Awe Inspiring Red Rock Point
I received an exciting phone call the last week. My hiking buddy Alf Carter had called up and asked if I would hike with him to Red Rock Point. Of course, I said sure! Little did I know I was going to see the most spectacular spot for rock climbers in all of Arkansas, as well as some of the most beautiful and biggest bluffs I have yet to see. The hike was on private property and after arriving at Alf's place, we hopped in his truck and drove over to the owner's home, and received permission to hike on her property. We started out in a field, and as we turned the corner and started up, there is was!
There, a long way away and a really really long way up was this rock. It was beautiful. Massive. Huge. Red. Alf was very excited and began the long trek uphill to get there. As we walked he told me about how he and his climbing partner had been the first ones to go up the face of this formation. |
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I stopped along the way (under the guise of taking pictures) to catch my breath. This was by far becoming the most difficult hike I had taken with Alf. Finally, after a long, long walk up through fields and forests, we arrived at the base of the bluffs. Alf had told me that there was no easy way to the very top, other than by climbing up the face of the bluff. We walked along the bottom of the bluff, looking for an easy way up. Although Alf is a well known climber, I am not. Alf pointed out several of the routes that he and his climbing partners had laid out years ago.
We walked along for quite awhile, stopping to snack and have a beverage. I was quite amazed to see an airplane flying by, level with where we were sitting. You are pretty high up in the mountains when that happens! We climbed over fields of large rock that had broken off the face of the bluff and fallen to the base below. They were massive, and one has to wonder what force it took to break them off. Totally amazing!
We kept working our way to the point, looking for a way up, but did not find any easy way. We then found a spot where Alf tried to work his way up to the top, so he could drop a rope down to me, and belay me up, but that didn't work out either. After deciding that we would not be able to make it all the way to the top, we continued our hike along the base, with my partner pointing out all the neat rock climbing spots. He was having a great time, and the memories that this hike brought back were special to him.
I had a great time hiking with Alf, and I know this is a favorite spot for him. Alf is the Rock Man, and enjoys climbing. This was a difficult hike, being a long way away and a steep grade upwards but is well worth the effort. This is by far the most impressive spot we have been to. It was breathtaking, in more ways than one!
We walked along for quite awhile, stopping to snack and have a beverage. I was quite amazed to see an airplane flying by, level with where we were sitting. You are pretty high up in the mountains when that happens! We climbed over fields of large rock that had broken off the face of the bluff and fallen to the base below. They were massive, and one has to wonder what force it took to break them off. Totally amazing!
We kept working our way to the point, looking for a way up, but did not find any easy way. We then found a spot where Alf tried to work his way up to the top, so he could drop a rope down to me, and belay me up, but that didn't work out either. After deciding that we would not be able to make it all the way to the top, we continued our hike along the base, with my partner pointing out all the neat rock climbing spots. He was having a great time, and the memories that this hike brought back were special to him.
I had a great time hiking with Alf, and I know this is a favorite spot for him. Alf is the Rock Man, and enjoys climbing. This was a difficult hike, being a long way away and a steep grade upwards but is well worth the effort. This is by far the most impressive spot we have been to. It was breathtaking, in more ways than one!