I’m not a climber, but I like climbing. I like ropes and knots and engineering a climbing system. And I like the physical challenge. But I’m not someone who loves trying a heel hook or some dyno move or pushing myself to climbing failure. I don’t mind failing, but I hate falling. The act of climbing is outside my comfort zone.
Hiking to a crag and good conversation with friends and new acquaintances is just as important to me as the climb. I'm satisfied to learn a few new skills, test my abilities, have some laughs, help figure out a route and enjoy the outdoors. And I will belay a rope gun all day if I can send a handful of 5.7’s My climbing friends are outdoor people and we share that in abundance.
This is how I found myself in Fern, Arkansas last weekend. Nate Diekelman was training his crew of Oklahoma State University students on the management of outdoor climbing sites, and I wanted to witness his transfer of knowledge. I was impressed. Nate is a professional and personable climber who freely shares his love and knowledge of climbing and climbing safety.
Nate can also share the history and development of the area and is quite entertaining. I had a great time learning and getting to know him and his students who were not only good climbers but generous with their time and knowledge. They are the type of people you would hope to share routes with on any given weekend.
To your typical Ozark tourist, Fern has not changed much in the past twenty years. Highway 215 North from I-40 to Fern is just as you would expect on a drive in NW Arkansas: hilly, wooded and about 6 homes at the bend in the road. In fact, if you don’t know which dirt road to take to Fern valley, you might be in Branson before you knew it. By the way, it’s the dirt road marked by the small 5 rock cairn. You need to make a second right to find the climbing site.
And the climbing area is simply incredible. The parking lot may be full of cars, trucks and buses but the place is super clean despite all the people and dogs. Oh, the dogs! It should be called the Fern Dog Circus! Molly, my lab, and I ran into every outdoor breed in Fern.
Ramp to Reservation Wall and Fern valley
Jerry Barnett has bolted more than 100 routes over the past 25 years and is just barely staying ahead of the climbing pressure. We found four new routes this weekend that were not there two months ago.
The routes are in a beautiful valley on a band of bluffs and boulders bordering a babbling brook. Well-marked trails make for easy access to and from the sandstone climbing routes. It took all of five minutes to find our way to Small Wall Boulder for a couple of hours of warm up climbs and lessons. Back to the car for some lunch and then a bit longer walk (8 minutes) to the ramp that leads to Reservation Wall. The crowds had grown significantly by 1:ooPM and we were unable to find three routes close together.
Nate, being the adventurous sole, walked across the little stream splitting the valley and up to the other bluff (50 yards away) where he found a wall of unattended routes. The bolts were shiny and the wall was covered with lichen and moss as if the climbing elves had been there overnight placing them just for us.
While the East side of the valley was full of people, the dog circus and afternoon sun (85 degrees) we were in the shade with just lazy Molly. We had more routes than people on Happy Wall where we spent the remainder of our day.
Section of Reservation Wall
I don’t make climbing recommendations, but if you travel to the Ozarks, I would suggest that you not be a slave to the Fern climbing book (as good as it is) because there are plenty of routes that have been added since the latest publication. And, if you don’t know the rating of a route you may just surprise yourself.
If you are interested in climbing at Fern check out Jerry Barnett’s website at: www.fernclimbing.com
And if Reservation Wall is crowded, don’t hesitate to search across the stream for some unpublished routes. Why buy a ticket to the dog circus when you can scuff up some shiny new routes?
More climbing in the Ozarks: Sam's Throne, Mount Magazine and Horseshoe Canyon Ranch are quite popular. And there are numerous, near mythical, places under development. I am going back to search for Bigfoot Hollow as soon as I can find a climbing partner.