Vertical Ventures (St. Petersburg)

Climb with your feet…

There must be something ingrained in human DNA that makes us enjoy climbing things. Just the act of slowly but deliberately positioning arm and legs into positions to ascend is compelling in both a physical and mental way. Physically, you have have to optimize your bodily kinematics to ensure you have the strength to complete the route; mentally, you have to not freak out while doing all of it.

Climbing for me was just a way to get a fun workout in while it was raining, now it has become more than that. It’s physical puzzle you need to solve with your movement and mind, it’s a functional way to assess fitness with clear representations of progress, and it’s a way to meet some great people who encourage you to climb higher.