turn_one Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 Heading down there in a coupla weeks for about 4-ish days. Anyone have some 'must do's' in the multi-pitch moderate grade category? Gear, sport, don't matter. Thanks for yer input. Quote
shapp Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 I did the Johny Vegas to solar slab climb this spring and it was great! All day climb, good potential for roped simuling once you get to solar slab. There are other threads on this. There are several variants and start early so you are #1 on the route. I also hiked up to mud springs canyon to check Chuckawalla and it is pretty cool up in there although we didn't do the climb due to time constraints with catching a plane. Quote
dberdinka Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 More so than most areas it seems that people crowd onto just a handful of the many excellent climbs available. So you can try and race 14 other climbers to the base of Chrymson Chrysalis or get on one of the following excellent and mostly obscure routes.  5.7 Black Dagger - Long approach to one of my favorite experiences there.  5.8's  Birdland looks sweet! Get the topo at www.fivenineclimber.com. It's also South Facing.  5.9's  The north side of Pine Creek has several great climbs in this grade.  Community Pillar - crazy route of OWs, chimneys and tunnels. Crabby Appleton - nice thin cracks and a steep juggy crux Magic Triangle - The ultimate RR esoterica, good climbing to boot.  Climbed Chuckwalla in Mud Spring Canyon a couple weeks ago. A good climb with some serious parts, neat summit and nice wild approach. Takes about 2 hr to get there.  Frigid Air Buttress in Icebox Canyon is an excellent long 5.9 with lots of variety. Quote
chucK Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 Those are some good recommendations D, but a lot of 'em might not be the best for late November probably? Â I have heard the N Side of Pine Creek (Brass Wall?) is very nice in cold weather. Quote
dberdinka Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 The first climb I ever did in Red Rocks was Black Dagger on Thanksgiving (in far more than record time). We finished the hike out by moonlight which only added to the experience. Â The rest, except Chuckwalla, all have relatively short approaches by RR standards and are in the 5-7 pitch range. They are easily done in a short day. Â Chuckwalla has a reputation for remoteness but it took us 8 efficent hours car-2-car. Quote
glacier Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 Refried Brains 5.9 - Next to Prince of Darkness - about 6 pitches of varied climbing - hand crack, a short section of OW, a couple of mellow face pitches. Did it a few years back as the only party on the route as we watched the conga line up PoD. Quote
foraker Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 I wouldn't mind going but sometime before or after the Thanksgiving travel madness (and for more than 4 days) ... Quote
genepires Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 It isn't always cold on thanksgiving in RR. So the north facing climbs can be pleasant. But if it is cold here is a list of some warmer stuff.  group therapy- sun leaves the rock mid morning so get up early to stay in the light. hopefully it will be warmer by the time the sun goes away  olive oil - ditto on the morning sun. If you get started by 10am, you will be in shade with the sun always a rope length away  anything on solar slab area  birdland - sun all day. Don't think it is in any guidebook yet but give Jason Martin a request for exact details. It is to the far left of the brass wall and is about 6 pitches high. 5.8  Black orpheus and eagles wall (with rainbow buttress) is in the sun but could be windy as they are up high in the canyons.  All the pullouts for sporto stuff. climbing there all winter long.  The places that dberdinka commented on are all very good.  If it is warm - hit the black velvet for 4 days and don't leave till they drag you to the airport. Lotta balls area too.  oh to be there now...drool...drool.......... Quote
Alex Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 olive oil! cat n the hat  dude, group therapy is rude runout offwidth and chimney fest, no sun there! Quote
Dru Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 Group Therapy and Healy's Haunted House are fun even if they are full of chimneys and OW's. Â Jubilant Song is a really good one, you can even bivi out there by your car if you want to. Quote
