU for almost three years. During its existence, the club has promoted the sport of climbing around campus and made it a priority to create a secure environment for climbers of all experience.
“The purpose of the club is to promote the climbing community,” Climbing Club President Madison Sindorf said. “We try to create a safe and fun environment for both new and old climbers and to be involved in the climbing community of San Diego.”
The club also offers students with an interest in climbing a way to be a part of an exclusive community and to be around other students with an interest in climbing.
“(The club) has gotten me involved with a unique community,” Climbing Club Vice President John Aiello said.
The Climbing Wall, located inside the Aztec Recreation Center, is where the club does most of its practice for climbing trips and real-world climbing.
“At the Climbing Wall everyone is really friendly,” Aiello said. “Everyone gets along really well, helpful, just a great community.”
The club additionally goes out on climbing trips around San Diego County and others parts of California.
“My favorite memory so far in college are going out on climbing trips,” Aiello said. “Whether it’s to a local climbing area or a weekend long camping trip, it’s a really cool bonding experience.”
The trips grant the club the opportunity to temporarily escape form the stress of school and work, and to relax.
“Everyone goes out and climbs all day and gets all worn out, and then at the end of the day everyone stands around the campfire and just relaxes and blows off some steam,” Aiello said. “It really puts you in a whole different world, separate from the stress of school and of daily life.”
Being a member of the club can lead to benefits further down the road, like establishing long-term friendships and even job opportunities.
“Finding the club has led to a job opportunity,” Aiello said. “Now I’m working at the Climbing Wall on campus and I’m teaching climbing classes.”
For the future of club, Aiello wants to continue to attract new climbers and grow the climbing community.
“I would like to continue to bring in those new people and build them up as climbers and just strengthen the climbing community,” Aiello said. “It’s such a tight community that the more people I think that can get involved with this and see how awesome it is, the better. I think it has a great potential of really growing and having a huge impact on the local climbing scene.”
Sindorf wants to see the club grow in the sense of more trips and experiences.
“From when it started, it has gotten significantly bigger,” Sindorf said. “We have done more trips and further away trips. It’s really great to see some freshman join the club and to see some fresh faces. I hope in the next few years we can start to cater a little better to the population at SDSU.”
