Red Rocks - Grade IV

[JosephH]

Jason, thanks for clarifying that ranger checks and I agree two grade IV are doable for a capable party that moves fast.

[Drederek]

I'm interested in a 2 hour descent from Mt Wilson. Can you outline it for me? Thx

[Jason_Martin]

Mr. Layton may be exagerating the descents a bit as he and I encountered a three hour descent off Wilson. But we were tired, out of water and it was quite hot out, so presumably it could be done faster.

 

From the summit of Wilson, walk west dropping slightly to the right. Eventually you will encounter the area where the limestone meets the sandstone. Continue a short distance further, watching the sandstone formations to your right. Eventually you will see a formation that looks exactly like a volkswagon bus sitting atop a pillar. The descent gully can be found beside this. Once at the base of the gully, descend down Oak Creek Canyon back toward the end of the loop road.

 

Though I've only done this once, I suspect that because I've done it before I could easily shed a great deal of time off our prior three hour endeavor.

 

Jason

[dylan_taylor]

Only three hours to get off Mt. Wilson? Makes me embarassed to admit the time it took me about 12 hours to descend wilson. I guess about 8 of those hours were spent spooning around a scrappy fire with my partner on a lumpy ledge while wearing cotton after we chose the wrong gulley to descend. But I think I have learned a lot since then. I guess the moral is that approaches and descents in RR shouldn't take more than a couple hours unless something doesn't go quite right...

 

But then again, if you do epic, at least you'll have cool stories to tell...

[chelle]

Hi JK. If you get a chance to climb Frogland when you are there do it. It is really fun and despite what Layton said felt hard for a 5.8.

 

Another great rest day activity is to hike up Bridge Mountain. It is very cool improbable looking 3rd class scrambling and takes you to a really neat summit. But had we not heard that while it looks improbable it is very doable before we started we might have turned back a couple times because it really looks more exposed than it is. Sticky rubber approach shoes will work well for the hike/scramble.

 

Have fun.

[Dru]

So if he's only going to be there for the weekend and is doing two IV's when is he going to get the rest day to hike around Not that Bridge Mtn isnt fun and all.

[chelle]

You never know Dru. I didn't read that it was a strict 2 day fly-in-fly-out business only trip. Maybe he'd be inspired to take an extra day. Just passing along info. And if they're spanked after the 1st grade IV, they'll have an option besides sitting in the casinos wasting money.

Edited August 26, 2004 by chelle

[lancegranite]

You can link two fun climbs to reach the top of Bridge Mtn.

The multi-tiered Frigid Air Buttress (5.9+) takes the intrepid climber to the rim of a complex hanging valley that leads up to the Northeast Arete (5.6-8?) of Bridge Mtn.

The crux of the linkup is finding your way thru the hanging valley, a maze of ramps and obstacles.

For your Grade IV prerequiste, well this it is not, but many parties have suffered routefinding errors that inevitablely lead to a good story.

Plan on going light and climbing fast!

 

This linkup has been free soloed many times by local rad dudes, but I recomend a rope.

My wife and I climbed the FAB and it was a bit more sustained than I had been led to believe.

[dberdinka]

You can link two fun climbs to reach the top of Bridge Mtn.

The multi-tiered Frigid Air Buttress (5.9+) takes the intrepid climber to the rim of a complex hanging valley that leads up to the Northeast Arete (5.6-8?) of Bridge Mtn.

 

I climbed FAB once (a super kind route) and thought the hanging valley Lance mentions would be a killer canyoneering descent. We could see pools and hear frogs down in it's depths. Lance any clue about descending that drainage?

[Jason_Martin]

Darren,

 

I saw a video/slide presentation about some guys who descended the canyon. I think they just approached from the backside which you can get to by driving the willow springs road to the summit. A four wheel drive vehicle is required for this particular road. This is the "standard" approach for the routes on Bridge mountain.

 

I don't think this particular canyoneering descent has been done very much, so be prepared to leave gear at rap stations.

 

Jason

[Dru]

[lancegranite]

Funny,I am doing that trip on friday, I'll tell you how it goes.

From what was told to me, sounds like around 20 rappels, many going into water with mandatory swimming. The raps are in place all the way down.

Two rope are required.

 

Chirp would be a good person to ask, since he's a 5.13 canyoneer!

[dberdinka]

Sweet! Please post a TR!

[Drederek]

OK then that sounds doable. I've never been up/down the south fork of Oak creek canyon-hope its as nice as the north. We parked on the highway and came out First Creek canyon. I think that was a year with no late exit. that was a 4 hour hike in the moonlight. The killer part was the boulderhopping which wore us out after a long day. First Creek canyon seemed a bit more strenuous than most to us.

[layton]

The Frigid Air Buttress is a fun climb, but since it's a Herbst route, it is a little stiffer than the rest of the grades there. Lots of funky wide stuff, and another of his famous 5.9+ cracks. Also, finding the decent is challenging. I would plan on getting to the top well before dark. I wouldn't do the link up until I had a few red rocks epics under my belt.

Finally, no, Mt. Wilson would not qualify in my under 2 hour decent category, but it also does not qualify in the grade IV category either. I thought you were a critical reader Jason?