Upwardly Mobile : Novice Climbers Try to Overcome High Anxiety as They Learn the Ropes From Childs, a True Rock Hound

Arope hangs in front of the “Jesus Wall,” a sheer sandstone rock formation at Stoney Point in Chatsworth. Dangling about midway down the graffiti-splattered face, a climber rappels wildly, whooping and hollering as he descends on a double rope.

Brad Childs points out the climber to the 15 members of his introductory rock-climbing class. Without knowing it, the daredevil climber just demonstrated a valuable lesson on the hazards of climbing.

“Rappelling is the most dangerous thing you can do,” Childs told his class. “You are relying 100% on your equipment. People can make mental mistakes and get hurt and killed.”

Childs, the executive director of The Wilderness Institute of Woodland Hills, has taught rock climbing for 10 years. He learned to climb as a student at Michigan State and honed his skills on the limestone cliffs above the Grand River in Michigan.

Childs is one of several instructors in the Valley area who teach beginning climbers at Stoney Point, located at the foot of the Santa Susana Mountains in Chatsworth. Advanced students graduate to the steeper, more challenging cliffs at Idyllwild near Palm Springs.

In the introductory class, students are indoctrinated with basic climbing safety skills so they won’t make a life-threatening mental mistake.

The chances are slim, however, that Childs’ students could make such a mistake in an introductory class because they don’t get high enough off the ground. The students tackle boulders not much taller than a schoolyard fence.

Another reason is Childs’ painstaking precautions. He rigs backup systems for his backup systems. When practicing rope climbing, students are secured to a belay support system, a safety rope that is anchored to an instructor on the ground.

“People do make mistakes,” Childs said. “When there’s an accident, it’s because people didn’t follow a proper procedure.”

The diverse rock formations at Stoney Point enable a climber to advance through the beginning stages of rock climbing without ever leaving the 22-acre site.

Stoney Point is a rock climber’s playground, craggy sandstone boulders and sheer cliffs that are challenging enough to test the mettle of experienced climbers.

Sierra Club members have forged vertical trails at Stoney Point since 1935. Because the highest points are only 150 feet above ground, Stoney Point has served as a training ground for climbers interested in refining their techniques and skills.

Childs, 33, has held rock-climbing sessions at Stoney Point for four years. The daylong classes against the backdrop of centuries-old rock formations have never lost their appeal.

“It’s equally challenging for me,” Childs said. “I also enjoy helping people learn about themselves through rock climbing.”

In an introductory class, students learn the proper body positions while ascending a rock, how to safely rig equipment and tie knots. They also are taught edging and jamming, which involves wedging a foot against a rock or inside a crack in order to secure a climber’s hold on a rock.

Childs also stresses teamwork, an integral element of rock climbing. Climbers frequently rely on a partner to secure a safety rope or help ascend a wall.

To develop camaraderie and improve confidence, Childs stages “trust falls” at the beginning of each class. A student falls backward off a rock into the interlocked hands of the other students.

“If they can get over their fear of falling then they are going to excel in climbing,” Childs said. “What I find of students is that they don’t want to go beyond limits they set for themselves because they are so worried about falling.”

Katherine Carter, 38, of Pacific Palisades did not have a fear of falling when she signed up for Childs’ class. She took up rock climbing to bolster her trust in others.

“It’s not a solitary sport,” Carter said. “Doing this with others helps you to know that they will be there to help you.”

Susan Lorenzana, 36, of Ventura also was interested in rock climbing because of the bond that forms among climbers. She saw the introductory class as an opportunity for an outing with her 12-year-old son, Bridge.

“I wanted to be sure my son would get outside and do things and not stay home and become a wimp,” Lorenzana said.

Only about half of Childs’ introductory students seriously pursue rock climbing; the remainder quit after one eight-hour lesson. For climbers such as Childs, however, the sport is a lifelong avocation.

“A lot of people take up climbing as a life experience, a one-time shot,” Childs said. “Others become addicted to the sport. They enjoy that feeling of success and accomplishment.”