Rating Climbs
Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife
Rock gyms are a great place to start climbing, but they provide a different experience than climbing outside in a Texas State Park.
Robert Rice runs the Hueco Rock Ranch.
When you take it outside, you’re in the wilderness and you’ve got the scenery, the wildlife, the cultural resources, and dealing with uncontrollable elements like wind and rain and dirt and snakes and whatever else might come along.
Luckily, there is a rating system on climbs in the US that can help climbers find the right climb for them in the gym or on the rock no matter where they are in the country.
Climbing on ropes is on the Yosemite Decimal System and that defines that there are five classes of terrain. First class being like a sidewalk, second class maybe a set of stairs. Third class is the kind of outdoor hiking you would do in a nature environment. Fourth class is where you’re using your hands and feet. Fifth class is when the falls become so severe that you’d be injured or killed so you have to use a rope to make it safe. And then inside of that comes the decimal. 5.0 being the easiest and 5.15 being the most difficult.
For more information on climbs and maps complete in Texas State Parks, visit passporttotexas.org.
That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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CLICK HERE to view a video of Heuco Tanks State Historic Site.
Hueco Rock Ranch, http://www.huecorockranch.com [cut and paste URL into browser]
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