Intro to Rock Climbing - Tres Piedras, NM

The weather looked bleak for the 2010 Introduction to Rock Climbing class foray to Tres Piedras Rocks, New Mexico.  The morning sky above Farmington, New Mexico was dominated by dark, wintery clouds and traces of the season’s first snow persisted on rooftops and in shaded alcoves.  Nevertheless nine undaunted students and two determined instructors stuffed extra warm layers into their camping kits and left San Juan College eager for rock climbing adventure.  The three-day climbing outing would take them to the pink granite domes of the Tusas Mountains roughly 30 miles northwest of Taos, New Mexico.  

As the white van descended towards the sagebrush flats of the expansive Punche Valley our meteorological fortunes appeared to change and the ominous clouds and lingering snow patches were replaced by pale blue sky and dry, inviting rock.  After establishing a deluxe camp in the pleasant pine-oak forest adjacent to the dome complex, we headed for the rock climbs.  The granite outcrops offer an assortment of routes with an abundance of smooth slabs split by clean cracks- just the place to hone a variety of rock climbing skills and techniques.  The afternoon progressed nicely and both students and instructors were heard whooping with exhilaration as the intricacies of the individual routes revealed themselves.  A varied, vertical crack route ascending to the summit of a detached tower, the Alien, proved to be a group favorite.  After working together in the classroom, at the climbing gym, and at other climbing destinations for the five weeks prior to this outing, the class displayed the fundamentals that create a safe and enjoyable climbing experience for everyone.  Soon the temperature dropped and the sun dipped to the western horizon so we ambled the ten minutes back to our camp to enjoy fajitas and some hot drinks.

The weather held stable the remainder of the weekend, allowing for two more days of rock climbing and instruction.  Anchor building and belay escape lessons were taught at the base of the cliffs while nearby an assortment of climbs hung with ropes for the participants to explore.  As we pulled away from Tres Piedras to begin our journey home the snow flurries began anew and the snowline crept down the slopes towards the domes.  It was clear we had seized an opportune weather window to indulge in the many pleasures of Tres Piedras Rocks.

Mark Lawler - OLER Instructor

Grand Gulch Plateau

San Juan College OLER students exploring Jailhouse Ruin.

Recently, we took a trip to Grand Gulch Canyon in Utah.  The backpacking trip was a part of a Wilderness Pursuits class being offered by San Juan College.  The class is an introductory level course with a focus on developing skills related to planning, organizing and executing a backcountry outing. Some of the topics covered in the class included trip planning and organization, low impact camping and permitting, menu planning, and introductory route finding and navigation. 

For the navigation piece of the course we were lucky enough to have the Trails Illustrated Map of the Grand Gulch Plateau.  There were so many things about the map that came in handy, but the one that stood out to me was that so many of the ruins and springs were well marked.  Not only were they marked but the mileage from our starting point to each spring and ruin was given also. 

As I have discovered, hiking in the Utah canyons requires a good amount of preparation.  You can’t prepare too much when it comes to knowing where water sources are in a place where water is scarce.

David Whitford - San Juan College OLER Student

SJC Student Testimonial

Dear SJC Climbing Wall Staff,

I had a great time and also had an intense workout on my recent visit to the climbing wall on Thursday, Oct. 21.  One of the great things I noticed right away, and liked, was the well maintained and proper equipment SJC climbing wall had. It’s always good to know you’re safe when doing things like climbing. I was impressed with the user friendly color coded harnesses and brand-new looking ropes. Another excellent thing I noticed was the friendly and knowledgeable staff. I liked how you guys guided us step-by-step on putting on our harnesses and showed us, my classmates, how to properly tie the correct knots. I also liked that you showed us how important communication and team work are when climbing. An example is how we were yelling out key words such as “belay on”, “on belay”, and checking each other’s harnesses, equipment, knots, and belaying one another. It takes a lot of trust to depend on someone else with your life/well-being. This is one exercise that depends on trust.

The climbing itself was fun. From easy to difficult, the wall had it. I got to see what I was capable of doing. It is a great forearm and just overall body workout. It tests your body control, arms and even fingers strength. Not only was it a good workout and fun time but it also was a good confidence and self esteem builder.  Because when you first see it, it looks overwhelming but once you do it and succeed the feelings awesome. Once I made it to the top I felt a great sense of accomplishment and it felt great.

Going to the climbing wall was an overall without a doubt good time and experience. I would like to thank you and the other friendly staff for all their help and time.

Thank You,

Jose Aragon/ IPOP Student

Dawn of the Tread

Last Saturday was the Halloween Mountain Bike Race out at Kinsey's Ridge. What a great place to ride!  All single track and about 8 miles out and back (depending on your route).  Racers got started at 9:30 am and could choose from a Beginner's course or an Advanced course.  Check out some pictures HERE and then come join us next year!

Halloween BOO-uldering Comp

Last Thursday the HHPC Climbing Wall/OLER program held the annual Halloween climbing comp.  10 youth squared off in the Youth division and 17 teens and adults battled it out in the Teen, Men's, and Women's categories.  When the smoke cleared it all came down to a "hang off" in the Teen and Men's divisions and a "Bumble Bee" walked away with the best costume prize.

We'd like to thank all those who donated prizes: Evolv, Buzztown, Metolius, Leave No Trace, Larabar, and the OERC.

Enjoy some pictures: