GOLDEN, Colo. — A rainbow of colors splatters the walls of The Spot Bouldering Gym, each signifying a different climb. For climber Gracey Henoch, the spectrum of people climbing around her is just as interesting as the climbs themselves.
Every time Henoch visits The Spot, she makes an effort to meet at least one new person. Over the years, she's created a community and a support system for herself.
"Climbing became that same release of like – I'm freaking out about school or work or life, and then I come here and I'm like, 'oh, rocks!' And I get to see my friends," Henoch said.
Some of those friends have something in common – identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Henoch is one of the founding members of Front Range Queer Climbers. The group climbs at gyms across the Front Range, but they do more than just climb. Henoch said this is the first queer climbing group that has gained traction in the Denver area, giving LGBTQ+ climbers a community that didn't exist a few years ago.
"The community and friendship and feeling safe in a space [comes] first and then climbing," Henoch said. "So, they really prioritize the people of it."
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