In This Issue
Twin Peaks
U of G students climb their way to the top over and over again
BY DAVID DICENZO
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| Twin sisters Rachel, left, and Claire Hohenadel, both first-year students at U of G, love climbing their way to the top and have been teaching others how to do it for the past six years. Photos by Martin Schwalbe |
It's a typical busy weeknight at the Guelph Grotto. As energetic dance music pumps through the cavernous indoor climbing gym on Victoria Road, dozens of people challenge themselves by scaling the walls. On this Wednesday, the Grotto has a few extra youthful climbers. Kids ranging in age from eight to 13 have flocked to the gym to take part in the junior program, all doing their best Spiderman impression.
Rachel Hohenadel shares a laugh with one youngster stationed on the ground, while the child's climbing partner nears the top of a high wall. Hohenadel's identical twin sister, Claire, does the same with a group of kids on the other side of the gym.
Despite their young age, the two 18-year-old first-year U of G students — Rachel is the older of the pair by a mere three minutes — are Grotto veterans and seasoned instructors who've been working at the climbing gym for the past six years.
Born and raised in Guelph, the Hohenadels took up the sport as 11-year-olds after trying out the Grotto's portable climbing wall at the Hillside Festival. Rachel says it was Claire who wanted to pursue it further, but because the activity requires a partner, they both decided to give it a go.
Identical twins might appear to be perfect rock-climbing buddies, but it wasn't exactly a natural fit from the start.
“At first, we had some trouble with the trust thing,” Rachel says with a smile. Adds Claire: “We wouldn't go all the way up the wall because we thought we'd kill each other.”
But they got over their initial fears and have evolved into avid climbers. They agree that rock climbing offered something completely different for them. Neither is big on team sports, and they were looking for something that was both active and social, a departure from simply hanging out and wasting time.
According to the duo, climbing is a constant reality check.
“Probably the best part of it is that it slams you down,” says Claire. “There's always something you have to try to conquer. You're never bored with it. You're constantly trying to get better and better.”
Rachel says she likes the independence of the sport. “You can come in and set your own goals and not have to worry about someone else pressuring you. It's also one of those things you really need to keep up with. If you're not coming in a few times a week, you will plateau.”
Rachel admits she has done exactly that. Climbing walls have degrees of difficulty that are determined by the number of grips and where they're positioned. At the Grotto, walls start with a 5.4 rating (numerous grips close together) and go all the way up to 5.12 (few grips, spaced far apart), with outdoor walls reaching as high as 5.15. Rachel has peaked at 5.10. “I've plateaued for about two or three years,” she says.
Their crazy schedules have been a factor. The sisters work 20-plus hours a week at the Grotto teaching children and adults, hosting birthday parties and doing some administrative work, in addition to tackling a full first-year course load over the past two semesters. Claire is studying applied human nutrition; Rachel is majoring in psychology.
“It's been busy,” says Rachel. “I'm looking forward to the summer.”
With final exams now behind them, the Hohenadels have a lot more opportunity to climb, although they will be apart this summer because Rachel has decided to spend a few months in Toronto. Claire will continue working at the Grotto, helping to run summer camps and staffing the portable wall as it makes its way around Guelph, while also taking a distance education course. Come fall, they'll both return to the gym.
“The kids have requested that we come back,” says Rachel.
Teaching the junior program is something the duo particularly enjoys.
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| Seasoned climbing instructors Rachel, left, and Claire Hohenadel took up the sport at age 11. |
“Sometimes I find kids learn better than adults, especially belaying,” says Claire, referring to the partner on the ground who secures the climber's ropes. “You have to always make sure they're getting it and that they're safe.”
Adds Rachel: “I've got a few kids who've been coming in for three or four years. It's amazing to see the personality changes and how good they're getting.”
An aspect of climbing the sisters truly appreciate is the camaraderie of the tight-knit community. Climbers, they say, tend to be non-judgmental and quick to offer an encouraging word or a helpful suggestion about where to position a stranded foot or hand.
That's especially true of the Grotto, say the sisters, who feel a strong bond with their customers, young and old. “We were kind of raised here,” says Claire. “The regulars say they've watched us grow up.”