Milligan, though, was fearless. He was solo climbing, or climbing without any protection or ropes up the side of Goat Rock, located in Castle Rock State Park of Los Gatos.

"I've done this climb a thousand times," Milligan says. "It's like a Disneyland ride. You're slightly scared, but not terrified."

Milligan, a longtime Yosemite climber and Saratoga resident, has been coming to Castle Rock State Park to climb for more than 20 years. Standish, who has worked and lived in the 5,000-acre park and wildlands for 25 years, says Castle Rock is one of the only places people can climb in the Bay Area, which is why it's so well known in the climbing community. From the top of Castle Rock proper, Milligan says climbers can see beautiful views of the Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean. Standish has to take Milligan's word for it, since he's not a climber.

"Climbers have their own ways around the park because it's been home to us for a long time," says Grant Wernick, a Los Gatos resident and experienced Castle Rock climber. Wernick takes climbers' access trails to get to the rocks he loves, not the typical marked trails used by park visitors and daily hikers.

"I grew up in Los Gatos climbing here," he says. "It's a great place for anybody of all levels."

Wernick adds that most climbers also try to respect the park's natural habitat.

"The park is like home to many climbers, so they'll take the time to clean up trash and pick up the trails," he says.

As climbers have become a larger part of the park's community, Standish reminds them to read the park's unofficial climbing guidelines and exercise caution since they climb at their own risk.

"Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints," he says. "My concern is the entire park. Rock climbing is not my favorite sport. Rock climbing is just part of this particular park."

A climbing map that can be purchased for $2 at the main entrance also directs visitors to climbs within the park such as Goat Rock, Castle Rock, Castle Rock Magoo, Castle Rock Boulders, Graveyard Boulders, Pyramid Rock and Parking Lot Rock. Standish says the rocks were not named by the park, but rather by climbers, and the names were subsequently adopted by the park. The park sits atop of the highest ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains, separating San Francisco and Monterey bays.

The Vaqueros sandstone outcrops in the park have been used for climbing for more than 100 years, but have seen a dramatic increase in use in the past decade, according to a park brochure. Standish says the sandstone's hard exterior and cavernous weathering, called tafoni, makes the rocks desirable for rock climbing and bouldering.

"The tafoni holes in the rocks present a Swiss cheese appearance that creates a lot of handholds," Standish says.

Bouldering, a form of rock climbing, is where people climb boulders without using ropes. They generally don't climb much higher than 20 feet. Sandstone, which isn't as strong as the granite of Yosemite, is porous and granular and absorbs water from rains. This also makes it more prone to breakage, Standish says, which is a concern for park representatives.

"The official position of the state parks is that the sport of climbing is a legitimate activity, and they've designated a portion of Castle Rock to climbing," he says.

But climbers can also damage rocks, erode features and leave a rock's handholds covered in chalk, a compound used to improve a climber's grip by absorbing sweat. Standish says there's plenty of evidence climbers have disobeyed the rules, including vegetation around the rocks that has been harmed by climbers. A climbing area, known as the Lions' Caves, is now closed, Standish says, and is considered part of a natural preserve that's off-limits to climbers.

Climbers are encouraged to use low-impact climbing techniques, limit the use of bolts, protect the park's vegetation, observe the park's rule and, most of all, respect the rocks.

"I like the park because it's relatively unknown and undeveloped," Standish says. "I'm not interested in high-impact, well-known parks like Big Basin. What's nice about this park is that it's like a wilderness. People refer to it as a semi-wilderness."

Margaret Au was one of the unlucky rock climbers to visit Castle Rock State Park. The Campbell resident was climbing up Castle Rock about 15 to 20 feet, and had some trouble on the downward climb. Her foot gave out and she slipped, tumbling to the ground and shattering her radial bone. So instead of climbing, Au has been watching Jeff Chen, of San Ramon.

"If you don't know what you're doing, you'll end up like Margaret," Chen jokes, as he boulders along one of the faces of Castle Rock Magoo, shirtless and smiling.

