Terrebonne, Ore. – Mike Volk has been rock climbing for almost 40 years, which is one reason he looks far younger than 53. The sport, quite simply, keeps you fit. And Mike doesn’t just climb rocks – he climbs mountains – which is what he was doing when he fell 80 feet in one of the worst accidents of his career.

Smith Rock, the state park where Mike has worked and lived since the early ‘90s, is the Mecca for Oregon climbers. In just 651 acres the park claims 1,550 different climbing routes, not to mention miles of hiking trails. Some of the routes here are considered among the hardest in the world; others have been summed up in the question: “Why would anyone want to climb that pile of choss?”

Perched on the high desert plateau near Terrebonne, people are exercising at 3,000 feet, and in the summertime it can easily climb above 100 degrees. Naturally, with more than 550,000 visitors annually, there have been fatalities at the park. Still, these only number in the single digits and very few accidents have sullied the reputation of this spectacular arena of rock formations.

According to Mike’s website, the major rock faces are made of compressed volcanic ash that reach heights of 550 feet. The first time Mike ever fell was here at Smith Rock when a piece of the wall broke off in his hands and he had no choice but to push it down and fall with it.

But, as serious climbers tend to do, he shook it off and kept climbing. It’s not that this sport is an addiction, per se, it is simply a way of life. If you ever meet a serious climber you will know; everything they do is merely a step toward taking the time to pack up, camp out, and climb new rocks in distant places.

Mike has mastered hundreds of routes over the years at Smith Rock, but he gave us a tour with the enthusiasm of a newcomer. Yet another sign of a true climber.

Posted by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore on Sunday, October 1st, 2006 | Email This Post

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