I've been
to Red Rocks, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, three or four times now.
It has become one of my favorite climbing destinations. The rock
is sandstone, which is amazingly easy to climb, if not to protect.
This is where I first felt like I could call myself a climber, having done
several long trad route including Epinephrine (5.9, 14-18 pitches), Crimson
Chrysalis (5.8+, 9 pitches), Tunnel Vision (5.7, 6 pitches), and Frogland
(5.8-, 6 pitches). Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of good photos
(pictures looking up or down a sandstone wall often don't come out looking
like much. But here's a few.
This is Red Rocks
on April 21, 2001. Yes, that's snow on the peaks. It was gone
by the next day.
Black Velvet Wall
The Black Velvet
wall. This is the home of some of the best multi-pitch sport/trad
climbs in Red Rocks. The crack angling up to the right is Dream of
Wild Turkeys (5.10-, 7 pitches). Just to the left of that is The
Prince of Darkness (5.10c, 6 pitches). On the left side (ending up
to the right of the right-facing block part way up) is Refried Brains (5.9,
6 pitches).
Looking up Refried
Brains.
Juniper Canyon
Several of Red Rocks'
classics are located in Juniper Canyon, including Crimson Chrysalis, Olive
Oil and Ginger Cracks. Juniper Canyon also is the home of several
long aid routes on the Rainbow Wall, including Original Route.
On the photo above,
the Cloud Tower -- the home of Crimson Chrysalis -- is the last buttress
on the right of the face that is chocolate on the top half. The buttress
in the middle of the peak is where Ginger Cracks is located. The
large face toward the right of the photo that is back behind is the Rainbow
Wall. The north side of the canyon (on the right side of the photo)
is the location of Olive Oil.
On Olive Oil. My friend Joan belaying
from a ledge to the right of the climb at the top of pitch 4. The
guide says to belay in the crack, but I moved right onto this big ledge
to avoid the hanging belay.
Joan coming up to
the top of pitch 6.
Me, hanging out at
pitch 6 (and a half I think). The Cloud Tower is over my left shoulder.
Ginger Buttress starts at the top of the grassy ramp that runs up from
the lower left corner of the photo.
Another shot from
the summit of Olive Oil.
Hiking up to Ginger
Cracks. The climb starts at the top of the grassy ramp in the center
of the photo.
A look up Ginger
Cracks. The climb heads up the crack in the center of the buttress.
Joan, at the top
of Ginger Cracks.
The Rainbow Wall
Here's a look at
the Rainbow Wall. Original Route, up the dihedral to the left of
the giant arch, is one of my next goals.
