Life Outside Summer 2018 - 10
THE NUTCASE
52 WEEKS
A YEAR
That's how often Jay
Reese goes outside to
play. And most often,
he's bouldering.
NAME
Jay Reese
AGE
29
HOMETOWN
Roanoke
JOB
AY REESE IS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL a
serious rock climber.
He's also afraid of heights.
"I don't know if I could do anything
else," Reese says. "You solve puzzles and
use physical strength with mental strength
and with endurance. It's addicting."
Photos of Reese climbing might take
your breath away. He spends a lot of his
free time climbing and can be found at
The River Rock climbing gym in Roanoke
three to five days a week.
"And 52 weeks of the year I go on an
outdoors trip somewhere." Thankfully
for him, many of these adventures are
nearby. Some of his favorite climbing spots
include the New River Gorge, Grayson
Highlands State Park and the Red River
Gorge in Kentucky.
"Roanoke has a lot of bouldering locally,"
he says, explaining that bouldering is when
a climber moves on smaller rocks (about 25
feet high or so) without a rope and with
pads on the ground. The goal is to move
from the ground and stand on top of the
rock formation.
One of Reese's favorite hidden gems is
the Hundred Foot Wall off the Appalachian
Trail. He's says it's a great bouldering area-
with a wall that's 100 feet long. Access it
from the parking lot like you are heading
to McAfee Knob, "but go the other way."
Climbing suits Reese because as an
10
Summer 2018 \\ LifeOutside Magazine
Structural design
engineer for VFP, Inc.,
Salem
ON CLIMBING
"It's kinda scary. You
must have a healthy
respect for what you do."
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAY REESE
engineer, he's a problem solver. And so
are many of the others he's met-doctors,
lawyers and other engineers-thanks to
climbing.
"Brainy people are getting into this highly
physical sport," he says.
Climbing is a fairly accessible activity
and easy to get involved in thanks to a
climbing gym, where people can learn the
ropes (literally).
"It's a lot less scary than a lot of people
think," Reese says. "It's more fun than scary."
Reese shares his love of climbing as a
competitive youth climbing team coach.
Twice a week kids between the ages of 9
and 17 meet at The River Rock to work on
their climbing skills. They travel across the
state to compete with other teams.
"It's really rewarding for them and me,"
he says. "The climbing team adds a team
element to a mostly individual sport."
And anyone can try it out. Climbing offers
a range of difficulties and skill levels and
there's not a lot of massive equipment to
deal with. Reese recommends starting at
the climbing gym. "
Everyone is so accepting and welcoming,"
he says, and you'll make friends that extend
beyond the indoor climbing facility. "There's
always someone psyched to take you outside
... and if not, just ask me!"
But back to his fear of heights.
Reese has been climbing for 13 years-
"seriously" for seven years-and says that
overcoming fear and pushing boundaries is
an appealing part of the sport.
"You try routes you don't think are
possible," Reese says. "And you finally break
through. There's a surge of accomplishment
that's hard to find anywhere else.
"You can apply it to other parts of
your life and push what your boundaries
might be."
-CARRIE COUSINS
Life Outside Summer 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Life Outside Summer 2018
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 1
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 2
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 3
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 4
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 5
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 6
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 7
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 8
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 9
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 10
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 11
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 12
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 13
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 14
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 15
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 16
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 17
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 18
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 19
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 20
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 21
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 22
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 23
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 24
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 25
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 26
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 27
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 28
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 29
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 30
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 31
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 32
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 33
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 34
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 35
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 36
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 37
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 38
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 39
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 40
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 41
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 42
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 43
Life Outside Summer 2018 - 44
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/Life_Outside_Spring_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/Life_Outside_Fall_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/Life_Outside_Summer_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/Life_Outside_Spring_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/Life_Outside_Fall_2017
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com