The members of the Lees-McRae College Competition Rock Climbing Team have been very busy this fall. Melissa Robertson, a graduate student from ASU, has returned this year to continue for another season as the team’s coach. Walter Ford is also back this fall as the captain of the team, along with Meagan Kelly and Tyler Lucas as assistant captains in training for leading the team after Walter graduates from Lees-McRae College in December 2012. After a group of over 22 LMC students tried out for the team in late August, nine new team members were chosen and have already attended fitness and climbing workouts with Melissa and the team.
Along with training for upcoming competitions, the team members have been preparing to host the REEL ROCK Film Tour again this year. The event will be held on Thursday, September 13th in Evans Auditorium on the Lees-McRae College campus. The 7th Annual REEL ROCK Film Tour, which launches in September to over 100 cities around the world, delivers the year’s most thrilling and nail-biting climbing and adventure films. REEL ROCK shows are festive events where climbers and outdoor lovers gather together to celebrate their passion for adventure. The doors will open at 7:30 pm and the films will begin at 8:00 pm. There will be booths set up for local outdoor industry shops and organizations to share their information with event participants both before and after the films. The cost is $7.00 at the door and the event is a benefit for the LMC Climbing Team and the Carolina Climbers Coalition.
Caitlin Bentley, one of the newest members of the team, boulders on the LMC indoor rock climbing wall.
“My name is Walter Ford and I am the captain of the Competition Rock Climbing Team. This is the team’s fifth year hosting the REEL ROCK Film Tour here at Lees-McRae, and every year it gets better and better…from the films to the overall event. The cool thing about it for me is looking at the differences from year to year, and not only seeing how far the team has come, but how much we are able to do for the school. It has gotten to the point where REEL ROCK is a huge event for Lees-McRae, and it draws in an amazing and diverse crowd of people. More than that, it really is a great platform to show the value and the impact that Outdoor Programs has on this campus. It will also be a great way to have our newest members jump right in and get their start with the team and Outdoor Programs. It is a little on the bittersweet side for me because this will be my last time hosting REEL ROCK, but I couldn’t imagine a better situation or having any cooler people to work with than my teammates, both new and old, Dee, and all the other Lees-McRae Outdoor Programs student leaders.”
Lees-McRae College Outdoor Programs and the LMC Competition Rock Climbing Team are looking forward to opening the doors to Evans Auditorium and inviting the community of Banner Elk, Boone, and beyond to celebrate the beautiful mountains surrounding our campus and enjoy adventure films from around the world!!
