- Campus , Sports , Student
- 03/02/2025
Sports spotlight | ESAC’s favorite number is 9c
TU/e boasts a total of 38 student sports associations. And every one of them offers its own unique experience: from slamming aces to skimming across the water. At student sports center SSC, you get a wide range of options to choose from: gaming, jumping, running, cycling, rowing, flying, shooting, hanging, playing chess, surfing, punching and pushing. Cursor wants to put every one of these associations in the spotlight. The first question is: what is your favorite number?
Warming up
The favorite number of the Eindhovense Student Alpine Club, where you can boulder, alpine climb and hike, is 9c. “That’s the designation for the most difficult climbing grade and the dream of every climber,” says president and Fontys student Jarth Vons. “Climbing routes are classified by difficulty grade, and these range from 1a to 9c with each grade divided into a, b and c. There are only three 9c climbing routes in the whole world and unfortunately, no ESAC member has climbed one yet. So for us, this is a great dream to pursue and also a great topic for discussion. It’s always exciting when you’ve climbed a higher grade, no matter what grade it is.”
Vons describes ESAC as a very social group with a strong focus on doing things together. “Because in sport climbing, which is what we do most of the time, you need someone to belay you and make sure you don’t fall to the ground. So it has to be someone you can rely on. This is why people often agree to go climbing together. Furthermore, our deep love for the mountains also brings us together in summer and winter when we all go there to climb, ski, hike and do all kinds of activities.”
Scores
- ESAC has 270 members, spread across rock climbing, bouldering and alpine style climbing (when the goal is to reach a mountain top).
- The 48th board is currently in charge.
- The new bouldering wall, above hall 3 of SSC, is 60 m2.
- That wall has 400 holds and the sprayboard (where you can train) has 250.
- ESAC has 20 crates with extra holds in stock.
- The most expensive hold costs 130 euros.
- ESAC offers 2 indoor toprope courses per year.
- The food provided during ESAC activities is 100% vegetarian.
Analysis
ESAC has a summit flag that the members always take with them, of course, when they go into the mountains. “Last summer, someone took one to the top of Mont Blanc and many other high peaks in the Alps have also been climbed by ESAC members,” says Vons.
There is a special committee within ESAC that put in a great deal of work last year. Teun Roetman is the chair of this Boulderbazen team and explains that the team of fourteen spent six months working four hours a week to build the bouldering wall. “During the renovation of the SSC, a heat pump was installed on the roof. Because of this, the wall underneath it had to be reinforced and the old climbing wall temporarily removed. We’ve now completely modernized it.”
Discussion