Recreation / San Diego : In This Sport, It’s Just You Against the Rock

“A boy clambers barefoot up a tree. He does it for the pure joy of climbing; why doesn’t matter. It is exciting. New. There is a bit of danger . . . and the thrill of adventure in going somewhere he has never been . . .”

--From the Introduction of Royal Robbins’ “Basic Rockcraft.”

Boys and girls have been clambering up trees for a long, long time. It’s nothing new. Neither is the thrill one can experience doing from it.

For some, the adventure of tree climbing leads to a more dangerous challenge--climbing rocks.

Rock climbing is a sport of solitude. Mission Gorge, one of three rock climbing areas in San Diego, is tucked away about a mile off Mission Gorge Road and 600 feet above the ground, and there are almost never any onlookers.

But that doesn’t bother rock climbers, because they’re not in the sport to impress anyone. All they want to do is beat the rock . . . or at least tie it.

“The key to the whole sport is that it’s just you and rock out there,” said Blair White, an instructor at San Diego State’s Leisure Connection and a rock climber for the last 14 years. “You have a total control of everything that happens. In other sports, there can be so many other factors.

“In rock climbing it’s you against the rock. And you’re not trying to beat it, you’re just trying to break even.”

San Diego’s rock-climbing sites pretty much break even when compared to the rest of the world. There are difficult climbs and easy short climbs in the area. However, somebody looking for that two-week climb up the face of a mountain will have to leave the county and head to Yosemite (which offers the best rock climbing in the summer) or Joshua Tree (which offers the best rock climbing in the winter).

The climbing areas in San Diego are more conducive to one-day fun. Along with Mission Gorge, the other two main places to climb in the area are Mount Woodson, near Palomar, and the Santee Boulders.

Each has its features.

Mount Woodson is the weekend place where the serious climber can take an entire day to explore. Woodson is filled with difficult climbs, and newcomers are encouraged to stay away until they gain some experience. Mission Gorge has some difficult climbs, but also has some easier ones mixed in. A lot of businessmen and women go there after work since it is located so much closer to the city than Woodson. Finally there is Santee Boulders, a great place for the newcomers. Before one can run, one must walk. Before one can climb, one should learn how to “boulder,” or climb around on rocks that aren’t that high off the ground.

You can do that at Santee, where climbers can work on their techniques without having to worry about falling too far.

There are lots of techniques in rock climbing, and the best way to learn them is to take a class. The Leisure Connection and Adventure 16, both in San Diego, offer lessons.

But, depending on the time of years, getting into a class can be difficult.

“Sometimes, the classes are packed and then sometimes we have to cancel them,” said Becka Biter, who works at the Leisure Connection. “There’s no pattern to it. We don’t know why it’s popular one week and not popular the next.”

Biter said sometimes people who nothing about the sport suddenly decide to give it a try.

And once they try, some become devoted rock climbers.

“I got hooked just watching other people do it,” said Shelley Harrison, a 21-year-old student from Huntington Beach. “The first time I ever went up to the rocks, I didn’t even climb and I had a good time.

“If you go with someone who knows what they are doing and can teach you, you can pick it up quick. It’s fun.”

White, a 27-year-old outdoorsman who spent much of his summer this year climbing at Yosemite and who will spend some of his winter at Joshua Tree, also is hooked on the sport.

In between, he heads to the local climbing areas. One day, he was at Mission Gorge with a friend. After making the 600-foot climb to the rocks and getting his equipment sorted, White was ready to go.

A couple of simple (for him) climbs helped get him warmed up. Then, he tried to tackle a climb called Lunch Rock Slab. The rating on the climb was 5-10B.

How did it get its name and rating? The first person to climb any rock gets to name the climb and come up with the rating. A 5-10 climb is among the most difficult. A 5-10B is just a little harder than a 5-10A.

“Some people live for being the first to climb a certain rock,” White said. “But there are other thrills that keep me going.”

White got his rope out for the difficult climb but it was used only as protection. Only in an aid-climb is a rope used to help the climber ascend the rock.

Safety is at a premium for Lunch Rock Slab. Little pieces of equipment, acting as wedges, were hammered into another rock at the top of the climb to make sure the rope would hold him if he fell.

He didn’t.

On his next climb, however, the rope was needed. White tried a climb called Our Lead and fell not once but five times.

Thanks to the rope, he fell only a couple of feet and was in no danger of being injured. But his pride hurt.

White did get up the strength to give Our Lead another try. He planned a new route of ascent and went for it.

He made the climb successfully, and celebrated like a youngster who had just conquered the tallest tree in the backyard.