Rise Up continues to challenge climbers
Scaling the wall — Rise Up Climbing takes indoor climbing to new heights, providing a place for Lynchburg residents and students to work on their skills. Photo credit: Greg Leasure
Students are always looking for new places to explore and experience around Lynchburg, and for those interested in rock climbing, Rise Up Climbing has become one of the places to be.
Scaling the indoor cliffs of Central Virginia, it has been four years since rock climbing facility Rise Up Climbing burst into Lynchburg’s social scene. Striving to maintain the family-like atmosphere, the owner and employees are setting up an array of paths, scheduling events and offering lessons to all who come to the establishment.
“I have been in this business for 20 years,” owner Dan Hague said. Dedicated to his job, Hague attempts to create a climbing lifestyle with his business. Through his employees, mentality and many years of experience, he has created a challenging rock climbing center that leaves his customers coming back for more.
The 40-foot wall is designed to challenge the climber in an intense but rewarding mix of technique, strength and wit. However, not everyone who steps foot into the facility may have a background in climbing. In roughly 30 minutes, you can walk right in, and the owner and his employees can take you through a basic skills lesson that teaches the fundamental techniques of climbing.
“Rise Up Climbing is a great place to start climbing,” Danielle Kologe, a Rise Up Climbing Facebook follower, said. “Everyone is very nice and helpful. It is the best place to spend the day, especially in this heat.”
Although the winter is Rise Up Climbing’s prime business period, the summer attracts a lot of students looking to create a brand-new experience. According to Hague, it is a community that encourages its customers to challenge themselves, climbing higher each time they come back.
“It is an art,” Hague said. Each stone in every path is set by one of the climbers on staff. The wall ranges in difficulty from easy to very difficult. With each path custom-set every week, a new challenge is presented each time a client comes into the facility. Hague says that this maintains the excitement and other sensations that come with solving the puzzle and reaching the top of the wall.
Offering affordable prices, Rise Up Climbing ensures that anyone looking to climb or learn to do so will enjoy it. For students, the business offers single month prepaid memberships for $60, full year memberships for $440 and $13 one-time visits. Discount rates are also offered Monday nights to college students.
Rise Up, located at 1225 Church St. in Lynchburg, Va., is an experience in itself. Appealing to the students need to excite and challenge themselves, Rise Up Climbing is the pastime students are looking for to fill that empty space in their schedule.