In an unassuming brick building that was once a powdered milk factory, Central Rock Gym recently opened its Syracuse location. The exterior betrays the interior, where 45-foot rock walls stretch up, and patrons lift weights in a brand new fitness facility. On a Saturday afternoon, the gym was alive with climbers on almost every wall.

Manager of Climbing Nate Farrington walked around the gym in a pair of ice climbing boots, stopping to chat with different climbers. A Central Rock employee was giving a tour to his family but paused to introduce them to Farrington.

“Thanks for coming,” Farrington said as he shook hands with each family member. The sense of community at the gym is palpable, with small groups of climbers watching friends and strangers alike scale the huge walls.

The gym, located at 600 N. Franklin St., gives Syracuse area residents a nontraditional way to break a sweat during a time of year that makes outdoor exercise especially unappealing. Climbers can meet workout partners and experience new challenges every time they come in for a climb.

“I know it can seem like a kind of individual sport because you’re on a wall by yourself,” Farrington said. “But the fact that someone else is belaying you, you’re literally trusting that person with your life — and it develops, purposefully or not, a really deep sense of connection.”

Farrington, a Syracuse native, had been waiting years for a gym like Central Rock to open in the area. He’s been involved with the Syracuse University Outing Club for the last decade, which is how he was able to get started in sports like rock climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering.

Many members of SUOC are involved with the gym as both employees and patrons. Climbing partners Noah Anderson and Evie Brooks, both members of SUOC, said Central Rock is a great place to meet people besides the climbers they already know.

“A lot of climbers in the area already know each other, and those who don’t, we’re all super friendly to them,” Anderson said.

He recounted a time when Farrington introduced him to someone new to the gym and asked if Anderson and Brooks would climb with her.

“Now, not only do we have a new friend, we have a new climbing partner,” he said.

The gym offers both roped climbing and bouldering, where climbers scale freely across the walls without any harnesses or ropes. Rock climbing’s rising popularity is reflected in the International Olympic Committee’s decision to include the sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Central Rock Gym is a chain that grew out of Massachusetts and is opening more locations to meet growing demand for the sport.

In fall 2018, Central Rock will open a gym in Rochester, a boon for the Rochester Institute of Technology’s climbing team. For now, though, they enjoy climbing in Syracuse.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Chuck Caikoski, a senior on the RIT climbing team. “This is the closest gym that has rope climbing.”

Before Central Rock opened in Syracuse, the team would drive two and a half hours to a gym in Burlington, Ontario, to access the facilities they need to train for USA Climbing competitions.

The gym also offers opportunities for training beyond climbing. Yoga classes are offered several times per week, in addition to cardio and climbing fitness classes, all of which are covered by the membership fee.

Rock climbing is the ideal sport for anyone struggling to find the appeal of a traditional gym, Farrington said.

“You come here, you’re hanging out with friends, you’re on the wall for a while, and then suddenly you’re like ‘Oh yeah, I’m sweating,’” he said.

With a full-time setting team assembling new routes along the walls every few weeks, members can expect to find a challenge regardless of how often they visit the gym. For those who are just getting started in climbing, day passes, rental gear and introductory belaying classes are available.

Isaac Jo, a Central Rock employee and SUNY-ESF alumnus, has been climbing for 10 years. He encouraged anyone with an interest in the sport to give it a shot.

“Just do it, just go for it. If you have a fear of heights, that’s great,” Jo said. “You can conquer your fear, it’s a great workout and we have student discounts. It’s an accessible and affordable way to get in shape.”

Published on January 28, 2018 at 8:58 pm

Contact Molly: mfbolan@syr.edu