With efforts spearheaded by Emily Barnum, a graduate assistant in the outdoor education department, New England College students have a new opportunity at their doorstep. Starting the week of Feb. 21, all NEC students will have a free membership to the New Hampshire Climbing and Fitness rock climbing gym in Concord, N.H..
With this membership, students will have access to the climbing walls and fitness center for free. For those with experience, there are dozens of spots to top rope or auto belay across the gym with varying difficulties. The paths span from easier straight up walls, to those with a curve that require an extra stretch.
Bouldering walls are also present at NH Climbing and Fitness with an entire section dedicated to practicing your no rope skills.
If you are a beginner in the climbing scene you are in luck, the second floor there are novice level walls. The gym also offers an opportunity to take classes regarding the ins and outs of rock climbing with experienced wall climbers.
If you don’t have the proper equipment the gym offers rentals including harnesses, shoes and any other climbing equipment you can think of.
The fitness center on the second floor also offers a place to break a sweat without even climbing the walls. Loaded with various workout equipment and machines, there are plenty of areas to get a workout in.
Located just one mile off I-93 in Concord, the gym is just a twenty-three-minute drive from the Henikker campus and a nineteen-minute drive from the Manchester campus. The gym is open from Monday to Saturday with hours spanning from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
“It’s crazy that we can climb for free”, said Emil Schultz, a freshman in the outdoor education major. “I’m going as much as possible.”
Whether it’s one of your favorite hobbies or something fun that you’re willing to try, as an NEC student you can now go at your own leisure.
