As most climbers know, there are some rules and restrictions at Hueco Tanks State Park that make it unlike any other climbing destination in the world. My unwillingness to go was drawn largely from the rules that I figured I would not and could not look past.
1. No dogs allowed
2. Only a limited number of people are allowed into the park at a time...this means reservations need to be made well in advance, or you need to wait in line to get in on the chance that someone who did make reservations does not show up for the day.
3. You must pay for a parks pass ($80 per year) or purchase a $5 day pass once you do make it in each day.
4. Three of the four mountains (hosting hundreds of climbs) require a certified guide to accompany your climbing party...a guided tour costs $15/day even if you purchased the annual pass
5. The park has limited hours so you can't ever climb before 8 AM, and you must be out of the park by 6 PM.
After considering these restrictions and weighing them against everything I love about climbing, I convinced myself that place was not meant for me. The day after my decision to NOT go was final, three different friends of mine said just enough to convince me to bag up all of the reservations I had about visiting and change my mind. I was on the road, en route to a historic, beautiful, AMAAAAZZZZING place...
Heart Shaped Holds
Lindsey T. practicing her Animal Acts
Cory looking fashionable while cracking The Egg
Life in Hueco is simple. Climb, rest, eat, sleep, repeat. Thankfully there is a whole clan of climbers that flock to and live in Hueco every season, many of them for months at a time. I was lucky enough to settle in and park my vouse (van/house) at my friend Andy Klier's land (Shindagger) outside the park where I resided for 30 nights with an amazing crew of fellow climbers from all over the world. Meeting new friends is always a component that accompanies travel and climbing in general. At Shindagger, we were not just friends, but became somewhat of a 'family'.
Andy's land and/community
The Man himself, Andy Klier, doing his thing at the cheff-ing table
One of Andy's amazing concoctions...Crushing Fodder
Close round...best rest day game
Mornings with 'The Family' at Shindagger
Sarah hiking a tire to toss off Shindagger Mountain...desert fun!
Andrew Rothner getting way strong on a rest day
The climbing and the rock in Hueco is crazy! The landscape is relatively flat surrounding the park with some rolling hills and some limestone outcroppings popping out of the hillsides here and there. The state park itself is made up of a one square mile pile of rocks with endless caves, caverns, walls and boulders. Unlike most granite areas I have visited, the roofs in Hueco host and boast the most solid rock and the wildest features that produce interesting, thoughtful, powerful, 3-dimensional climbing; the top outs on almost every rock are full of chossy and friable rock but the climbing to get there is so good and so unique that it's easy to look past the crappy stone.
Hueco Tanks State Park in the distance from the top of Shindagger Mt.
Rothner's training pays off on Right Chupacabra
My expectations were blown away and my attitude toward Hueco adjusted after being there for a few days. The restrictions were easy to manage, limited people in the park made for less crowded climbing days, and there was never a shortage of inspiring climbs at every area we checked out. My main motivation was to climb as many appealing problems as possible. I didn't get roped in to any 'projects' and I didn't try a single problem more than two days the entire 33 days I was there. To me, this was the perfect scenario...every day I had the opportunity to do nothing but new (to me) climbs. By the end of my trip I completed 87+ boulder problems that I had never done before and was able to send all three of the ones I had high(er) hopes of completing during my visit.
The Power of Silence...RAD
The Power of Landjager...also RAD
I took a step outside my comfort zone in the middle of my trip and competed in the anual Hueco Rock Rodeo. This was the 20th year the competition has been running and it was set up and run beautifully this year thanks to the efforts of Adam and Melissa Strong and the American Alpine Club!
Pre-Rodeo breakfast at the Rock Ranch
Raging at the Rodeo after party
I don't possess much of a 'competitive spirit', especially when it comes to climbing. For me, this was simply going to be a fun day out and an opportunity for a great training day! We were given roughly 20 or so climbs to choose from in the comp and the top 6 problems we were able to complete would make up our final score for the day. It was indeed a big training day...a test of patience, endurance, and how high the psyche could stay as fatigue compounded. Despite a rough start to the day, I felt like I climbed really well, endured the day, and left the park with my psyche still soaring...success! My finger tips have never stung as badly as they did for the two days following the rodeo...I still had a blast and it was well worth the pain and suffering!
Last day best day on East Mt with great friends!
My Hueco experience was an amazing leg in my journey. I enjoyed everything about it (minus the fact that Kona wasn't able to come climbing with me...she enjoyed being part of the dog-pack at Andy's), and I look forward to returning soon! Again, to all the new friends I made and to the ones I was able to see again, thanks for the fun times and positive vibes...the negative vibes were entertaining too...can't even do it!
Until next time Hueco!
