Student Recreation Center hosts annual Rocktober
By Aaron Thomas
Photo courtesy of the UAF Mountain Goats
Top-rope climbing at the SRC on Nov 16, 2025.
The Student Recreation Center hosted its annual “Rocktober” challenge at the climbing wall, where participants compete to climb a vertical mile. Throughout October, students log laps individually or in two-person teams. The goal is to climb the rock wall 176 times.
With a variety of routes ranging in difficulty, climbers of all skill levels can participate. The rock wall also offers auto-belays, an automatic climbing safety tether, for those who want more flexibility if they choose to climb alone.
While most students choose easier climbing routes to log their laps, others find unique ways to challenge themselves. Some try to complete the challenge in a single day or only on difficult routes.
“I wasn't sure if I was going to do it at first because I injured my arm this summer, but my friend Luke was like, ‘we should do Rocktober on the crack,’” said Matthew Crisafi-Lurtsema, a participant completing his third Rocktober. The two climbers, under the team name “crackheads”, completed the entirety of the challenge by crack-climbing.
“I knew the first two days were gonna be the worst. Like, by the second day I ripped my hands open, especially my right hand,” said Crisafi-Lurtsema.
This more difficult style of climbing forgoes colorful plastic handholds, with climbers ascending a thin gap by jamming hands and feet into the wall. To reduce blisters, crack climbers often place climbing tape over the backside of their hand or wear specialized gloves.
Photo courtesy of the UAF Mountain Goats
Nook demonstrates how to use an auto-belay on Sept 29, 2025.
According to Mark Oldmixon, the Director of the SRC, UAF owns five auto belays to keep the wall operational while the devices are sent to their yearly safety inspection. “We only have three up at a time, and so that's allowing for that continued practice year-round," said Oldmixon.
“I think we make it approachable in the sense that the climbing wall is open at all hours. If the gym is open, the climbing wall is open, versus if you do go to a number of other college institutions, you might find that the climbing wall has more specific hours,” said Oldmixon.
According to Oldmixon, UAF’s climbing wall is “unique in that we don't have a designated climbing supervisor at all times.”
To ensure a safe and accessible experience, the Student Recreation Center hosts weekly certification classes.
“We've got a lot of different staff that have different levels of training within the PCIA, the Professional Climbing Instructor Association, so we're not just making it up as we go, saying that, oh, we're stud climbers, this is how we do it, but having a national standard that we're applying,” said Oldmixon.