Hueco Tanks Country Store "Pete's" Re-Opens!

The one and only Hueco Country Store finally re-opens after being closed for almost 10 years! Back in the day this was a climbers base camp before the Rock Ranch and other camping spots opened up. The Hueco Country Store once again offers camping and supplies to climbers being the closest establishment to the Hueco Park gate.

Google Map - Hueco Country Store 6011 Hueco Tanks Rd. El Paso, Texas 79938

Hueco Tanks Pete's Country Store is back in business!



Back in the day Pete's was world famous for it's southern hospitality and southwestern Mexican food. We are proud to announce that Pete's re-opened last season and is once again in service.

Hueco Tanks Camping 6011 Hueco Tanks Rd. El Paso, Texas 79938
ONLINE WEBSITE LINK

“Big Metal Top Barn 1 mile before the Hueco Tanks park gate”

Hueco Tanks Climbing Gear Shop – Rentals – Campgrounds We have a good selection of top brand climbing equipment, supplies and bouldering crash pad rentals. Visitors are more than welcome to stop by and hang out, do pull up’s on the notorious Shillelagh, brave the well-known slackline, kick around the hacky sack, car camp, tent camp, land the RV or just meet up with climbers.

Hueco Tanks Climbing Shop
6011 Hueco Tanks Rd.
El Paso, Texas 79938
www.vcrux.com

Climbing Gear - Sales - Service - Rentals
Campgrounds - Wifi - Showers - Wood Burners
Hueco Guides - Books - Backcountry - Educational - Clinics
Custom Sewing - Crash pads - Chalk Bags & More
Cool Stuff - Incense - Southwestern - Surplus - Oddities

HUECO GUIDES
Can't get into Hueco? We can help. 915-244-6792

YOUR HOME AT HUECO
Loitering is allowed, drop by our shop/campgrounds and hangout, meet up, slackline and warm up on the hangboards or just chill

HUECO WALKIE-TALKIE
We are on Zello - broadcasting on the "Hollow Mountain Project" channel. Download the app here - zello.com/ We also monitor CB channel 14 (27.125 mhz)

FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK
facebook.com/groups/4577027…

ROCK CLIMBING IS NOT A privilege AT HUECO TANKS -IT'S A HISTORICAL RIGHT

HOW TO PAY
If you arrive during a time that the store is closed MAKE SURE TO PAY AT THE IRON RANGER BOX near the store entrance. Fill out the permit on one side, tear in half and keep the receipt

Wifi INTERNET
Use your Phone, Tablet, Laptop or any other Wifi device during your visit.

VERIZON ANTENNA
If you have Verizon service you are in luck. We have a Verizon cell tower.

Hueco Tanks Mountain Guides – Tours
Access into Hueco Tanks can be problematic. A list of active Mountain Guides is posted in our shop for Commercial and Volunteer services. You can also contact us if you need park reservations. We also have additional guide services available.

CONTACT US
Call/Text 915-244-6792



John Sherman's Book notation:
GOOGLE BOOKS LINK


FLASH BACK ARTICLE FROM HuecoTanks.com by Steve Crye

Pete Zavala aka "Hueco Pete" 1940 ... August 2, 2006

We are sad to report that Pete is no longer with us. Pete, (Pedro Zavala Jr.) died on August 2, 2006, on a day when El Paso experienced record rainfall and widespread flooding. Aside from a tour of duty in the United States Navy, he spent all 66 of his years on this planet in El Paso, Pete's in the Navy Now ... much of it near Hueco. His parents were Pedro Ramos Zavala & Paula Amaya Zavala, both deceased. His wife Enriqueta Herrera Zavala aka "Queta" still lives in the trailer beside the infamous, now closed, Hueco Tanks Country Store.

Pete had several children. His eldest son, Pedro Martin Zavala, died in 2005; this tragedy hit Pete very hard. His surviving children are his son Sergio Andres Zavala and his daughters Maria Leticia Colfer & Sandra Zavala- Brabandt. He had 10 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren.

Pete was buried with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute, at Fort Bliss National Cemetery on Monday, August 7, 2006. His pallbearers were Michael Zavala, Christian Zavala, James Colfer, Ray Brabandt, Jessie Sarmiento & Fernie Herrera III. Pete's Navy Honor Guard waiting for the hearse to pull up

Queta told me that Pete wanted "all the climbers to know that he loved them all, they were special to him, and that the best part of his life was the years he ran the store for them". Queta said that he often referred to us as "his climbers", and was truly interested in each of our climbing successes. Pete begins his final journeyHe never stopped being amazed at the the feats of strength and bravery that occurred daily at Hueco, and was proud to do his part to make it possible.

In contrast to the day he died, Monday was fabulously clear and beautiful, a typical El Paso day with a brilliant blue sky sprinkled with a few snow-white clouds.

The Fort Bliss National Cemetery in North East El Paso is a quiet, beautiful place where the grid formed by the rows of thousands of headstones creates patterns that blur into the distance. After his headstone is in place, Huecotanks.com will provide a photo and locator map for climbers desiring to pay final respects when visiting Hueco.

