COMMITTEE MEMBER (2010-2012)
BRIAN TICKLE
Austin, Texas
My climbing-related life began while backpacking through Scotland when I read Aleister Crowley’s account of his 1902 expedition to K2. That led to further reading about K2 and the Himalayas. Almost overnight, I became obsessed with the study of people like Willi Unsoeld, John Roskelley, Reinhold Messner, Wolfgang Guellich and many others. Beginning in 2002, I spent the first of several summers in Washington State in a frenzy of backpacking and mixed mountain climbing.
I first saw Enchanted Rock in 1991 as a child; and for someone who was born in Dallas and had never been anywhere except Houston and Galveston, Enchanted Rock was a revelation. Over the next 11 years, I came out to Enchanted Rock many times to camp and explore. In 2001, Enchanted Rock was the place where I made my first 5th class climb—a solo up Grass Crack. That was only the second time I had ever put on a pair of rock climbing shoes. That experience has altered me more than any other.
My climbing life now is centered around difficulty climbing—mostly bouldering. Excluding alpine climbing, I have climbed in New Mexico, Texas, Switzerland, and Germany. In addition to climbing, I am currently working on a documentary about the history of climbing at Enchanted Rock. I look forward to furthering my knowledge of Enchanted Rock by participating in the Central Texas Climbing Committee.
