Hueco Tanks

Dear Steph,
My name is Carly Bradshaw; I’m a climber and a student at the University of Oregon, traveling and working on my undergrad thesis about climbing. Specifically, I am interested in the explaining the dirt climbing community at large using the microcosm of Hueco Tanks Texas as an example. I plan on spending some time as camp host the end of the month, but at the moment I am living out of a Honda element just outside the park. I am a fan of your dirt bag wisdom; religiously keeping the lighter attached to the camp stove by a string.

I recently read your book; your style is refreshingly frank and personal and stands out from event based accounts of other authors who simply chronicle their climbing experiences. The picture of you and Fletcher at Hueco Tanks in the book inspired me to write you seeking your insights on what makes the park special, your take on the regulations, personal stories about time you’ve spent here. This may be a long shot, but I really related to your book and I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Carly Bradshaw

Dear Carly,
This really takes me back to the past!

When I first started climbing, I moved to Fort Collins Colorado, and was in college at CSU. I bouldered a lot at Horsetooth Reservoir, and spent Thanksgiving and winter breaks at Hueco Tanks. There were a lot less boulderers then, and a small group of us took turns being the Camp Host in the Park. There were just a handful of people at Hueco in those days. Things were waaaaay different. Fletcher was allowed to be in the park, and we could walk around the boulders and climb them–pretty simple, but not possible there any more.

I used to wake up in the mornings, and run the loop trail around and inside the park with Fletch, before bouldering. The ritual of running around the park in the early morning was really special for me, passing by all the boulder problems and little enclaves in the quiet light before everyone else was up. If it was a full moon, a few of us would often go out in the bright night and slide down the Thirsty Man slide. Once we even did that moonlight outing with one of the Park rangers, Alex. We did have to check in at the front desk, but that was it.

I loved Hueco, and I was getting my Master’s in literature. I wrote a paper called “Making Marks” about the traces left by nature, humans and animals in the area, which I might still have somewhere. Hueco is a really intriguing place, from the ancient and modern rock art, to the brine shrimp that dry and come back to life in the hueco holes, to the weird lakeside resort development plan that never came to fruition.

The explosion of popularity of bouldering started to overwhelm the park managers, and that’s when the place got very regulated and also very crowded. When that happened, I started going to Patagonia in the winters, where I found way less people and way less rules (and yes, way less bouldering!). I did try to go back to Hueco a few years ago, knowing it would be a really different situation. Having to be escorted around the park with a guide and a group just didn’t work for me, because I tend to like to poke around at my own pace and come and go when I want to. And of course, Fletch was not allowed anymore, being a (!) dog.

For me, freedom and a simple lifestyle are a big part of what makes a climbing area enjoyable for me, not just the climbing itself. So Hueco Tanks is no longer a good place for me to climb. Luckily it’s a very big world, so we can all find our groove….
Steph