Run With It
Rock-climber Erik Ferjentsik, 30, says that while there are great gyms around Boston, “one of the reasons I began this sport was to stay outside for as long as possible.” Health-minded hippies, Downtown financiers and everyone in between find common (vertical) ground at places like Quincy Quarries and Newton’s Hammond Pond. Ferjentsik pursues the sport for the rock-climbing version of runner’s high. “It’s akin to meditation for me. Something about the fear element, or the adrenaline, but when you peak at your personal level of difficulty, and you have to hyperfocus, your body just starts to breathe correctly and you reach this zen that creates, for me, this dope-like addiction.”
There’s a misconception that rock climbers are muscle jocks. “The sport is 70/30 men to women, and it’s due largely to the misconception that you need brute strength. In truth, women have a lower center of gravity, which is a huge plus in terms of balance and weight distribution. Besides, footwork is far more valuable than how much you can bench.”
Black Diamond “Quickwire” quickdraw, $15
Eastern Mountain Sports | 855 Boylston St., Boston | 617-236-1518 | ems.com
Petzl “Hera Attache” screw-lock carabiner, $15
Eastern Mountain Sports | 855 Boylston St., Boston | 617-236-1518 | ems.com
Black Diamond “Momentum” AL climbing harness, $50
Eastern Mountain Sports | 855 Boylston St., Boston | 617-236-1518 | ems.com
Prana Chalk Bag, $25
Eastern Mountain Sports | 855 Boylston St., Boston | 617-236-1518 | ems.com
Sterling “Biathlon Pro” climbing rope, $245.50
justropes.com
