Outdoor Climbing Is a New Adventure for These Scouts

By Michael Freeman
Photographs by Kyle Sparks

outdoor climbing at pinnacles national park in california

Adam Woo of Troop 175 feels for handholds while climbing in Pinnacles National Park.

Staring up at a giant rock wall, the Scouts of troops 175 and 4175 pondered how they might make it to the top. This would be different from their regular outings to indoor climbing gyms.

But the more they studied the textured volcanic breccia rock, the more places they spotted to grab and step.

“In outdoor climbing, there are a lot more little ledges for your fingers and feet,” says Adam Woo, 15, a Star Scout. “It’s a lot easier to grip. With indoor climbing, there are a lot more bigger holds. All the holds here were a lot smaller, but even though they looked small, they worked a lot better than they looked.”

After clipping into the top ropes, the Scouts were soon scaling the massive natural wall, one of the many places to climb at Pinnacles National Park in central California.

Top left: Owen Salles works on the crux of a climbing route. The crux is defined as the hardest and most physically demanding move on a route. Bottom left: Ansel Chai, Scoutmaster Jeremy Wright and Assistant Scoutmaster David Woo review a climbing guide. Right: Adam Woo rappels down a rock wall at Pinnacles National Park.

GIVE OUTDOOR CLIMBING A TRY

Every year, troops 175 and 4175 of Foster City, Calif., visit an indoor climbing gym. These businesses set up artificial rock walls with bolted-in handholds, creating a safe, accessible environment to enter the sport of climbing. It’s a fun way to spend the day, but after doing it for years, the Scouts wanted a bigger challenge.

“With indoor climbing, there’s already top ropes and everything; it’s a lot easier,” Adam says. “They have a lot of people that are certified in the gym. With outdoor climbing, you have to set up all the safety.”

When you’re planning your own climbing adventure, you can’t just grab some climbing gear and go. You must have qualified adult instructors who have completed in-depth climbing training. Finding certified instructors proved to be the toughest part of the troops’ first outdoor climbing campout. But, if you can’t do an activity properly and safely, you shouldn’t do it at all. That’s all part of being prepared.

Amber Dogra eyes where she should grab to help her climb.

After the troops got instructors lined up, they still weren’t ready — the Scouts had some skills to learn too.

“We went over knots, climbing-specific knots,” says Tyler Lo, 15, a Star Scout. “We did some games. We had a relay race to see who would put on the equipment the fastest.”

Climbing equipment includes helmets, shoes and harnesses, and it’s important to know how they fit correctly. The troops studied how to wear and use the equipment over a few meetings before the trip.

Left: Amber Dogra moves up a route. The Scouts had a couple route options to try. Right: Austin Lu checks his figure-eight knot, which is secured to his harness.

ROCK ON

Pinnacles National Park features huge rock formations, remnants of extinct volcanoes that were split by the San Andreas Fault and moved by tectonic plates over millions of years. Today, climbers enjoy conquering these rocks and exploring the caves within the park.

The troops’ trip last fall included a full day of climbing and checking out a cave. The adults set up two different climbing paths, one harder than the other.

“I was worried I might not enjoy this experience, but since there were different difficulties, and we had certified adults to help us, I was able to do all the levels,” says Sharanya Mahanta, 15, a First Class Scout. “The sense of accomplishment to do all those things was definitely rewarding.”

Preparing to descend an outdoor rock climbing wall

Adam Woo prepares to descend after completing a climbing path. He communicates with his belay partner to ensure his partner is ready to help him down.

The Scouts cheered each other on as they scrambled up each path. If a climber couldn’t figure out how to advance, their fellow Scouts shouted out suggestions.

“There was a lot of collaboration,” Tyler says. “Watching other people do it before you helped.”

TASTE FOR ADVENTURE

After climbing, a group of Scouts grabbed their lunches and had a picnic at a cave entrance. Inside, they explored the cave’s developed trails, climbed staircases and looked for bats. It added to an already adventurous campout.

Austin Lu nears the top of a path after conquering the crux. Climbing paths are rated by their difficulty — the higher the rating, the harder the path.

The Scouts returned to camp at sundown and spent a little time reflecting on their day. There were many lessons learned from climbing: being patient, never giving up, trusting each other.

“Don’t feel bad if you’re not able to do it the first time,” says Sunaina Balakrishna, 14, a Scout. “There are so many ways you can get up to the top.”

But one of the biggest lessons was that it’s fun to do new things.

“At the patrol leaders’ council, we voted to try to make this an annual thing,” says Siddharth Gopinath, 12, a Star Scout. “A lot of us wanted to do this again. I definitely think this was a good event.”