joconnell@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - Emily Charaska worked at a climbing wall when she lived in Chicago, though she hadn't done any truly serious climbing at the time.

Her boss at the climbing wall convinced her to sign up for wilderness climbing and backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming with the National Outdoor Leadership School. The adventure proved to be a life-changing experience and prompted Charaska to move out West.

Nowadays, Charaska is an avid climber attending Idaho State University with Southeast Idaho's abundant rocky terrain to keep her challenged. The junior, who works at the ISU Wilderness Rental Center and helps plan trips for the university's Outdoors Program, is also helping to organize today's Pocatello Pump and plans to participate, as well, in the annual rock climbing competition.

In its 27th year, the ISU event will take place on the basalt cliffs of Ross Park this morning and Sunday morning. Today's registration will be from 7-8 a.m. Following the Pump tonight, ISU's Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group will host its annual Pig Out fundraiser in the pavilion by the Ross Park Aquatic Center.

Children's games, arts and crafts and face painting will be provided from 3-5 p.m. by the ISU Council for Exceptional Children. A Dutch-oven dinner will be served from 4-7:30 p.m., and Steelhead Redd and The Unknown will perform.

Charaska now works at the climbing wall at ISU every Tuesday night. She's noticed that during recent open climbs, hosted at the Sunnyside cliffs in Ross Park every Thursday starting at 5 p.m. through Oct. 23, climbers have been preparing themselves for the Pump.

"For the climbing community it kind of gives everybody something to focus on," Charaska said. "For the past couple of weeks at the open climb, everybody's been getting ready for the Pump."

In the Pocatello area, Charaska notes climbers have access within city limits to Ross Park, and a world-renowned climbing destination, City of Rocks, is just a few hours away.

Before moving to Pocatello in January, Charaska attended the University of Illinois at Chicago. But after her backpacking experience in the Wind Rivers, she decided to change her major to outdoor education.

Within the Land of Lincoln, another ISU - Illinois State University - offered the program. But Charaska was enticed by the outdoor opportunities of the West and had heard many good things about the program at Idaho State.

Charaska isn't certain if she'll settle down in Pocatello after graduating, but she doesn't plan to leave the West.

The questions:

ISJ: What's your favorite food?

Charaska: Whatever they're serving at the Pig Out.

ISJ: Any regrets?

Charaska: Not climbing in the Pump last year.

ISJ: What's your favorite appliance?

Charaska: My harness.

ISJ: Who are your top three dream dinner partners?

Charaska: Peter Joyce, Dana Olson and Conrad Anchor.

ISJ: What was the last good book you read?

Charaska: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

What's your favorite sport?

Charaska: Climbing, especially at the Pump.

ISJ: What was your favorite vacation?

Charaska: A backpacking trip to the Wind Rivers.

ISJ: What's in your refrigerator?

Charaska: Lots of vegetables and soy milk.

ISJ: What's under your bed?

Charaska: An OAC calendar.

ISJ: When was the last time you cried?

Charaska: When I bought my harness.

ISJ: What is your guilty pleasure?

Charaska: The cake that's served at the Pig Out.

ISJ: Favorite musical era?

Charaska: Pump Mix 2007.

ISJ: Favorite entertainer?

Charaska: Steelhead Redd and The Unknown, who, coincidentally, are playing at the Pig Out.

ISJ: What is your ideal "last meal?"

Charaska: The vegetarian Dutch-oven dish at the Pig Out.

ISJ: What's your greatest fear?

Charaska: Not being able to climb in the Pump.

ISJ: What's your biggest pet peeve?

Charaska: People climbing in the Pump and not coming to the Pig Out afterward.

ISJ: What can't you do that you wish you could?

Charaska: Climb in the Yosemite Category in the Pump.

ISJ: Where would you most like to live?

Charaska: A yurt.

ISJ: How would you like to die?

Charaska: In an avalanche.

ISJ: What would you like to be reincarnated as?

Charaska: A climbing rope.

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