Climbing the Walls at ROKC: Olathe
My girls LOVE adventure! Trying new things and challenging themselves is one of their favorite ways to spend a day. They have enjoyed rock wall climbing at local attractions and gyms over the years, so when we were invited to check out ROKC's newest location in Olathe, they couldn't wait!
We recently checked out ROKC with some friends who were first-time climbers, and all of the kids (ages six to fifteen) had a BLAST!
This indoor rock wall climbing facility features 35-50 ft walls for all skill levels from beginner to expert, 15 ft bouldering walls, fitness equipment available for ages 14+, cardio equipment, elliptical equipment, Jacob's Ladders, and facilities for Advanced Climbing Training (for those with a year of experience). ROKC features three types of climbing walls: Lead, Top Rope, and Auto Belay. The Lead and Top Rope walls do require passing certification, but Auto Belay is open to beginners. The site even has a Speed Climbing Wall where you can time your speed or race friends (the current record in 8 seconds!).
The attraction is great for single-day visits (purchase a day pass, or multiple visit punch card), memberships, and parties. For parents who want to climb, they even provide onsite childcare in a play lounge included with admission. If you are interested in hosting a party, the private event room features twenty of the site's thirty-two auto belays.
Our visit began with a tour of the facility and safety instructions. We were given a full tour by Michael, one of ROKC's many well-trained staff members. Their team is dedicated to helping you enjoy your experience and new challenges safely. Michael trained all of the kids on the auto-belay system before they began climbing. He also explained the color-coding and number system so they knew how to understand the difficulty level of each course. Many of the girls challenged themselves to try some of the hardest routes before the day was done.
We spent about 90-minutes climbing and bouldering at the gym.
The girls all challenged themselves on the 35 and 50 foot climbing walls in the main gym:
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Kristina Light
ROCK Olathe
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
They tried out Bouldering - this is climbing without a harness attached to a rope, sometimes hanging upside down and climbing "the ceiling." The Cave section of the Bouldering area offers thick padding if you lose your grip:
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
The Party Room offers twenty Auto-Belay systems making it easy for friends to climb together! This room is open to guests when parties are not happening.
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
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ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light
Then, we enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch at Apogee, the restaurant adjacent to the facility!
ROKC Olathe is the nicest rock wall facility we've tried in the Kansas City area. The spacious site with 50-foot walls, an array of equipment, on-site training, and the clean facility makes it a great place to try a new adventure or grow your rock wall climbing skills!
