An Outsider's View |
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In awe of Spiderman Story and photos by Jim Murtagh A rocky path provided access to the top section of the Bellefonte quarry. Looking out you could see a dozen or so cars scattered across the muddy parking area below. On one side a near vertical wall rose 150 feet in the air, the other was a forty foot drop into a lake of crystal clear blue water. Roughly twenty plus people from age seven to forty-five were busily enjoying the warm spring sun. Some chose to lie around on blankets, listening to a radio and occasionally dousing them-selves in coconut oil. Others walked on the well-defined paths, taking in the beauty of the area, but most came to spend the day suspended from ropes, attempting to scale the walls that entrap this piece of paradise. The sport of rock climbing is an emerging new hobby that has been spreading wildly across the country during the last two decades. Bringing with it a new language and slightly different twist on the concept of another Saturday spent outside, rock climbing is stealing the spotlight from the traditional adventure sports of white water rafting or hang gliding.
The most popular technique for rock climbing is referred to as free climbing. The climber tries to reach the top of a cliff by negotiating the fissures that scar the wall's surface. At times the climber might find it necessary to jam his fingers into a crevice so that his knuckle acts like a wedge, and he can pull his body to a new height. While the climber plays twister on this vertical game board, he is always aware that his foothold might not be as sure as he had hoped, or that the remains of the morning dew might give way to his grip, and down he will tumble. To limit the distance of a fall, the climber carefully selects key locations in the mountainside where he will drive in temporary supports, to which he can clip the rope he wears on his waist harness. These devices, which are either wedged in cracks or drilled into the rock, are called friends, and will save the climber from severe injury. There is little room for mistakes in rock climbing. Both the gear and the climber must be ready for the task at hand. If either fails, the results can be disastrous. To help give the climber a better grip on the rock's surface, he will often chalk his hands with powder. In climbing circles, the powder is often referred to as "confidence, " and helps as much in keeping the climber's hands dry, as it does in preparing him for the mental difficulties he will face. The powder is stored in a pouch worn around the climber's waist. The language which climbing has bred is as exciting as the sport itself. A crevice is called a bucket if you can fit your whole hand in it, while a tweeker might be a lip less than a quarter of an inch wide and stretches your tendons until they hurt. If another climber details the essential hand placements you should use when attempting a new route, then you have been given beta. Successfully negotiating that route with-out falling and you have flashed it. One mistake and you will be rewarded a red point. The terms are colorful and indicative of the energy and vitality the sport brings to its patrons. Rock climbers throughout the state come to try their skills on the treacherous walls of the now retired Bellefonte rock quarry. Providing some of the best routes in the state, this once unknown area is getting considerable attention in the world of rock climbing. Located approximately 50 miles west on Route 80, the quarry hosts popular cracks such as "Realm of the Senseless", and "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws." The names hint of the excitement and dangers climbers can expect to find. |
