Fredericksburg Parent

16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2025 A climbing wall at Rapp Rocks. Photo by Martin Davis nique After School Sport WRITTEN BY MARTIN DAVIS nderstated Master of the Wall U To the uninitiated, the walls that line Rapp Rocks are a Picasso — shapes and colors that are pretty to look at but bearing little like- ness to anything in the world we see. To Amias, however, the walls are a puzzle that he solves with geo- metric precision and an uncanny understanding of physics. Ascending climbing walls requires three things, Wolfe told the Advance — "Physicality," which involves one's strength-to-weight ratio and their explosiveness; "Technical knowledge," which includes identifying patterns and mentally understanding how to move from bottom to top; and the "mental game." What Do You See? What Do You See? Picassos... Picassos... or Puzzles? or Puzzles? For his 10th birthday, Amias Cook's grandmother gave him a free pass to Rapp Rocks Climbing Gym just down the road from Shannon Airport. Had she known where it would lead, she might have given it to him sooner. In just over two years, Amias — now 12 — has gone from using his birthday gift to have a day of fun at Rapp Rocks to competing this weekend at the USA Climbing National Championship in Portland, Oregon. Asked to explain his rapid ascent in a highly competitive sport, Amias simply said "I couldn't stop coming" to the gym. That answer is typical for the curly-haired young man from Caroline County, who is a master of the understatement. To be sure, Amias' brief answers to questions reflect a level of humility. But there's more to him said Nic Wolfe, who owns the gym and along with his fiancé Lexi Brusby are Amias' coaches. He's a person who simply "lives in the moment." Amias Cook (R) with his father, Dave (L) at Rapp Rocks Climbing Gym. Amias will compete this weekend in the USA Climbing Youth National Championship in Portland, Oregon. Photo by Martin Davis The latter is the most difficult to teach. Wolfe says climbers have to learn to "override their fight or flight mechanism" and attack the walls with confidence. They also have to have superior critical thinking skills. "Amias," Wolfe said, is one of those rare individuals who "has all of these skills naturally." In particular, "his critical thinking skills are beyond" what someone of his age typically has. Though he's only been climbing walls for a couple years, he's been climbing a lot longer. Amias' father, Dave, told the Advance that before it was walls, it was trees. "He grew up climbing trees" on the family's farm, Dave said. What looks natural, then, is also the result of a lot of hard work — albeit work as play. Amias Cook of Caroline County is on his way to Portland, Oregon, for the USA Climbing champion- ships. It's a long way from where he started - a kid visiting Rapp Rocks courtesy of grandma's birthday gift.

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