Emilie Hernandez: Texas Lady Crusher's Member Spotlight

Name: Emilie Hernandez

Current Location: Austin, Texas

Favorite Type of Climbing: Emilie loves multi-pitch climbing that involves a mix of sport and trad climbing.

Favorite Parks: Emilie’s favorite place she’s climbed is Cochise Stronghold in Southern Arizona. This is subject to change, however, since she only did one multi-pitch trad route and hasn’t traveled much for climbing-specific trips.

Emilie was introduced to rock climbing and rappelling at a summer camp in Hunt, Texas in the mid 90s. She was a regular camper there and was part of the “Adventure Team” when she was 14 years old. It wasn’t until she was 21 that she got truly introduced to South Texas outdoor climbing. Emilie attended Texas State University just when they had built a brand new athletic facility with, what was at the time, one of the tallest rock walls in the state. It was there she met “real” outdoor rock climbers who showed her the ropes over at Milton Reimers Ranch, and the Greenbelt in Austin, Texas.

Emilie’s fondest memory of rock climbing was over New Years Eve entering into 2020. She and her boyfriend went on their first climbing trip together and had only been dating for 1.5 months. They were new as both climbing partners, as well as a couple. Their intention was to only climb at Mount Lemmon and Cochise Stronghold. That was, until Emilie happened to run into a friend/climbing guide at a small coffee shop in Tucson. His fiancé recommended an adventure climb in a remote area called Mendoza Canyon. She talked it up and made it sound super fun and awesome. Emilie's boyfriend Brian asked if she’d be interested in changing their plans to go there and check it out. Naturally, Emilie said yes.

The two of them got a later start than they wanted, and the approach was a lot more strenuous than either of them expected. The trail quickly ended and they followed cairns until they hit a bamboo forest they knew they couldn’t bushwhack through. They figured out another trail up and down boulders, in between cacti and occasionally pools of water. Finally, they made it to the buttress, looked up at the 7 pitch climb, and the area they’d need to rappel down. Emilie was scared, but trusted Brian and trusted herself as well. With packs loaded down, they began climbing the route called the Elephant Trunk. The route was extremely run out, and as she started up the third pitch, she got concerned about how late in the day it was. Deep down, Emilie wanted to retreat. Fortunately, Brian felt the same way once she got to the anchors. Emilie rappelled down first so Brian could ensure the chicken head he slung and small cam he placed, held while she looked for the anchor bolts. Emilie rappelled about 35 meters, only to accidentally pass up the bolts. She then had to take cover on a small ledge so Brian could rappel down and figure out what to do next.

For about 30 minutes, Emilie didn’t feel anything move on the ropes, it was quiet, and she grew more concerned something had happened to Brian. After saying a quick prayer to her dad and grandparents in heaven, and checking the emergency device she had on her backpack, she screamed out Brian’s name multiple times until he answered that he was okay. He made it to a small ledge and was building a new anchor for them. The problem was, Emilie was very off route and had to swing in the opposite direction and climb up to Brian while set up for a rappel. Her headlamp was low on battery and she was truly scared for their safety. The only way she could climb up was by moving her ATC and auto block up the rope in a very awkward way. She had never dealt with this type of situation and was also nervous since she couldn’t see very well. Suddenly, she lost her footing and fell until her auto-block caught her. After a loud scream, she realized she was still safe, and gathered herself because she knew she needed to keep it together.

She finally made it up to Brian and couldn’t have been more thankful. She looked at the anchor they were on. The rock quality wasn’t great, their gear was minimal, and they were both getting fatigued. Emilie asked Brian if she needed to call search and rescue. He said no. She then asked if he could get them out of there safely and he confidently said yes. Emilie said “ok”, and trusted in his words. Brian went down first, leaving Emilie alone to trust she did everything she was supposed to in order to keep her safe. They made it down the last two pitches, only to get their ropes stuck. In Emilie’s eyes, she didn’t care. It meant there would be less weight to carry as they hiked back. They were on the ground…well, at the buttress at least, and that felt great. The next problem they faced was the forest they had to bushwhack through, just to get to the trail that led them back to their car. Thankfully, Emilie was able to keep the morale up while Brian took the lead to get them out of there. They finally made it to the trail and back to the car. In all, it was a 14 hour epic, and it was a trip neither of them would ever forget. 

In her eyes, Emilie feels climbing has truly connected her with Mother Earth and taught her a lot about herself. She has learned to appreciate the landscapes that surround her, and feels rock climbing has shown her a side of herself she never knew she had. Rock climbing has allowed her to connect with other human beings on a deeper, more meaningful level. It is something she feels nothing but climbing can do for her.

Emilie’s advice to new climbers is to seek out an individual who can mentor them. With female climbers, she highly recommends finding an experienced female climber who can take you under their wing. Women teach much differently than men and come from a more caring and supportive place. She recommends someone who is kind, patient, supportive, and knowledgeable. Also, she recommends being confident in expressing when you are not comfortable with a situation, or a direction you’ve been given. You only have one life to live, and it’s easy to feel pressured by others to do things you might feel are unsafe.

There are may resources on the internet to find people who can help guide you in the right direction - you just have to take the action to reach out and communicate with those people. The climbing community is very open and welcoming (well, most of it). You must do your due diligence and you cannot always trust everything people tell you. Always find backup for what you’ve been told, to confirm that it is safe and correct. Also, wear a helmet when belaying and climbing. It’s extremely important as a belayer to wear a helmet in case a rock falls while they have someone’s life in their hands. 

Emilie is not a fan of listening to music while rock climbing - especially outside. She listens to music throughout the day, and while she drives. When she is hiking and rock climbing, she does not want to hear anything but the sounds of Mother Nature, and the voice of her partner and friends she’s with. 

Emilie is a classically trained violinist and has been playing for 25 years. She’s worked in the culinary industry on and off for 18 years and is a personal chef. She’s been a small business owner for the past 6 years and has many goals she wants to reach so as to make her community better. Her deepest desire is to be of service to others, especially in the female communities. For her saying always is - Vivá las Chicas!