A week before Christmas, Urban Peaks was able to run its first program. Six students from a Boston Public Middle School, accompanied by 3 teachers, participated in the two-hour climbing activity thanks to the Urban Peaks, Peak Performance Grant. Metrorock was proud to host the first program. The students were picked up at Wellington T station and then spent two hours climbing the walls of Metrorock. When they walked into the building they were in awe, looking at the 45-foot walls, determined to climb to the top of the arch!

To get a feel for climbing, the students started out bouldering. Some of the students were timid at first, not sure how to get to the top of the boulders, but once they figured it out, it was hard to get them off the boulders. When one of the students got to the top of the boulder he exclaimed, “I’m on top of the world!”

Once they were comfortable with the climbing holds and the feeling of climbing up, we tied in, and climbed some roped climbs. When the students entered the new room, they looked up, pointed to the challenge course, and asked, “When do we get to do that?” We were sticking with climbing for the day, but maybe next time.

The students were confused when they looked at the lead cave, pointing to it they asked, “how do you climb up that wall, there is no rope?” As I explained what leading is, many of them responded with, “I am going to do that one day!”

We finished off our climbing with taking some goofy pictures. The students had a great time; they loved it!

Thank you to Meg Halligan for taking these great photos!