Day Trips
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., May 17, 2002
Rock climbing at Enchanted Rock State Park offers a unique view of the valley surrounding the granite outcropping for those with enough nerve to turn around and appreciate the sight. Working your way up a sheer rock surface may not be for everybody, but nearly everyone who tries it comes away with an enhanced sense of accomplishment.
First off, rock climbing isn't easy. If it were, then what would be the challenge? That doesn't mean that it is accessible only to the strongest athletes. On the contrary. The best climbers seemed to have the agility of a dancer, the nerves of a high-stakes poker player, and strong problem-solving skills.
Think of the rock face as one giant puzzle waiting to be conquered. A surface that might look smooth as glass from the ground is dimpled with bumps and indentations that provide a stairway to the top. With a little instruction and practice the beginner can become a regular Spider-Man.
On a recent Saturday morning I met up with Kirk Holladay and Rick Watson of Rock About, a climbing instruction and guide company based in Austin. There are about half a dozen such companies in the area. Besides trips to Enchanted Rock, Rock About also offers guide service to climbing areas in Mexico and Colorado. The company is about a year old, but both guides have been in the business for more than 10 years each.
By 8am the parking lot at the state park was a beehive of activity. Holladay had been busy since 4am getting the equipment ready and reserving the spot on the back side of the giant rock. As the class filtered in to the parking spot between two Toyota trucks, each was fitted with a pair of climbing shoes that look like water socks and a harness that gives a pair of shorts a diaper look.
"Granite is great to learn on," Watson said of the 400-foot dome. "You can do so much more than on limestone. You use the feet more on granite and don't need the upper-body strength as much."
The class of 18 was pretty well divided between males and females and first-timers and those on a return trip. It is a good idea to hire a guide service because they know where to go, how to get the necessary permissions, and they have all the necessary equipment. About all you need to bring is lots of drinking water and a sack lunch.
The morning was spent in ground school learning the ropes. The class figuring out how to wear the harness, a three-buckle contraption that makes a perfect seat when the wearer is dangling from the rope tied to the loop in the front of the belt. The knot, a figure-eight, is one of the most important lessons of the morning. It's reassuring to have an expert check your work before hanging off the side of the mountain, one student said.
Safety is the top consideration throughout the course. A lot of the risk of rock climbing can be removed with the necessary precautions. "We don't get a lot of repeat customers from people who get hurt," Watson said in only partial jest.
Besides the equipment, the students learn the techniques of teamwork that will get them up and down the cliff. While one person negotiates the wall, a second and third person holds the other end of the wall. Known as the belayer and assistant belayer, these two crew members control the slack in the rope.
The wall crawler and the belayer have signals to communicate what is happening at either end of the rope. Everybody cheers for the proud exclamation of: "At the top" and then "Dirt me baby," which signals the belayer to gently lower the climber back to the starting point.
Finally, the class is ready to head to the pink dome. On a narrow ledge at the base of a cliff, Holladay gives final instructions to the class about the shoes with special rubber soles that are worn only when climbing the rock. "The shoes work best when they are one size smaller than your foot," says Christy Holladay, Kirk's wife and an assistant instructor. "If they don't hurt your feet than they're the wrong size."
After working their way up 100 feet of granite wall, the students' confidence shows on their faces. It didn't take long for them to get the hang of the techniques and learn to trust the equipment and their team. But most of all they have gained a confidence in themselves.
For more information on rock climbing, check out one of the climbers' gyms or give Rock About a call at 952-5462 or at www.rock-about.com.
571st in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
