Some climbing destinations, like Mount McKinley or Mount Washington, have names that don't truly indicate the dangers involved in making your way to the peak. With Suicide Rock, however, it's pretty obvious that, depending on where you climb, you will be pushing your abilities to their absolute limits.
Located in Idyllwild, California, Suicide Rock rises approximately 7,528 feet into the air and can be climbed during all four seasons. The name, by the way, comes from a story involving a Native American princess. When her father, the tribal chief, demanded that she stay away from her true love, the legend says that her grief made her jump off the rock to her death.
It's not clear how much of this story is fact or fiction, but the dangers of Suicide Rock are all too real. In August, the Fox News affiliate in Los Angeles reported that two climbers were seriously injured when trying to climb the rock in a rainstorm. According to the report, the lead climber fell 85 feet and hit his partner, knocking them both off Suicide Rock.
This real-life tale indicates the need to be prepared for the changing weather conditions that you may encounter on a climb. For a destination like Suicide Rock, bouldering shoes like the Boreal Ninja can help ensure that your footing is secure.
Despite the obvious dangers, there are approximately 300 routes up Suicide Rock, some of which are suitable for beginners while others require a higher level of skill. With names like "Captain Hook," "Godzilla Face" and "Right of the Escalator," someone obviously had a lot of fun naming the various walls and approaches.
SummitPost.org recommends May through October as the best months to challenge Suicide Rock. Snow and ice can become a problem in December, depending on the California weather conditions and water levels.
With the right equipment and preparation, Suicide Rock can be a fun and challenging climb, but as those climbers demonstrated back in August, it can be a long way down under the wrong conditions.
Sources:
http://www.idyllwild.com/suicide.html
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/152269/suicide-rock.html
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7330304&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
