Hueco Tanks State Park in West Texas has some of the best bouldering in the world, featuring some of the country’s most famous boulder problems. It is also a precious repository of ancient Native American rock art, and every trip to Hueco involves delightful hunts for the famous “masks.” This is volume 1 of our second generation of Hueco bouldering guides. Much has changed at Hueco since the original 2004 edition : the discovery of new rock art led to changes in access, there are great new places to stay, and new problems abound! This comprehensive guide covers 850 problems at self-guided North Mountain (200 new problems since the last edition). For guided-only areas (West Mountain, East Mountain, and the East Spur), there is also a 20+ page “greatest-hits” section, full of maps and great imagery. We also include a thorough guide to navigating the park regulations and the tour-guide system so you can get the most out of your visit. Jason Kehl put in an incredible effort to update and beautify Matt Wilder’s original work for this new edition!
Please note: this volume is comprehensive for North Mountain only. For hard-bit Hueco connoisseurs, a comprehensive book for the guided-tour-only section of the park is in the works! For more online information on the access to Hueco, check out this site.
Features
- By Matt Wilder and Jason Kehl
- $1 from each book sold is donated to the Climbers of Hueco Tanks Coalition
- Durable, sewn binding
- Unique drone-sourced schematic maps
- Color photos of almost every boulder
- Routes colour-coded by difficulty
- Cultural and climbing history of the park
- Essential advice on lodging, amenities, logistics
- Essays by John Sherman, the late Todd Skinner, Fred Nicole, Ashima Shiraishi, Bronson MacDonald, Sam Davis, and Thomasina Pidgeon
- Action photos by Andy Mann, Gustavo Moser, Merrick Ales, John Wesely, Jim Thornburg, Boone Speed, Sandra Studer, Colette McInerney, and more
Areas Covered
- North Slope – 9 areas
- Front Side – 7 areas
- Eastern Slope – 4 areas
- Top of the Chains – 5 areas
- Summit plateau – 4 areas
- Southern Slope – 2 areas
- “The Backcountry” – 20+ pages of the best problems
Specifications
- Format: Paperback
- Dimensions: 308 pages
- Published: 2020
- Publisher: Wolverine Publishing; 2nd edition
- Language: English
About the Authors
Jason Kehl has been bouldering in Hueco since 1996. His national claims to fame include his first ascent of the notorious Evilution (V12, 2002) in the Buttermilks and the first bouldering ascent of The Fly (5.14d, 2003) in Rumney. Since then he has made hard first ascents from Japan and Peru to Europe and the US, including The Seventh Circle (V14) in Hueco. Jason is also well known for his creation of unusual art — see www.cryptochild.com. He has shaped holds for SoIll for 20 years, and has designed more than 10 gyms, including the Englewood, CO, Earth Treks, one of the biggest in the country. He now lives in El Paso with the lovely Martina Mali and their sweet baby daughter Eva Luna and son Luka Von. When not writing guidebooks, he continues to shape holds, design gyms, and make videos while exploring the endless potential of Hueco Tanks.
Matt Wilder grew up New England and honed his skills through many seasons in Hueco during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2004, he authored the first edition of this guide, which documented hundreds of classic new problems. Bandersnatch (V13) is one of his better Hueco first ascents, and he is a true all-arounder, with 5.14 R trad FAs, the first onsight of Zion’s Moonlight Buttress (V, 5.12d), and several one-day ascents of El Cap. Matt completed a PhD in computer science at CU Boulder and currently runs a small consulting company doing work in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Outside of work and climbing, Matt has made several appearances on the popular TV show American Ninja Warrior, including some of the series’ most exciting moments. Living in Boulder, CO, since 2006, he still makes it down to Hueco on a regular basis, though now much of the climbing is done with his son Bayes, who recently climbed his first 5.14, Rodeo Free Europe, at age 10.
