STARTING HOLD - #9 > February/March 2006

Hueco. To the non-climber, it's erroneously related to that place in Texas with the crazy compound where the ATF had their showdown about a decade ago. But for climbers (not just boulderers), it's America's premiere bouldering desintation. It's where thousands of climbers migrate to every winter to shred their tips, sore their muscles, and breath in the desert air. Matt Wilder's guidebook states on the cover, "America's Bouldering Mecca." It's hard to argue against that.

For a magazine whose focus is bouldering, it was only a matter of time before UCMAG put a feature together. Sure, in the first year, we've bled some Hueco images into the magazine (and even a cover), but we tried not to saturate the mystique, aura, and experience that exists in the small state park in the western tip of Texas. In the past year, Hueco has received a lot of play-features in the major magazines, a full length DVD, presence on every bouldering website. Just about every photographer who's submitted images to UCMAG has Hueco material.

So, the million dollar question is, "How do we make this one different?" Well, the climbing media and community has already released the verdict that bouldering in Hueco is unparalleled. With this piece, we wanted to communicate three things. 1. Give the lowdown as how to work with the land use plan to ensure that you maximize your experience in Hueco. 2. Present the feel and vibe of such a magical place with contact sheets depicting the experience. If you've been to Hueco, you can identify with every one of them. If you haven't, the images will be familiar when you get there. 3. Show the "classics" and "gems" in a different light.

And so it went... a small crew on a mission. Things went well-problems were sent, problems remained unsent, photos were taken, friends were made, experiences shared, skin was tanned, video was shot, Mexican food consumed, and even cactus needles pulled out of someone's butt. In our time there, the common thread of stewardship from the locals felt stronger than most climbing areas and communities. Perhaps it's because a world-renowned bouldering area is their local spot, complete with restrictions. While most boulderers are just "visitors" to the park, the locals are wholeheartedly invested in the Tanks. Where else do climbers volunteer their time and energy to guide other climbers?

In the end, I was forced with an editorial dilemma that I wish we had more often-too much content. Not just too many photos, but too many good photos. The kind that make you stop turning the pages. The kind that make local climbers who've seen the problems a hundred times stop and say, "What problem is that?" For the most part, contributors whittle down their photo selections and we do a final selection. But this time, we had to sift through well over a thousand images to tell just one story and experience.

So there you have it. Unapologetically, we present our biggest feature yet.

m@