Sixty feet in the air, rock climber Aren Willis searches for his next move. His hands grasp a vertical rock face, his feet seek a place to push off. A single rope is all that keeps him from a nasty fall back to earth.

Standing below him on safe ground is his friend and his lifeline, Danny Keane, who controls the other end of the rope. Willis' next hook is bolted into the cliff just out of his reach above him, teasing him with the promise of higher altitude. Willis is a foot above his last hook, meaning losing his grip would send him on a small free-fall before the rope catches him.

"I think I'm going to jump to the next one," said Willis, pointing at the hook above him. The men yell instructions back and forth over the sound of cars zipping down the Seward Highway, just feet from Keane.

The scene is a familiar one for the two men, who make the quick trip down the highway to climb the rocks of Turnagain Arm whenever their work schedules allow. Though many climbers agree the Turnagain rock isn't the greatest, the convenience attracts climbers.

"It's popular, because it's close," said Timothy Silvers, the treasurer of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska. "It's great to get off work, and get right to climbing."

Founded in 1958, the MCA brings together rock climbers, ice climbers and mountaineers from all over the state. The MCA hosts year-round climbs suited to all skill levels and offers training sessions for newcomers.

"If people want to learn skills, we can teach them," said MCA president Wayne Todd. "We try to bring top notch presenters and instructors."

While many climbing routes along the Seward Highway are novice friendly, going out to climb without training is discouraged.

"There are still basics to learn in easy climbing," said Silvers, who moved to Alaska from Colorado, where he was a volunteer climbing teacher. "It's possible to have fun, but you would need a skilled partner."

To gain experience, or climb without getting wet, the Alaska Rock Gym in midtown offers year-round climbing in a controlled, indoor environment.

The Alaska Rock Gym was started by five climbers in 1994 as a way to stay in shape between climbing trips. Since then, it has become a hub for climbers of all skill levels.

"It's taken a life of its own," said Siri Moss, one of the gym's owners. "It's become the Anchorage center of climbing in Alaska.'

Moss said the gym changes the routes on the more than 7,000 square feet of climbing surface weekly, to keep challenging the veterans who use the wall.

"Experienced climbers are a big component of this business," she said.

For their Turnagain Arm outing, Willis and Keane brought an estimated $500 of gear, mostly ropes and clips. Each wore a harness wrapped around his body like a tangled bandolier. Hooks dangled from their waists. Bags of chalk -- to help keep hands dry and grips steady -- hung from their lower backs. Clipped to the bags of chalk were toothbrushes for cleaning hooks and rocks.

Keane's truck had even more equipment. Carabiners and ropes hung from the back like fabric selections. The truck -- which Keane said contained only a sixth of his equipment -- was parked perpendicular to the highway immediately behind the pair's climbing route so if one of them fell, he would roll into the truck instead of oncoming traffic.

"It's a great way to blow off some steam," said Willis. " I really liked the challenge. It's what's kept me climbing."

While it may be difficult to believe that hanging by a thread can be relaxing, gaining altitude is something Keane, Willis and hundreds of other Anchorage climbers love.

"I try to come out every day work allows me," said Keane. "It really works both your body and mind."