Heart of Rock

By Doug Schnitzspahn

Sometimes climbers get a bad rap for being narcissistic rock jocks interested in nothing but ticking off their resume of conquered routes. That’s too bad, because the sport, the act of being out on the rock, figuring out the puzzle of holds and muscle memory, is an experience that goes beyond egos. And those of us who have fallen in love with climbing all have a special spot that resonates beyond the flashiness of the sport, a place where any narcissism becomes an authentic inner voyage and the rocks sings to us. For me, it’s the towers of Gallatin Canyon in Montana. The place where I learned and suffered up my first multi-pitch routes; a place I still feel, to steal from William Wordsworth, flashing across my inward eye when I’m far from the wild.

In that spirit, we asked climbers of all types — from The North Face-sponsored pro Heidi Wirtz to passionate (and proud 5.7d trad climber) Devaki Murch, as well as a couple of the rock hounds at Carbondale Colorado’s Backbone Media — to tell us what spots are closest to their hearts.

 

“My work took me around the world like a sponsored climbing athlete, without being a very good climber. I traveled across North America from crag to crag — Squamish, Kalymnos, the New, the Red, the Sierras, Cascades, Tetons, the Wasatch ... but I always came home to Joshua Tree. It was my drive to freedom away from the congested freeways of SoCal. It is the clear air away from the smog and nastiness. It was how I unplugged. Removing myself from all outlets and cell reception, I was granted peace. JTree demands you to be present and aware of every move you make — the sharp edges and awkward contortions that make you all too aware of the reality of pain. The clear nights find a random array of personalities that gather beneath the stars — it’s a tribe of nomads who find their home wherever they are. It is a Wonderland of rocks, an oversized sack of potatoes dumped out in the desert. Joshua Tree calls to me. It is my heaven.”

Devaki A. Murch
Campsite 19, Ryan Campground, Joshua Tree, California

“While I was introduced to climbing elsewhere, Independence Pass, Colorado, is where I truly learned to climb back in the ’80s. To me, the Pass epitomizes Colorado climbing with varied routes, stunning views and great accessibility. Routes are primarily trad or mixed, pro can be tricky, and you need to keep an eye on the weather during multi-pitch endeavors. The Pass on the sharp end requires your full attention. For those who play there, it yields solace and a big dose of alpine blue skies. I courted my wife climbing up there and since then I have taught my children many lessons beyond climbing there as well.”

Penn Newhard
Carbondale, Colorado

 

“I’d have to say Shelf Road, Colorado. Not only was it one of the very first places I ever went away to climb and camp for the weekend, it was also the location of my first project send. It’s the perfect local crag with lots of character.”

Jen Judge
Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

“The Black Canyon. Just sitting on the rim brings me into an amazing place. It is so beautiful, adventurous and quiet (except for the raging river and the birds soaring by). Then there are the big, beautiful, amazing walls—yep, that’s truly it! The Black Canyon holds the only Grade VI climbs in Colorado and has climbs as big as 2,700 feet tall. I also love it because it doesn’t really attract the “celeb-climbers” so to speak. It doesn’t really have super difficult climbs by the numbers, climbs that people could put on say a resume. But they are “for-real climbs,” challenging, exiting (loose pegmatite and run outs) and amazing. It is climbing purely for the heart and soul of the sport and not so you can put a new tick on 8a. And it brought such pioneers as Layton Kor, Ed Webster and Jimmy Dunn all of whom I feel are essential to the heart and sole of climbing.” 

Heidi Wirtz
Professional Climber
Boulder, Colorado

 

“Climbing is what makes me tick. I am able to get by with a bit less of it now that I have a much busier life with a job, kids, wife, house, etc. I love sport climbing and bouldering (hell, I used to own a climbing gym), but what all of the mentioned crags have in common is they are predominately trad climbing venues. Traditional climbing embodies self-reliance and a bold ethic with a strong sense of history of those who came before. Typically, there is a longer apprenticeship associated with trad climbing and therefore more rewards as one learns the craft. And of all the places to trad climb, The Black Canyon requires all climbers to bring their A game and be ready to rumble. The routes are committing, devoid of fixed gear, long, intricate and usually quite burly for the grade. The smell of the rock, the roar of the Gunnison River below and the sight of Hawks circling the canyon are memories that I have from more than 20 routes completed in the Black. Typically if I have only done 20 routes at an area, I feel like I am just getting to know the place, but with the Black the routes are more fulfilling and meaningful, therefore giving the tally much more substance.”

Greg Williams
Carbondale, Colorado

MG