The Rock Club | The Premier Indoor Rock Climbing Gym for New York City and Westchester

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Climbing up the Walls
By Catherine Wald

Think about rock climbing, and you might imagine men with big biceps hanging precariously on the side of a cliff. Think again, says Dave Raue, co-owner of The Rock Club in New Rochelle. With the indoor climbing gym, he is on a mission to demystify climbing, especially “the misconception that is takes a lot of upper-body strength.”

Raue describes the sport as “yoga on steroids,” where you’re “in a pose, shifting into another pose while trying to figure out what the next pose will be.” In fact, indoor climbing is an activity for the whole family because people of varying strength, ability, experience and size can participate. “In climbing, ability or experience makes no difference,” says Raue. “Everybody can do it and have different kinds of fun.”

The Rock Club offers a spacious and safe environment, with 20- to 40-foot-high walls and a variety of activities. Private and group classes are available, as are family climbing packages and monthly and yearly memberships. The facility also hosts birthday parties and summer camp.

Because the sport requires flexibility, patience, focus and technique in addition to strength, women tend to be better-especially as beginners. “Guys try to muscle through it, while women tend to develop technique, which takes you farther,” explains Raue. (The club offers special women’s nights on Wednesday.)

“Climbing is not gender-specific at all, so men and women can excel at it equally,” agrees Lisa Reifsnyder, a fan of The Rock Club since it opened just over a year ago. The Rye resident is now a certified belayer along with her husband, and their two sons are both avid climbers. In fact, older son Christopher, who got the whole family hooked, is a member of the club’s successful junior competitive team.

“It’s a supportive, encouraging atmosphere, and the staff is just phenomenal,” says Reifsnyder. “They’re great role models for the kids.”

P.s. Day passes cost $13 to $17, while monthly memberships range from $42 to $80. Equipment rentals run from $4.50 to $10.

The Rock Club, 130 Rhodes Street, New Rochelle; 914-633-7625; www.climbrockclub.com