The Hueco Rock Rodeo is a

bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help sec ...

competition held annually in February at

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site Hueco Tanks is an area of low mountains and historic site in El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. It is located in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. ''Hueco'' is a ...

in the extremities of

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. It is highly competitive and attracts professional

rock climbers Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

from all over the world. The proceeds go toward conservation and access. The extreme competition was not the original intention of the event but with the growing popularity of

, it has turned into one of the most difficult and coveted competitions to win. After 20+ years it is still a mainstay in the climbing community and is as much a festival as it is a serious competition.

History

The following are excerpts from '' Rock and Ice'' magazine by Melissa Strong on the early history of the event: "In 1989 the El Paso Climbers Club (EPCC) started the Rock Rodeo before any restrictions came into place at Hueco Tanks. Dave Head remembers fondly some of the early Rodeos: “We would get Croakies and give them out—then the next few weeks you would see all of the people at Hueco wearing their Croakies. It was simple back then. There were trophies, velvet

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

posters and the most injured climber got a bottle of

tequila Tequila (; ) is a liquor, distilled beverage made from the Agave tequilana, blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Jalisco, Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ...

.” For six years the Rodeo continued to attract up to 150 participants including Dale Goddard,

Hans Florine Hans Florine (born June 18, 1964) is an American rock climber, who holds the record for the number of ascents of Yosemite Valleys El Capitan and is known for holding the speed record on '' The Nose'' of Yosemite’s El Capitan 8 different times. ...

and Matt Samet. There were some changes in the Rodeo’s format because of ongoing access issues due to over use and vandalized

pictograph A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and gr ...

s, but the Rodeo went on still hosted by the EPCC and held at Pete’s. In 1995, due to continuing problems, the Rodeo was suspended. In 1996 the Rodeo continued, but was called the 7th Rock Rodeo. The 8th and 9th Rock Rodeo occurred before the Public Use Plan (PUP) was put into place in 1998. After the PUP went into effect, the Hueco Rock Rodeo tradition was put on hold in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. In 2003 Rob Rice appealed to the park and was able to put on the 10th annual Rock Rodeo–the first Rodeo hosted by the Rock Ranch."

Format

The format has changed over the 20+ years of competition but the modern era standards (2012–present) are fairly consistent. Each year the event organizers dictate a location where the separate categories will compete. Usually the location changes every year. Typically there are four main categories: Recreational: V0-V4 Intermediate: V3-V7 Advanced: V5-V10 Masters (ages 40+): V0-V14 Open:V7-V14 In previous years the "Open" category was referred to as the "Mutant" category. In the specified location a scorecard containing a list of boulder problems is given to the competitors. From this list the competitors must successfully climb the boulder problem without falling and have two witnesses sign the scorecard to receive the allocated point value for the climb. Attempts are recorded in the event of a tie. The top 6 problems are taken as the total score. Scores for each boulder problem are related to the "V-Scale". V7 may equal 700pts. So if a competitor has an overall score of 6000 then they may have climbed 6 V10 boulders. The coveted Open category is one of the most competitive with the winner receiving a rodeo style belt buckle, cash prize, and international recognition.

Men's results

Women's results

Masters' Results

References

{{Climbing Competitions Sports competitions in Texas Tourist attractions in El Paso County, Texas Climbing competitions