“Shoe size?”The young man behind the counter asks with a smile on his face.

“6,” Marissa replies.

“11,” Chris says.

They make sure to get a size smaller than what they actually wear to make sure their shoes are tight fitting.

They are at Upper Limits Indoor Rock Gym & Pro Shop in Maryland Heights where they will be rock climbing with their Venture Crew, Crew 9211.

The man goes behind the counter and pulls out the pairs of shoes from their designated cubbies and hands them over. They give their thanks and step to the side so that everyone else can get their equipment.

Sophomore Marissa Watkins and junior Chris Steimel are very active members of Venture Crew. Venture Crew is a group that originated in 1998 to give boys who had outgrown Boy Scouts an opportunity to participate in age and ability appropriate activities. Venture Crew became co-ed in 1969 in the midst of the Women’s Rights movements.

“[I like] the activities and that it’s co-ed,” Chris says.

“With guys they can get stubborn, but with girls involved there’s usually a lighter mood.”

It’s time for the two climbers to properly secure themselves. They slip their legs through their one-size-fits-all harnesses and pull to fit them tightly. Next, they hook on the belay device. The belay device serves as a friction brake so that when the climber falls the fall is brought to a stop by controlling the rope. Once secured, they head to their rock climbing platforms.

Chris heads for the easier rocks while Marissa heads for the harder rocks.

Chris jokes that he likes to be lazy.

Marissa likes to be challenged.

“The harder they are, the worse the blisters,” Marissa says. “That’s how I know it’s been a challenge.”

Once they’ve approached the rocks, both Venturers make sure they are secure: Check.

Marissa makes a plan. What will be the easiest way to get up the wall without using too much energy?

“It’s all about what move I should make next,” Marissa says. “Sometimes I’m really determined to finish so I tell myself that I don’t care how tired or sore I am, I’m determined to get to the top and finish.”

For Marissa, quitting is not an option. Once she starts up a rock wall, she has to make it to the top, and so far she has never failed to do so. She always pushes herself to go above and beyond what she has done the last time.

Chris uses his height of 5 feet 9 inches to his advantage and uses his legs to push him up the wall while using his arms to reach for the next notch.

Rock climbing isn’t the only thing that Venture Crew does. According to their Crew leader, Dave Mayherhoeffer, they try to do at least three activities a month, generally one major activity and two smaller ones. Activities can be things such as swimming, kayaking, camping, and hiking.

But Marissa likes climbing the best. She describes climbing as being like a puzzle; she has to take everything into consideration. How far apart are the notches are, how far can she swing her arm up.

Chris and Marissa start their journeys up the rock walls while every so often giving commands to the belayer, the person who is anchored to the rock climber. They will each shout things such as “belay on” indicating that the climber has begun climbing or “belay off” indicating that they are no longer climbing.

As they venture higher up, the wall begins to slant and the gravity begins to take its course. The weight of their bodies are pulling them down. Both Chris and Marissa pull themselves close to the wall to remain in control and not fall off. This requires them to remain strong and focused for the 20 to 30 minutes it takes them to get to the top.

Marissa makes it to the top of the rock and the only thoughts on her mind are rest and food.

Chris, on the other hand, is more concerned about his journey back down the cliff once he sees how high up he is.

Both climbers shout to the belayer “ready to repel” and wait for the response signaling whether or not they are able to proceed. They use their legs and arms to push off the wall and bounce off of the side of the wall until they both reach the ground once again.

The crew is done for today, but this summer they have an event that will require a lot of their time. This summer, their crew is planning a trip to Philmont, New Mexico on a 10 day backpacking trip where all of the things they need will be in their backpacks and they will spend that time hiking and away from all of civilization.