While in undergrad and grad school, I used to do a lot of climbing, usually spending half of my weekends each month scrambling around on rocks. As my PhD progressed and my climbing partners moved around the country, my climbing tapered off. Over the past couple years, I probably only climbed a handful of times a year, each time, thinking I should get back to climbing more regularly.

There is not much climbing in the immediate vicinity of Concepción (though there is obviously climbing in the Andes, as well as some near Santiago, and some in Valle Cochamó. Through some internet searching and chatting with others in town, I heard of two climbing gyms, one at the Universidad de Concepción and another closer to the city center. But, despite being here for nearly ten(!) months, I had not ventured to either gym. Through my Spanish class I met a couple who were also into climbing, and, several months ago, we resolved to see out one of the climbing gyms and give it a try. Life intervened and we only managed yesterday to make good on our quest.

Saturday afternoon we met in the main plaza and headed North from the square, armed only with the knowledge that somewhere between us on the ocean was a small climbing gym (only a slight exaggeration!). We ended up walking five or six blocks, with the buildings appearing to turn more residential and a bit more run down, the farther we walked. I was beginning to wonder if there was actually a gym. But then, like a beacon, we saw a building painted black and electric green – it couldn’t be anything other than a climbing gym.

We walked in and paid for our day passes; Deborah was climbing, but her partner Woody sat out with sore ribs. The gym was empty; when we walked in, one climber was leaving, but aside from the two employees, we were the only ones in the gym.

Image for Bouldering gym in Concepción

I immediately liked the gym – its no-nonsense feel reminded me of the many hours I spent climbing at the RIT Red Barn. We spent about an hour and a half bouldering. It has been a while since I climbed regularly, and my upper body was quick to tire.

But boy did it feel great to climb again.