fgw Posted October 29, 2004 Posted October 29, 2004 Nice 5.6's: Geronimo (4-5P), watch the rope snag on way down. Cat in Hat is overhyped IMHO - only last pitch is good and that's not enough to justify waiting in line. Johnny Vegas is OK - sketchy pro. on P2 above dihedral. Quick climb (rap route instead of Solar Slab gully which takes longer). Solar Slab is supposedly nice but I haven't done it. Physical Graffitti is short and sweet. Â Nice 5.7's: Olive Oil is OK (bit overhyped maybe??); Tunnel Vision is very memorable; Group Therapy is nice - scariest part was not the OW (which is soft as in mostly face climbing no real OW moves. the crack would need like #5 Camalot to protect though) but the runout P1 (~5.6 face). Also, when getting off belay to start P2, head up a "groove" on left (this was the only "tricky" bit of routefinding). Â Nice 5.8's: Crimson Chrysalis (forget the 5.8+ rating...it's all uniform from bottom to top at .7+ - .8). Dark Shadows (first 4 pitches; easily link up P1 and P2). These are MUST DO's at RR!!!!! Unforgettable routes!!! Lotta Balls is a decent 5.8 (it's not runout) as is Frogland. Â Nice 5.9's: Epinephrine (have not done it though). Ginger Cracks looks good as well. Â Nice 5.10's: Ask someone else. Â Good websites to check out: http://www.ericandlucie.com/Climbs/climbs.htm (much good beta with nice photos) http://www.gdargaud.net/Climbing/Nevada.html (not that much beta but awsome photos) http://www.summitpost.org (look under NV peaks, Rainbow Mtn. etc...). Get the updated RR supertopo. Â Been to RR in all seasons pretty much. Nov. is just fine for any route (N facing included) though it did rain on us 1 out of 4 days. Short daylight is a pain in the a.. - make sure to call in and get that late exit pass - it's free and effortless to do (even from the top of route) and you'll save yourself $50 on the ticket (got it everytime otherwise). Â Also, Todd Swain is a good guidebook but for a more complete picture get yourself the Urioste guide as well (out of print). TON of routes in that one that didn't make it into Swain. Â If you're gonna go for that Jubilant Song on Windy Peak, the TH might be tricky to find. Let me know, I have very detailed directions (went there but ended up not doing the climb). Quote
Drederek Posted October 30, 2004 Posted October 30, 2004 Went last fall with the wife. Way less crowded than the spring. Don't know if thats normal or not but we could get on anything we wanted. Frogland was great (full shade) and Olive Oil was nice too (in and out) It was too hot for Johnny Vegas and Solar Slab! Black Orpheus has a couple ropelengths of 4th/very low 5th in the middle so its not as long as it looks. Epinephrine is my favorite climb at RR. Chrimson Chrysalis is fun and you rap the route so its easy (haha) to bail if darkness threatens (lots of chickenheads for the rope to hang up on - give yourself lots of time to descend) Have a good trip! Quote
Jason_Martin Posted October 30, 2004 Posted October 30, 2004 Don't Rap the route on Johnny Vegas. People get their ropes stuck on that route almost every day. Rap Solar Slab Gully. Â You can buy the Uriosite Guidebook at Desert Rock Sports in Las Vegas. The title of the book is, "The Red Rocks of Southern Nevada." Â Jason Quote
bobinc Posted October 30, 2004 Posted October 30, 2004 Ginger Cracks is fun; the 5.9 crux really isn't 5.9, in part because a bolt has been added. All belay stations are now bolted. It's easy to get ropes stuck so be prepared. Â The Pope is a good, fun 3p to the right of Solar Slab if you have to deal with crowds. Johnny Vegas is also good but, again, watch for ropes getting snagged on the rappel. Quote
lancegranite Posted October 30, 2004 Posted October 30, 2004 We climbed in Icebox canyon today, pretty fun. Quote
turn_one Posted October 30, 2004 Author Posted October 30, 2004 thanks for all the info folks. as i look outside my window to the 'ice' pelletts raining down, i could only hope the weather is better there than here. Quote
chalkball Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 I second Tunnel Vision - better in warm weather than in cold. Very unique route, and fun. Quote
Collin Posted November 3, 2004 Posted November 3, 2004 I was just down there not too long ago. I would have to say Sour Mash was the best climb I got on. 5.8 to 10a around 5-6 pitchs. Lots of fun. Check out my TR : http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB17&Number=402155&Forum=f17&Words=red%20rocks&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=402155&Search=true&where=sub&Name=&daterange=0&newerval=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post402155 Â Here is a few photos too. Check under the redrock and J-tree folder: http://community.webshots.com/user/collinhenderson Quote
lancegranite Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Funny, this is not the first one of these that I've found... 5.9+ Quote
JosephH Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Did Epinephrine on Friday 11/19. The weather was great and we had it all to ourselves. On Sunday the 11/21 there was an inch of snow on 160 heading up to Black Velvet and Epi was covered in a sheet of ice and snow. You really have to pick your window and jump on it this time of year... Quote
turn_one Posted December 3, 2004 Author Posted December 3, 2004 yeah, well my four day trip to 'wet rocks' netted a total of 9-ish pitches of climbing and 2 days staring in disbelief at the same shit i coulda seen up here...but a good 2 days they were...beulahs book, olive oil, and some single pitch something to the left of solar slab Quote
EWolfe Posted December 3, 2004 Posted December 3, 2004 "I dream of Wild Turkeys" is the only one I might add to this fine list. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.