Robert Gilmour/The Mossy Log
Palatine Hill Climb Team is an excellent bridge into the rock climbing community for new climbers, as well as an opportunity for more experienced climbers to hone their skills.
Bouldering, the variety of climbing that makes up the majority of the team’s practices, is climbing without a rope over mats on walls that are typically shorter than 15-20 feet. The U.S. uses a grading system called the V Scale, which goes from VB as the easiest up to approximately V16 or V17, only climbable by the most skilled climbers in the world.
Practice, especially during the fall semester, is all about being welcoming and exposing new climbers to the sport, while competitions ramp up in the spring. Practices occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and typically contain a warm up, drills, occasionally time to work on projects (routes that a climber is trying to complete), strength or endurance exercises, core and stretching.
The Mossy Log spoke to several captains about the team’s practices, competitive season and interpersonal dynamic. Robert Gilmour ’27 described a typical practice, explaining some classic climbing drills.
“We have people warm up on the wall for like 10 minutes on climbs that are below a V3,” Gilmour said. “(Drills) are different every day. There’s a few classic workouts that we always do. Four by fours is a classic — doing four different climbs four times each. There are various pyramids, which are like five climbs, four times, three times, two climbs, one climb.”
Practices typically contain various circuits, or workouts, with rotating exercises for the upper and lower body. Gilmour explained how technique drills can be incorporated into baseline drills, as well as off-the-wall training. Practice can also include some fun activities.
“We also did a special trick-or-treat workout on Halloween because our practice coincided with Halloween. That was pretty good.” Gilmour said.
Climb Team participates in several competitions in the spring, including the Dirtbag Derby at the University of Oregon, Rain City Send at the University of Washington, Vert Fest at Oregon State University and Bridgetown Boulder Bash at Portland State University. However, while participation in competitions is encouraged, it is not required. Olive Miller ’26 explained the nature of competition for the Climb Team.
“It is something that we include, but it is optional to climbers. It’s sort of a challenge by choice situation, and particularly in the beginning of the year, we focus a lot on building community and getting people to talk to each other and meet other people,” Miller said.
Competitions are one of the many things the team is excited for. Reid Pinto ’26 and Gilmour commented on what they are looking forward to this season.
“I feel like a lot of new people are already good climbers and are becoming crazy good climbers,” Pinto said. “I think the number one excitement is seeing these people grow.”
Gilmour expressed similar hopes for the evolution of the team.
“I’m also excited for more Portland Rock Gym trips, hopefully more, better organized,” Gilmour said. “I’m excited for the future of the team, hopefully getting better roots, hopefully developing the whole climbing scene at Lewis & Clark.”
Pinto recalled the evolution of the team since his freshman year as the group’s popularity has grown.
“As somebody who’s been on this climbing team for, like, four years, I’ve seen it undergo a lot of changes from freshman year, being a very small group of people going to practice of maybe anywhere from two to eight (people) on average, and not really having a budget,” Pinto said. “We’ve just recently become this giant club that’s very popular, and we’ve just recently been able to get a budget where we feel like we can accommodate people, so I feel like one of the challenges is trying to continually figure out how to operate as we continue to grow exponentially and get more certifications, more funding.”
Camden Egginton ’27 described the impact of the team on their academic and social lives.
“I usually do Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” Egginton said. “As a sacrifice to time that would be spent (on) academics, it’s notable, but still very much worth it, where I don’t view it as a sacrifice — as Reid put it, where it’s beneficial in and of itself. What I get out of it, either socially or as a workout, or just everything with it, feels fulfilling and worth my time, even as a student where time is very important.”
Gilmour agreed with fellow captain Egginton, adding that club leadership is understanding concerning members’ academic schedules.
“(The) top of my priority list is Climb Team, so I dedicate a lot of time to it. It’s all volunteer, but it’s just so much fun that it’s worth it to me to spend all this time,” Gilmour said. “For at least us, it is academically strenuous, but for members of the team, we are very understanding. If people can’t make it to practice, we encourage them to email us and let us know. … We’re not going to penalize people if they can’t take that time out of their day when they need to spend it doing school.”
The commute can be another obstacle. Captains always try to guarantee that everyone has a ride to practices and competitions, and sometimes utilize the Climbing Shuttle, which is organized by College Outdoors and goes to the Circuit Circuit Bouldering Gym SW on Macadam Avenue, where practices are held on Mondays. Gilmour explained how leadership organizes rides.
“I live off campus, so I drive people to the gym every practice. Reid lives off campus and drives people to the gym a lot. A lot of our climb members have cars as well that can drive people to the gym,” Gilmour said. “For the Portland Rock Gym trip, I think everyone agrees it was worth it, but we did have, like, not enough cars. … We drive people to the comps, and that is a lot more organized and scheduled, so we always have enough drivers for comps.”
The collaborative transportation system complements the supportive culture of the team, showing how leadership works hard to ensure that the experience is both culturally and logistically inclusive for students. The captains highlighted the culture of the team, and the wider social environment.
“When (it is) a lot of people’s first time in the gym, they notice a lot of people will gather around you and cheer you on. And, I feel like that’s also kind of our team. Any given time I’m walking around a practice, somebody’s supporting someone, somebody’s helping someone, somebody’s cheering someone on while they’re climbing,” Pinto said. “Some people have been climbing for like 10 years since they were a kid before they joined the team, and some people have never ever climbed before, and so we just try and make sure that people feel comfortable using those people as a resource, but also managing their own growth instead of trying to compare everyone to one another.”
Miller echoed this, elaborating further on the relationship between leadership and members.
“We also try to make it really inclusive and meet people where they’re at in terms of their climbing. We do compete, but I don’t think the environment of Climb Team as a team culture is competitive,” they said. “It is really about supporting each other and growing together.”
Gilmour added that the team strives to be socially approachable.
“It’s an environment where you’re so comfortable going up to people and seeing how they’re doing and how their session is going — even if it’s your first time talking to them,” he said. “I’m happy to say that this year especially, there have been pretty much no hiccups and it’s been super smooth.”
Climb Team is a constantly evolving organization and is always welcoming climbers of any experience level, encouraging climbers to perform at their own best, which has allowed their numbers to increase in recent years. Leadership’s size also helps accommodate people and promote an inclusive culture for anyone interested in climbing. If you are interested in joining the team, they can be reached by email at climbingteam@lclark.edu, and their Instagram is @palatinehillclimbteam.
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