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TM most practical multi-pitch solution v1.1 Red Rocks Climbing Information The sandstone canyons of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offer a great mix of climbing in a warm and sunny climate. From short tightly bolted sport routes to long adventure trad routes with an alpine feeling, Red Rocks has something to please every climber. Not surprisingly, it is a popular climbing destination when other areas are still wet and cold, or even still cov- ered in snow. When the temperature starts increasing, you can easily escape to the cooler canyons or climb on Mt. Charleston’s limestone walls at a higher elevation. The convenience and proximity of Las Vegas, and its never ending neon nightlife also add to the attraction of Red Rocks. The human zoo of the infamous Strip and the endless sea of “ding-ding-ding” gambling machines are must see attractions, at least once in your life. Despite its close proximity to the climbing area, Las Vegas stays out of sight during the daytime, except from high on some multi-pitch climbs. Only at night, Sin City lights up the sky. For more information on classic rock climbs in Red Rocks and other areas visit www.GearLoopTopo.com For more information on classic rock climbs in Red Rocks and other areas visit www.GearLoopTopo.com Climbing The climbing in Red Rocks is highlighted by positive edges on many steep faces. These incredible holds are formed by an outer layer of hard varnished sandstone that covers the cayon walls. The size of the holds vary from huge jugs to to you-almost-need-a-miscroscope-to-see-them crimpers. Because of the nature of these incut holds, they can be very fragile, especially after a rainstorm. On trade routes, the loose holds have disap- peared, but pay attention on newer and less traveled routes that still have to be “cleaned”. Many of the routes also have their share of cracks. Except for the occasional hand or foot jam, the cracks are mostly used for protection, and even crack routes will have their fare share of face climbing. The cracks are unlike the smooth Utah desert sandstone cracks, or the granite cracks of Yosemite National Park. Their very featured nature makes jamming a little less effective. Tapping up is therefore not required for most Red Rocks routes, and can even be a nuisance for some of the face climbing. In addition to the face climbing and the occasional handjam, you will encounter small chimney sections of varying widths on most of the classic long trad routes. Like the cracks, the chimneys are quite featured, mak- ing the climbing not too difficult. However, protection options are often rare, so most of the chimneys are a bit runout. Many of the classic trade routes have bolted belay stations, which speed up the climbing significantly. In recent years many of the anchors and bolts have been replaced by the American Safe Climbing Association. To keep up the good work, the ASCA needs your donation! Climbing Gear Due to the featured nature of the cracks, nuts are quite useful in Red Rocks. If you want to go with a light rack, you can almost always consider trading in several cams for nuts. The most commonly used cams normally range from small finger size (.5”) up to hand size (<3”-3.5”). Larger cams are needed only on a handful of routes. On routes that don’t have bolted belays, double medium size cams come in handy. Also bring plenty of slings because the structure of the varnish means that there are often options for chickenheads. Several of the moderate pure face climbing routes, like Prince of Darkness, have pitches with more than 10 bolts, so bring plenty of quickdraws too. A standard rack that will suffice for most of the routes consists of 1 set of nuts, 1 set of cams up to 3” and 1 set of TCU’s starting at .4”. Some routes, especially on Angel Food Wall, require bigger gear. Many of the walls have small and big horns that can be used for protection, so always bring some slings. It is also a good idea to bring some rap slings and rap rings, either to replace old and worn out belay slings, or to leave on bushes or blocks in case of retreat. A detailed and route specific gear advice will be found on each individual Gear Loop opo.T Great Recommended Climbs 5.6: Cat in the Hat, Johnny Vegas, Solar Slab 5.7: Olive Oil, Tunnel Vision, Birdland 5.8: Frogland, Crimson Chrysalis, Dark Shadows 5.9: Epinephrine, Beulah’s Book, Black Orpheus 5.10a/b: Dream of Wild Turkeys (10a), Sour Mash (10a), The Gobbler (10a) 5.10b/c: Prince of Darkness (10c), Nightcrawler (10b/c), Unimpeachable