Students can get a taste of adventure through indoor and outdoor rock climbing, one of the many activities offered through the Outing Centre.

The climbing trips, which are offered throughout the year, have been a part of the Outing Centre since the early 1980s, said Dan Swan, outdoor adventure coordinator.

Participation has been very reasonable, Swan said.

“We like to keep the groups to no more than eight to 10 participants and most trips have been near this limit,” he said. “The people that participate in our activities have a wide range of skills.”

Karen Rosenbloom, a senior art education major, works at the Outing Centre as well as Vertical Endeavors in Warrenville.

“I got into it about two and a half years ago. I had always wanted to because my brother did it,” Rosenbloom said. “Then when I moved here I went on a trip with the Outing Centre and just got addicted.”

Rob Olszewski, a senior mechanical engineering major, works at the Outing Centre and participates in the trips. Olszewski started climbing at a young age.

“I got into it when I was in the Boy Scouts, and I’ve been doing it for 12 to 13 years,” Olszewski said.

All trips, either indoor or outdoor, incorporate fun and safety. All climbing is done with top-ropes, which are commonly used among group climbers. Sufficient equipment also is provided for every participant.

“Each climber wears a harness that a climbing rope is attached to. That rope is then run up to a couple of locking carabiners and then down to a person that belays the climber,” Swan said. “All of our participants wear helmets.”

Each climber’s descent is controlled by one of the belayers. The employees have experience and training in belaying and climbing safety. They attend training sessions periodically to stay up-to-date on rock climbing safety, Swan said.

Trips also benefit participants physically.

“Climbing provides a physical workout and a mental challenge to those that participate,” Swan said. “You work your leg and arm muscles along with those in your feet, back, fingers and toes.”

The group travels to four different locations for the climbing trips. For indoor trips, the group either goes to Northlander of Rockford or Vertical Endeavors. The outdoor trips include Mississippi Palisades State Park and Devil’s Lake State Park, located in Wisconsin. The trip to Devil’s Lake is an overnight weekend trip with all equipment provided by the Outing Centre.

Everyone is welcome to participate, but it is important to sign up on time to make sure all the spots are not filled. To sign up, students can stop by the Outing Centre between 2 and 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Participants are required to fill out necessary paperwork and pay for their trip at sign up.

Since the Outing Centre receives funding from NIU, the costs for the trips are relatively cheap, Swan said.

Evening trips to local gyms are $15, while the trip to the Mississippi Palisades state park is $25. The overnight trips to Devil’s Lake are $60 and include camping gear, camping fees, two breakfasts, two lunches and dinner.

For more information on any climbing trips, contact the Outing Centre at www.outingcentre.niu.edu.