Chuck Chongo

I recently read a description of Chongo as, "The King of the Yosemite Dirtbags." Is that a compliment or a slam? (I think it's a compliment....at least the "King" part anyways.)

Chongo has a rich and colorful history, and if told in it's entirity, would be fairly unbelievable. He has (supposedly), lived in Mexico, spent years in college, spent years in jail, been a computer programmer, been shot, done some serious partying, written books, climbed big walls, resoled shoes, made clothing, been there, and done that. Most of it's true, some of it is fabricated lore, and some plan ol' B.S.

Never short on words, Chongo seems to know a little (or alot?) on most subjects. During the 80's he spent most winters at Joshua Tree and most summers in Yosemite. The old "Chongo site" on the back loop of Hidden Valley was, for years, the hub of activity (and parties) for the campground. And yes, he did keep a foot-cranked sewing machine in a cave in Hidden Valley for his sewing business.

Chongo's Resoling was a happening and busy business, and that enterprise went on for years. "Chongo" rubber (from a secret source in Mexico) was reputed to be "the Kind." The Chongo brothers (Rich, Dave, Chuck) ran the business, and a resole meant more food, supplies, resole materials, and beer. Chongo even dabbled at making whole climbing shoes for awhile (chongo boots?). Early Chongo resoles were crude, with the glue drying process including rolling a car over the shoe while it dried. Later, they bought a grinder which meant trips to town to find an electric plug to run the grinder. Eventually, they had resoling down to a fine art.

In Yosemite, Chuck seemed to have the scam wired. Where to stay, where to hang, where to eat, where to shower,...all of it; wired. For awhile he was staying in an abandoned van in the parking lot of the Lodge. His El Cap ventures are well documented, and his "hitch-hiking" on El Cap is fairly an outrageous concept. Part of his knowledge on all subjects is from the many , many months (and years) he stayed at my house in Joshua Tree working on his Big Wall Book. In between long, long long hours on the typewriter, he would spend long, long, long hours in front of the T.V., often watching movies or the History Channel. Chongo kept weird hours, and would sometimes sleep all day, and type well into the night. He could sleep on the sofa (or was he passed out from partying?) with 15-20 people around talking, very much awake.

His homeless image and reputation is real. Although, he has many places he calls "home." I've heard Chuck described by many terms, in many ways; everything from scam artist to genius. He does live on a very meager budget, which would impress many who are scratching their heads trying to live a simple life on less money. Getting by on very little is an art, and not only does Chongo pull it off, he does it with a certain degree of style (I said style, not class).

He does have a following, know affectionately as "The Chongo Nation." He has befriended many, many people, and definitely has some stories to tell. His friendship with the late Jose Peyrea seemed to be an extremely strong bond, and I'm sure Jose's death has left Chuck deeply saddened, as it has to all who knew Jose. He often makes sure things are taken care of with others, in a sort of kind, caring, "motherly" way. He usually has the resources and connections to make sure the basics are covered for him and his clan.

Chongo is real, he's grubby, he's homeless, he's written a number of books, and he's climbed big walls, and he’s done some amazing things in his life. To get the full story, hit him up. He'll tell you the real story himself. Then you can decide yourself if it's fact or fiction.