Groping (10b/c) 5.10c/d: Sick for Toys, Fiddler on the Roof 5.11: Levitation 29, Cloud Tower, Dogma, Resolution Arete Alternative Climbing Areas In case the weather in Red Rocks is not suited for climbing, there are several alternatives. If it is too hot to climb you can head for the higher elevations of Mt Charleston for some limestone sportclimbing (1 hour). An- other option for a warm spell is to head up north to St George (2 hours) or to Zion National Park (3 hours). If it is too cold in Las Vegas, you can head south for Joshua Tree National Park (4 hours) which generally has warmer weather. Climbing Shops Desert Rock Sports is the place to find new gear and the latest route beta. The shop is located only 15 minutes from Red Rocks Canyon on 8221 West Charleston Boulevard (702-254-1143). For more information on classic rock climbs in Red Rocks and other areas visit www.GearLoopTopo.com Climbing Guides Jackson Hole Mountain Guides is the local guide service operated out of Desert Rock Sports. They offer a full range of guiding services, from easy and enjoyable half-day and one day climbs to the most challenging multi- day big wall ascents, and everything in between. Contact: 702-254-0885 or [email protected]. (Main Jack- son Hole Mountain Guides page) American Alpine Institute offers many different climbing courses and other guiding options at all levels at Red Rocks between October and mid-May. Contact: 360-671-1505. Mountain Skills is one of the smaller guiding companies in Red Rocks. The guiding service is managed by Mike Ward, former owner of Desert Rock Sports, who is a long time Red Rocks local. Contact: 505-776-2222 Climbing Gyms Red Rock Climbing Center is located just left of Desert Rock Sports on the corner of Charleston and Cimmar- ron. It’s a perfect place to work your climbing muscles if the weather doesn’t allow you to play outside. They also have a separate boulder cave. Nevada Climbing Centers is your other option for climbing on plastic. This gym is located on the east side of town near Sunset and Eastern, so it is a bit of a longer drive then the Red Rock Climbing Center. The Center is much larger and more spacious, and is a good options for beginners to intermediate climbers. Shoe Resole Fly’n Brian’s Resoles: “He may not be a priest, but he can save your sole!” Brian does a great job in resoling your climbing shoes. Call ahead to make an appointment and discuss when you need your shoes back. Guide Books There are several guide books available for Red Rocks, each with their strengths and weaknesses. RED ROCKS, A Climber’s Guide, by Jerry Handren, 2007. This is the newest guide book to the area. It covers it all, including a number of routes not found in the previous guide books. It expands on older routes and at- tempts to correct lingering errors present in older books. Red Rock Canyon: A Climbing Guide by Roxanna Brock and Jared McMillan, 2005. Another big book with a lot of routes, with everything from long multi-pitch to short sport climbing routes. Nice photos. Rock Climbing Red Rocks by Todd Swain, 3rd edition. The new “Swain” (Falcon) guide has been the most com- prehensive guide book available for years. It has many routes with adequate topos and route descriptions. However, the 3rd edition has left out routes contained in the previous editions. Red Rock Supertopo by Greg Barnes, 004. As expected from Supertopo, their Red Rocks guide has quality and accurate topos. It covers the major and most popular routes of the area. There is some sport climbing informa- tion, but don’t expect much, as it is only enough for a day or two of bolt clipping. The Red Rocks of Southern Nevada by Joanne Urioste, 1984. The Urioste guide is the old original guide to Red Rocks. It used to be called the “red book”, but now has a white cover. It contains valuable information about obscure, yet classic multi-pitch routes. A must have if you’re a serious Red Rocks climber. The Red Rocks of Southern Nevada Supplement by Joanne Urioste, 2003. Joanne recently decided to come out with a little addition to her old original guide. It contains updated route information and some nice new adven- ture routes. This is a good book to get if you already have one of the other “Big” guide books, and a must have if you own the Urioste original book. A Red Rock Odyssey by Larry D’Angelo and Bill Thiry. This is not your average guide book ! This book only fea- tures a handful of routes, but includes an in-depth history, topo, nice photos, and recent trip reports.

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