John Schneider craves the feel of chalk on his hands. He longs for the rough texture of rock on his fingertips as he feels his way up a

43-foot wall of rock.

Fifteen years ago, those same hands reached for beer bottles, for marijuana, for cocaine.

Now, his highs come while trying not to fall.

A former Marine, Schneider, 39, counts himself among a growing number of veterans who have turned to a nonprofit organization offering a healthy adrenaline high as an alternative to drug and alcohol addictions.

Every other Wednesday, he puts on a rock climbing harness, grabs a climbing rope, breathes deep and scales the tallest indoor rock wall in Colorado — at a movie theater-turned-climbing gymnasium called CityROCK in downtown Colorado Springs.

All the while, an instructor with Phoenix Multisport — a 7-year-old nonprofit with operations in Colorado Springs, Boulder and Denver — looks on, belaying him from below (anchoring him by keeping a firm grip on the loose end of rope).

“For me, when I’m on the wall, I don’t have to think about any of my problems,” he said. “For those two to five minutes, I’m exactly in the moment.”

Rather than hosting group therapy sessions, Phoenix Multisport tries to help people addicted to drugs or alcohol by keeping them active — often through indoor rock climbing, mountain biking trips or backpacking and rafting excursions in the Rocky Mountains and the deserts of eastern Utah.

About 15 percent of the people participating in the program are veterans, said Jake Carrithers, the organization’s military outreach coordinator.

Carrithers wants that number to grow.

And he knows about veterans in trouble.

Raised in Nederland, Carrithers said he abused drugs and alcohol before joining the Army shortly after high school.

After Carrithers deployed to Iraq for a total of 19 months in 2003 and 2004, his addictions grew worse, threatening his marriage and his health.

“When I drank, I was a very functional alcoholic,” he said. “But if I saw a 12-pack, I had to drink all 12.”

In October 2008, Carrithers learned his wife was expecting their first child, a daughter.

And in that moment, he quit, cold turkey.

Instead of drinking, he began working out — hosting grueling Crossfit training sessions at a gym in Denver.

The endorphins released during those rigorous workouts filled the void left by his decision not to drink.

“When you fill a horrible addiction with a positive addiction, it’s easy to stay away from whatever it (the addiction) may have been,” Carrithers said.

Schneider’s addictions were far more varied.

A four-year Marine who left the service in 1997, Schneider sampled a smorgasbord of drugs — alcohol, marijuana, mushrooms and speed among them.

“Just about anything that I could get my hands on — which surprisingly is a lot on a military base,” Schneider said.

While living in New York, he turned to a local addiction support group and stopped drinking and doing drugs.

His support group was small during those first few years of sobriety.

Since moving to Colorado and joining Phoenix Multisport, though, he has “like 30 numbers” in his phone — each one represents someone who can offer a word of encouragement, or a solid belay.

“It’s empowering,” Schneider said.

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Contact Jakob Rodgers: 476-1654

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Kris Kuckenbacker of Colorado Springs climbs with Ed Torkilson belays for him Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2012, at CityROCK in Colorado Springs. Rock climbing is one of the many sports Phoenix Multisport, a non profit organization, offers to military personnel who are recovering from substance abuse. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE

Christian murdock

Leader Cara Bussell coaches Ed Torkilson Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2012, at CityROCK in Colorado Springs. Rock climbing is one of the many sports Phoenix Multisport, a non profit organization, offers to military personnel who are recovering from substance abus Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE

Christian murdock