Hocking Hills - Vertical Expansion in Appalachia

As National interest in rock climbing soars with documentaries grossing millions and speed climbing entering the next Olympic games, Athens has a lot to offer with strong climbing culture and proximity to climbing locations.

Harrison Law says that the community and infrastructure in Athens is what got him into climbing. “I’ve always been interested in climbing but had never been in close proximity to do it, so OU has given me that,” Law said. Athens currently has two indoor climbing facilities, the rock wall at the Ping Recreation Center, and an indoor bouldering gym called the Dojo, owned by Ted Welser. The Dojo takes up the attic above Wesler’s garage, the walls littered with over a hundred colorful holds, each a part of specific bouldering problem.

Along with owning the Dojo, Welser also helped create Climb Athens, a community organization that allows members to access his gym. Recently Climb Athens lost its second gym, Betta Fish, after the previous owners moved. Despite the loss, Law still believes the community is drawing in new members.  “The people in Athens are very welcoming to new climbers,” Law said. “We all kind of just look out for each other.”

 As the popularity of the sport grows, Law hopes that these values, and the terrain they are climbing on, remain intact. 

“I mean I’m not one of those guys who lives out his van or anything, but climbing culture to me is a respect for the natural landscape,” Law said. “ Just the fundamentals of getting to know your surroundings and promoting things like leaving no trace to preserve that landscape. Obviously these places are relatively rare, so it’s about taking care of one another while taking care of the planet around us.”