Au says she started climbing with her siblings at a rock climbing gym, and has been coming to the park on and off for about a year. Climbing indoors, on artificial climbing walls, is typically only for training purposes, but many people consider it to be a worthwhile activity on its own.

"Castle Rock is a great place to be for top roping and bouldering, and it's close by town and not hard to get to," she says.

The challenge of bouldering is that it's difficult the whole time, Chen says, and climbers like to have difficulty within the first 10 to 15 feet of the climb. Bouldering is usually shorter and safer, but "a crash pad," or small foam mattress, is recommended as a safety measure. Climbers are encouraged to carry, rather than drag, their crash pads into the park.

Bouldering is usually about 10 moves or less. Top roping, which offers unlimited moves, can allow climbers to reach heights of approximately 90 feet.

Brenna Rodriguez, who works in visitor services at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, says bouldering is an up-and-coming sport for youth because it's gear-free and easy. Rodriguez, who comes from the Tahoe area, said Castle Rock isn't as well known for its climbing as Yosemite, but locally it's well known by climbers and bouldering enthusiasts alike.

Castle Rock State Park was featured in a 60-minute movie called Rampage, which tracks renowned climber Chris Sharma of Santa Cruz, Obe Carrion and their friends on a two-month bouldering spree across the American West. The park is also highlighted in West Coast Pimp, another bouldering video featuring climbers such as Sharma, Tiffany Levine and the United Kingdom's Matt Birch. Castle Rock has also been likened to the famous bouldering hot spots of Fontainebleau, France.

Some books that feature the park's climbs include the Rock Climber's Guide to Skyline Boulevard by Bruce Morris and Bay Area Rock by Jim Thornburg, who grew up climbing in Castle Rock State Park, according to Wernick. Neither book is highly rated by local rock climbers, but Milligan happens to like Morris' book because he's pictured in it.

Milligan, Wernick and Standish sat around one afternoon on top of Goat Rock recalling stories about an alleged murder that took place in the park, those who have died climbing, and miraculous stories of climbers who have fallen and survived.

"You hate to see people hurt themselves, especially when they do dumb things," says Milligan, referring to beginners, or "show offers" who try to impress spectators but don't know what they're doing.

Regardless, all rock climbers share one thing in common--the rush.

"The best rush is when you do something that terrifies you. The feeling after you do it, you just can't compare to anything else," Milligan says.

For Wernick, rock climbing also offers freedom to clear his head and realize his dreams. He says rock climbing also involves problem solving.

"You're in the moment," he says. "It forces you to hone yourself and forget about everything else. It brings your mind and your body together ... Climbing is like poetry. Each time you write a new poem, and every time it always feels different."

That's why Milligan will continue to climb Goat Rock again and again. Like a Disneyland ride, the risk never gets old.

Castle Rock State Park, 15000 Skyline Blvd. in Los Gatos, is located on Highway 35, 2 ¹/2 miles southeast of the Highway 9 junction. For more information, call the park office at 408.867.2952.

Belay --A technique used to protect a climber from falling by using a rope.

Dyno --A dynamic move a climber uses to grab a hold that would otherwise be out of reach. Non-climbers might call this a lunge.

Gumby --An inexperienced climber.

Hangdog --While lead climbing, the climber hangs on a rope or an anchor for a rest.

Lead climbing --A form of climbing where the climber places anchors and attaches the belay rope as they climb.

Rappel --The process, also known as abseil, where a climber descends on a fixed rope.

Solo climbing --Climbing without any protection.

Sport climbing --A form of climbing where grace and technical, or gymnastic, ability are considered more important than danger, exhilaration or brute strength. Sport climbing routes tend to be well-protected with pre-placed bolt-anchors.

Spotting --An alternative to belaying commonly used during bouldering. A friend of the climber stands beneath them and prevents awkward falls or falls onto hazards.

Top rope --To belay from a fixed anchor point above the climb.

Yosemite Decimal System --A numerical system for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes and climbs in the United States. The rock climbing (5.x) portion of the scale is the most commonly used climb-grading system.

Source: Glossary of rock climbing terms from "Wikipedia," a free encyclopedia.