Only a few climbers were present for the ceremony - Greg Burns, Jaime,Pete's Flag Chris and Hanna Robertson, and myself. We understand that the hundreds of climbers who would have liked to attend (and would have been there had this sad event occurred back in the heyday of climbing at Hueco) had no way of knowing about it.

Pete's health deteriorated after the ill-conceived 1998 PURP ruined his business, leading to the closure of the Hueco Tanks Country store in 2000. He had at least one heart bypass surgery and was also diabetic. Despite his health problems, he remained cheerful and irascible to the end.

"So - no tents at all in parking lot? No one staying here?"
Queta: "Not even one!"

Pete: "Nope"

"Tell me what this has done to your business."

Pete gave a wry chuckle and said, "I figure I am going to have to close it down or sell it or something - there's no business."

"Can you give me any kind of numbers - 50%, 10%, 5% of last years? What would you say?"

He paused and with that special subtle tone Pete reserves for stupid questions, answered "Zero percent of last years business - zero percent!" Queta chimed in , "It's terrible! We have been struggling a lot, we have been selling our equipment, to keep going."

"Pete, I have heard the TPWD claiming that they are getting a lot of reports that the climbers are happy, that they like the new system, that the reservations are the way to go. What have you heard from climbers that you have talked to?"

Queta jumps in forcefully, "They don't like it any way!". Pete adds with a disgusted look, "I talk to all kinds of climbers. Foreign Climbers. They don't like it - they can't get in. They can't get reservations. They are very unhappy. I've talked to American climbers who have come in, they have been here before, and they don't like the new system. They can't get in, they won't let them in."

He continues, "I talked to the…used to be "snow birds" coming in for winter, and they don't like it cause they tell me, they tell me that the uh … people at the park, they are not the same as before, they're not really friendly like before."

"What do you think about the current efforts to try to get some or all of the park transferred to control by the Tiguas?

Pete then gave me another one of his famous looks - the "OK, you are still wet behind the ears, but because I like you I will explain it to you one more time instead of just grunting and turning back to what I was doing", look.

Its like any other bureaucracy in this world" he says, shaking his head. "When they have a need, they make a lot of promises, and then after it is said and done, they shaft you!"

Queta sighs, "We just don't know what to say anymore. We don't think much … we just don't know what is going on."

Pete's involvement with climbers started around 1982, when Todd Skinner approached him about using the upstairs portion of the hut as a crash-shack. According to local climber Don Morril, "Skinner offered to clean the place in return for free use of the upstairs. Story has it that Todd got some cats from the El Paso Humane Society and let them loose. They disappeared down a hole in the floor and ate rats for a month."

As time went on, more Pete at the 1991 Rock Rodeoand more climbers "discovered" Pete's - it was hard to miss, on the left about a mile outside the entrance. Legendary for squalor and lack of amenities and sanitation, it was nevertheless "the" place to stay from 1986 to 1998, in large part because of Pete's personality and generosity. Many an impoverished climber was allowed to stay, and even eat, without being charged - "pay me when you can". Pete's cooking was simple but tasty traditional Mexican food - tamales, burritos, gorditas and the rest. For years and years, it was the tradition to stop by on the way back to town for beer and food, capping off what seemed like a never-ending stream of satisfying climbing days. His business really took off in the early 1990's with the annual Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeos that were held each spring on the last Saturday in February.

Many now famous climbers wintered at Pete's; some worked in the store and kitchen to pay for room and board. In the late 1990's, Dean Potter was camp host and backup cook, long before his name began appearing regularly in the climbing rags. Bobbie Bensman, Lynn Hill, Jim Karn and Tim Toula were just a few of the other "big" names that braved the lice and bacteria of the "upstairs" at Pete's.

Pete did what he could to fight the 1998 PURP, attending most of the useless "planning" meetings that were held in El Paso, including one of the last in July of 1998. Pete and Queta were there in the back of the room listening. Pete piped up with a complaint that the local business community and the El Paso Tourism people had not been invited. Pete correctly pointed out that the constant threats by the TPWD to completely close the 'Tanks in effect were threats to put him out of business. Dr. Greenberg (a high-priced consultant that was on the payroll of the Tiguas) was kind of freaked out by Pete, and was skeptical when Pete talked about his international fame. What is funny is that Pete was more famous than Dr. Greenberg, as evidenced by a quick Internet search. To find Dr. Greenberg required hunting for about 5 minutes, but a search on "Hueco Pete" yielded dozens of valid hits!

We will miss him terribly.

hell yea Lowell!

Ya I'm stoked, hit me up when you come.

BITMFD!

Good luck Lowell.

Very cool. I spent a lot of time there over the years. Now we need to get the rest of Hueco Tanks re-opened like the good ol' days!

You won't find a friendlier or more helpful guy than Lowell. Check out this great "new" addition to the Hueco scene.