This fall, Lick-Wilmerding High School’s 19-year rock climbing program took an unexpected pause. LWHS students and faculty have found creative ways to continue scaling Bothin Gym’s climbing wall, yet many still wonder: what does the future of rock climbing look like at LWHS?
Since 2004, when the climbing wall was installed in Bothin Gym, rock climbing has been an integral part of LWHS’s physical education program. Prior to the addition, students participated in gender-divided physical education classes instructed by Eliot Smith. However, LWHS decided to shift gears after students’ feedback expressed their desire for a new, dynamic course.
The course was originally titled “Health, Wellness and Fitness” but was later changed to “Body, Mind, Education” (BME) by Mair Culbreth, LWHS’s first BME instructor.
Following Culbreth’s departure from the LWHS community in 2006, Erin Merk, LWHS Health and Wellness teacher and BME instructor, took over the course. Subsequently, the rock-climbing program took a brief pause as Merk was not yet climbing-certified.
In 2007, Marisol Sullivan assumed the position and became the first official climbing instructor at LWHS. From this moment forward, LWHS provided a climbing course as part of the students’ curriculum. However, Sullivan left the position the following year and recommended Daniel Tesfai to take over. Tesfai previously worked at Mission Cliffs and was a skilled climbing and student instructor.
For 15 years, the climbing program continued to evolve under Tesfai’s instruction and became an integral part of LWHS’s frosh curriculum. In fact, many students recall the climbing wall as a unique draw to the school during their application processes.
Though the program took a brief pause during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tesfai’s rock climbing program resumed in 2021. The program consisted of safety tests, knot and belay mastering and scaling sessions where students learned both physical and collaboration skills. Frosh students rotated quarterly through rock climbing and yoga, taught by Diana Suarez Ben-Hur and Merk, and received supplemental Health and Wellness lessons.
However, when Tesfai announced his departure from LWHS last spring, the future of the rock climbing program was uncertain.
Though many qualified instructors applied for the BME position, none had previous climbing certifications. After hearing this, Merk decided to train as a rock climbing instructor and received her certification last spring. She plans to take over the position as rock climbing instructor in the fall of 2024, but is taking a sabbatical next spring and therefore could not instruct the course this school year.
Instead, BME instructor Jerrieza Enriquez has introduced a new “Fitness and Fun” course to the BME rotation, and students and faculty have stepped up to offer climbing opportunities outside of the classroom.
LWHS’s Climbing Club has taken over many responsibilities as the sole climbing instruction program this year, shifting from a passive membership to an active membership club. However, as Climbing Club leader James Park ’25 explained, this is mainly to ensure the leaders will host meetings at least once a rotation.
Unlike other active membership clubs, Climbing Club does not require all members to attend every meeting. Instead, the club leaders, Park, Matthew Schneider ’25, Zach Fuchs ’25 and Henry Gammel ’25, and club advisor, Merk, host open climbing sessions for students of all levels to learn climbing skills and become certified climbers.
In addition, Climbing Club leaders have hosted multiple beginner lessons to familiarize new climbers with basic knot-tying and equipment knowledge before moving to the wall. Later, Merk tests students on proper equipment use and climbing techniques in order to grant climbing certificates that permit free climbing with supervision.
photo by Charlotte Hahm
Climbing Club members noted the importance of having a rock climbing program available to LWHS students amidst the break from the course in BME. “I think climbing teaches responsibility, collaboration and communication skills because you really have to be trusting of everyone involved,” club member and experienced climber Colin Dunn ’26 said.
Similarly, Merk highlighted the community-building that rock climbing encourages for students. “It’s really cool to see kids who might not normally be friends taking care of each other on the wall… I definitely see the magic in it,” she said.
The routes – the various multi-colored paths one can take to scale the wall – over Thanksgiving break, for the first time since its installation, signaling the opening of a new chapter of climbing at LWHS.
Next spring, Merk will be taking a semester sabbatical and Rachel Liu ’14 will step in as an interim BME instructor. She is climbing-certified and plans on reintroducing rock climbing to the frosh’s second-semester course. Additionally, Lui will likely take over the position of Climbing Club advisor, and the club will continue to look for ways to offer climbing opportunities to LWHS students.
“We may begin fundraising or applying for funding to take trips to gyms outside of Lick like Mission Cliffs,” Park said.
Merk will return to LWHS in the fall of 2024 and resume teaching the climbing program. However, the BME program continues to be rethought as the team currently plans to offer a three-course program, teaching Rock Climbing, Yoga and Fitness and Fun. Merk noted that this change would most likely occur with a trimester rotation system and allow for smaller class sizes and fewer schedule changes.
Despite the numerous changes to the program, rock climbing has remained a cherished and essential part of the LWHS curriculum. Though the past few months have consisted of a myriad of uncertainties and challenges, students continue to persist and find creative ways to scale the wall.
