Climb On

Rock Spot Climbing Peace Dale, Rhode Island

Rock Spot Climbing

Thursday night, rental shoes, looking at an empty lane. My friend leans over my shoulder, “You gotta go for the left one, and then just hope to reach the one on the right.” I nod my head, shake my hands and take grip. The cold feel of plastic… plastic?

That’s right, no bowling ball, no pins. Just me and the wall in front of me. A few weeks ago my roommate came home and said four words: “Rock climbing. Let’s go.” We jumped in his Jeep and drove to the new Rock Spot Climbing in Peace Dale. To be honest, from the outside, it didn’t look like much, but on the inside… wow. Two floors, two bouldering walls (one with a slide!) 40-foot walls on one floor and 24-foot walls on the other. We walked in and saw a group of pre-teens doing a lesson, some experienced climbers spiderman-ing up a wall and others (like us) just there to have some fun and get some exercise.

Forty foot walls, varying levels of difficulty (I still can’t get past that 5.9 on the back wall, but that’s a hurdle I’ll have to overcome), trainers and ropes and ropes. We climbed for a few hours before my arms started to feel like spaghetti and my fingers were about to snap off on some of the hand holds.

Talking with Kat Waterhouse, their Director of Marketing, I learn that it has been open since the beginning of March and had started construction at the beginning of last summer. This place was unbelievable. Nearly empty, and I had free reign to climb route after route.

I’ve always been an active person; playing sports in middle school, high school and college, avid ultimate Frisbee player (yes, it’s a real sport). This was something different. You against the wall - either with an auto-belay or a friend below holding your life in their hands. You either make it or you don’t, and then you try again. It’s a sport, it’s exercise, it’s a release.

So skip the Mews, skip O’Mist, skip the beach this summer. If you’re looking for a place to have some fun, Rock Spot is definitely recommended (but be warned of how addictive it may be, and of how miserable your arms will feel the day after).