HUECO TANKS '98

NEW NON-ABRASIVE ARTICLE SAFE
FOR ALL SURFACES*

Sunday, Mid March, Spring Break 1998, parking lot of Pete’s Country Story. After driving forever, I had finally arrived at the Tanks.

After being turned back at the gate because the parking was full, my friend, Michelle, and I decided to wait at Pete’s Country Store until a parking place opened for us. When the parking lot is full the park pretty much closes. You can’t even walk in.

The first person we meet was some wanker from Austin who immediately started spraying about the great V9’s at Hueco. “Yeah dude, you rock.” (I didn’t even see this guy climb during my week–long stay at the park. It was always a “rest” day when I ran into him). Luckily we didn’t have to wait long at Pete’s before we could get into the park. Thanks to Mushroom boulder claming another victim (I have a friend who broke his leg last spring break on Mushroom), we were able to slip into the park while the rangers were busy with the rescue. Hueco Tanks is a MUST visit climbing area if you like that climbing stuff!

Dressed for Success: Mike Finger

Michelle "Smitty" Smith Hanging on one of the numerous V0's at Hueco Tanks

Buy, borrow, or steal Sherman’s guide to Hueco Tanks, it’s pricey, but a necessity if you want to find a specific problem. Anything in the guide with three stars is scarrrry! Find a problem in the guide at the edge of your ability with three stars, get a crash pad, a spot, and a clean pair of underwear and send it. Bring a rope and gear for some super fun.

Don’t let too many people see your rope though, because you’ll waste too much time explaining what it’s used for. The busiest season in the park is late fall / winter, but the summers really aren’t that bad if your from Texas. The air is pretty dry, and it cools off at nite, so you don’t bake 24/7 like in Central Texas. Hit the Mexican restaurants closest to the park, which have good, cheap grub. Go to White Sands on a rest day. It’s a great day trip. Bring cardboard for the dunes. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite areas/climbs at Hueco. They’re all easy/moderate climbs, but a lot of fun anyway:

- The Round Room. This place rules! It’s got dynos, lunges, and a natural campus board. It’s a good place to go at the end of day when you’re blown, or to warm up.
- Nobody Gets Out Alive (V2) Roof problem with huge jugs. Three heel hooks in a row! Not that high off the ground, and it kicks ass.
- The Gymnasium – Kind of hard to get to, but a lot of fun. Huge Huecos, lots of V0 high ball problems.Fun FuN Fun.
Check out Funk Punk (V2) and the lunges (V3) next to the water chute.
- Lesbian Love Grotto – As much fun as the name!
- Warm Up Wall – Catches the early morning sun, good place to meet people. There are some classic problems here.
- Any of the routes on North Mountain. Bring trad gear/ lots of slings for the “sport” routes, unless you like 100+ foot runouts. A few of these routes were on-sight free solo FA’s. A lot of mind-altering drugs were also involved in the FA’s.
My favorite is Indecent Exposure (9+),with Malice in Bucketland, Sea of Holes, and Foxtrot highly recommended.
The routes on the Pigs in Space Buttress rule too, but watch out for the bees.
- Warm up Roof – More fun climbing on huge jugs. Check out the V14 Fredrick Nicole just put up.
These are the coolest places I’ve discovered at the Tanks. There are a lot of great boulder problems at North Mountain, but these usually attract a large crowd, so be warned. -Mike Finger

Since this article was written severe restrictions have been placed on usage of Hueco Tanks, to learn more and see what you can do,
Click Here

HUECO TANKS '98

NEW NON-ABRASIVE ARTICLE SAFE FOR ALL SURFACES*

NEW NON-ABRASIVE ARTICLE SAFE
FOR ALL SURFACES*