Tucson's spider girl

Ten-year-old Eva Huie stretches her skinny arms and legs across the rocks, pausing to glance at which nook and cranny she should place her fingertips in.

Inch by inch, relying on her finger strength and balance, she scales a wall at Rocks & Ropes, a rock-climbing facility near Downtown.

"Sometimes when she's upside down it's like, 'Wow, does she have suction cups on?' " Eva's mother, Deborah said.

Eva has earned a trip to the American Bouldering Series Youth and Adult National Championships this weekend in Boulder, Colo. Here's her back story:

1. Family fun. "It's a great equalizer," Deborah said. "You don't have to be big, burly powerful men to do it. Women do really well because they have more flexibility and a lot more finger dexterity, and kids are great at it because they have a low power-to-weight ratio and little tiny fingers."

2. The team. Eva trains two or three times a week with a team. Team members are 10 to 18. Six are boys and four are girls.

3. Pint size. Eva is 55 inches tall and weighs 65 pounds. That helps her maneuver around rocky terrain. "The only problem is I'm sorta short. That stinks."

4. Falls. Eva has taken some tumbles, but has never been injured. "I don't think about how high I am."

5. Stay flexible. The family also practices yoga to stay limber. "It's like vertical yoga. There's a lot of balance involved," Eva's father, Archie, said.

6. Outdoor fun. Besides climbing at Rocks & Ropes, the family also climbs outdoors, often on Mount Lemmon.

7. Equipment. Dressed in a harness and Chili shoes, Eva scales walls. A small, blue bag filled with resin, a white powder, hangs on her back; she covers her hands with the powder for a firm grip.

8. Follow the color. Colorful tape — yellow, green, pink and so on — mark the gray walls at Rocks & Ropes, indicating different routes for climbers to follow.

9. Other hobbies. Eva plays the flute for the Agua Caliente Elementary School band, and she mountain bikes.

10. Understudy. Huie's 7-year-old sister, Ruby, also climbs. "They're all natural little spiders and monkeys," Deborah said.