Hueco Tanks was one of the first international climbing destinations that really captured me when I started climbing.
The idea of a desert filled with huge crimp laced syenite boulders, was incredibly appealing. The more I read and the more videos I saw, the more Hueco grabbed me.
In the 15 years that have passed since I first found out about it, it has only grown in my mind as the place I have wanted to visit most.
Seeing the clip of Fred Nicole powering his way across Martini Roof in Masters of Stone, or Daniel Woods crushing multiple V12 and above boulders in the Hueco Rock Rodeo videos, all contributed to build up the aura of this place in my mind.
The history in Hueco is rich, and that’s before you even talk about climbing. Hueco contains rock art and pictograms thousands of years old, as well as wildlife, plants and geology that could be visited for in their own right.
But for bouldering, Hueco is perhaps the birth place of modern bouldering, with things kicking off in 1980, building to a crescendo in the early 2000’s before restrictions slowed things down (more on this later).
Hueco was originally frequented for rope climbing, and later adopted by a small group of climbers moving into bouldering as a discipline. Climbers like Todd Skinner and John Sherman were some of the early developers, with Sherman even creating the V grade scale in Hueco.
As time went by, word got out and legends such as Fred Nicole and Jacky Godoffe would visit and put their own stamp on the area, with Fred still holding what is perhaps still Hueco’s hardest boulder, ‘Terremer’ on his resume.
For me, the climbing style was undoubtedly what appealed to me most about Hueco. 99% steep climbing (I saw one slab during my trip), mostly on crimps, with roofs and overhangs everywhere you look.
The massive Hueco’s (hollows in Spanish), also provide opportunities for more dynamic climbing, and three dimensional movement seldom found in most other areas. Seeing videos of climbs such as Crown of Aragorn, Nagual and Esperanza pop up more and more as the climbing video craze took off in the early 2010’s, only fuelled my desire to visit. As the years went by, Hueco seemed to fall out of fashion, with areas such as Bishop and Red Rocks taking the spotlight. It seemed as though on the world stage, Hueco had been forgotten. But why?
Part of it undoubtedly would be the regulations. Hueco Tanks is a State Park just outside of El Paso, Texas. State Parks in America are serious business it would appear, and climbing in Hueco comes with a set of restrictions that make climbing there difficult at times.
Firstly, reservations are needed 3 months in advance for North Mountain, the biggest developed climbing area. If you don’t have reservations, you could be faced with a few hours or more waiting at the gate to be let in, if you even manage to get in. East Mountain, East Spur and West Mountain require a guide to be visited, which involves either booking onto commercial tours where you may not get to climb on the boulder you want, or being lucky enough to know a guide. Even then, things aren’t always easy. Rain could cause the park to be closed, despite the rock being dry, and in busy periods even being on a tour is no guarantee of trying the boulder you want.
Of course it’s a chicken and egg scenario, so when the most difficult boulders and climbers are elsewhere, the climbing world flocks to where the difficulty is, even if they don’t realise it. As such, Hueco now ‘only’ hosts a pair of V15 boulders, and nothing harder. One of which was climbed by Fred Nicole back in 2005, and has only seen 5 repeats in the 20 years since. But still, Hueco held more lure for me than Red Rocks and Bishop combined.
So when the chance came in late 2025, I jumped on the opportunity to see what Hueco was all about for myself, and to jump into the rich history of this amazing place. Arriving at the park on the first day of our trip almost felt nostalgic, as if I was somehow living out a climbing video I’d visualised hundreds of times.
We walked up to East Mountain, and our friend and guide Matt kindly walked us right up to Slashface V13. Straight away I was awe struck. Seeing that striking crack line straight through the massive face at such as steep angle. As the days and weeks went by, I would continue to fawn over the legendary boulders I’d imagined for years. Some were totally different, and some were exactly what I imagined they’d be. But what was for sure was that Hueco was the real deal.
The style of the climbing delivered. Powerful and physical climbing on the likes of Tequila Sunrise V11, and Power of Silence V10, to straight up basic crimp climbing on the likes of Nagual V13 and Frogger V9. Just when I thought that maybe Hueco lacked subtlety, Chablanke V11 and Sunshine V11 showed me I was wrong. Just when I thought Hueco was too sharp, El Techo V11 and Ultra Mega V8 were there to teach me otherwise.
Nagual V13
The history of Hueco delivered too. Walking up to Terremer V15 and seeing the size of the moves, and the (lack of) size of the holds that Fred was able to move across back in 2005 was remarkable. The stature of a line like Full Service V10 which was put up in the early 90’s, still stands as one of the best in the area today. Looking over at the famous 45 degree wall, which is now closed, and seeing legendary Chris Sharma problems like Flamignon V13 all made you realise the depth of history here, and how multiple generations of climbers have come through Hueco and left their mark.
The food and the culture also delivered. It was impossible to come to Texas and not buy a cowboy hat and boots, shoot a gun or experience some Mexican cuisine. We may have only got to scratch the surface of each, but it was enough to make the experience of a first trip that bit more special.
On this trip I was lucky enough to be able to climb many of the boulders I had on my list prior to coming. Classics such as the impressive Nagual V13, which tested my patience, skin and execution to the limit. Boulders like Barefoot on Sacred Ground V11 and New Map of Hell V11, test pieces of previous generations. Whilst I was lucky enough to walk in the footsteps of these climbers, and see how Hueco had evolved over the years; I was also lucky enough to leave many undone. These will all be left waiting, for what will undoubtedly be a brilliant return trip.
See you next year Hueco
