Article Contributed on: 7/2/2009 1:23:14 PM
Perched near the top of the 25-foot climbing wall at the Parker Fieldhouse, 7-year-old Wade Tedesco stretches out his fingers to hit the buzzer to signal his arrival at the summit.
He grins in victory, slaps his brother Eric a quick high-five and returns to the floor, only to quickly scramble up the wall again.
Climbing is a family affair for the Tedesco family; dad Ted fills in as a climbing attendant and all three of his children enjoy the pursuit.
"Climbing gives kids confidence and allows them to get over their fears," Ted Tedesco said. "It's also a fun environment for the family."
Bob Wiater, lead climbing wall attendant and a Parker resident, said the fieldhouse offers a low-key atmosphere to learn climbing skills. In addition to classes, climbing attendants offer hands-on instruction during open climb times to make sure new climbers have their harnesses properly adjusted and are safely tied in, Wiater said.
"We're here to help," he said.
The fieldhouse offers a Dyno Rockets climbing climb for kids and an ongoing Mt. Everest Challenge, which stimulates the southern route of Everest. Kids who complete the challenge get their name on a wall plaque.
Although the majority of the fieldhouse climbers are kids, adults can get in on the action as well, Wiater said. One of the most popular classes in the parent/child climbing class, where the parents learn to belay their kids during a climb and can try scaling the wall themselves.
To participate in open climbing, the cost to rent a harness and shoes is $4, plus a fieldhouse drop-in fee for nonmembers. Class costs vary; for information, go to www.parkerrec.org.
Anne Tedesco first discovered the world of climbing when she took the Adventure Experience class at Chaparral High School and took a field trip to Rock'n and Jam'n, a local indoor climbing gym.
"After a while, I started getting obsessed with it," she said. "It's a very obsessive sport."
Now a sophomore at CU-Boulder, Anne Tedesco has traveled all around Colorado and the country for competitions and most recently competed in the American Bouldering Series in March and was ranked 12th in the female junior category.
UP NEXT
What: Youth Climbing Tournament for kids up to age 18
When: July 10-12. Participants can climb during any of the open climb times: 4 to 7 p.m. July 10, 9 a.m.-noon July 11 and 1 to 5 p.m. July 12.
Where: Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E. Plaza Drive
Cost: $5 which includes a coupon for one free fieldhouse admission and a free climbing equipment package which includes harness and shoes
More information: Sign up online at www.parkerrec.com or call Bob Wiater at 303-805-6316 or rwiater@parkeronline.org.