LasVegas Rock Questions?-help me

[Jens]

I've never climbed on trips to Vegas, but am considering it and am seeking some beta on areas.

Could the following be true:

Two of some the most well traveled and expereinced sport climber aquantances I know have both told me the same thing "Red Rocks is lame- people just don't know what else is in the nearby vicinity."

Not counting the popular Mt. charleston limestone, they have said that their is Verdon quality limestone with immaculate pockets at all grades that is roughly the same drive as red rocks. They have also said that red rocks is just the herd mentality because people do not know of these other areas and red rocks is simply horitzontal handhold greasy sandstone endurance problems with boring cruxes and a few trad lines.

I've seen the pictures of these other limestone areas and the 5.10's look like verdon, France!

Are the people that are traveling thousands of miles from Seattle to climb at redrocks getting snowed and having a sick joke played on them or is their more to this story than meets the eye? I know nothing about the areas I have mentioned and am not revealing my sources. If my sources are true though, I may take a permanent rain check on red rocks. Anyone care to weigh in?

[JosephH]

They have also said that red rocks is just the herd mentality because people do not know of these other areas and red rocks is simply horitzontal handhold greasy sandstone endurance problems with boring cruxes and a few trad lines.

 

Whomever 'they' are, they were clearly part of the herd when they visited. Stay off the loop road and hike back into any number of the canyons and there will be no herd and endless trad lines. Hell, you could spend half an enternity up in Black Velvet way past Epinephrine doing endless trad lines without ever seeing a soul.

[Drederek]

I've done my share of sportclimbing at RR and its not what I fly down there for every spring. The main attraction is long multipitch Trad lines. Plenty of adventure getting into the climbs and back out again too.

[sill]

RR is probably overhyped, but you can pretty much depend on having great weather. It's sunny in the winter and spring in Vegas when many other places are unclimbable. Peope who exclusively sportclimb try to bag on the climbing at RR, but in reality it is quite good, they really don't know what they are talking about. There is a lifetime of climbing, both trad and sport at RedRocks. My two cents

Edited December 14, 2006 by sill

[lancegranite]

You might not want to cash that check just yet.

Cheque PM's

[bstach]

Dude,

 

Red Rocks is my favorite winter get-away. Lots of long, trad multi-pitch at all grades. And endless food, liquor, gambling and debauchery a short drive away. This is how i imagine heaven.

[counterfeitfake]

I don't know whether there is something else better nearby, but Red Rocks is definitely not lame. From what I've seen it's a huge concentration of cool routes of every kind.

[powderhound]

Three words are all that need to be said:

 

Black Velvet Cannyon

[Jason_Martin]

As has been stated above, the value in Red Rock is in the long multi-pitch trad lines. Yes there are herds of people on some of the moderate classics and there are herds at the easier sport walls...but there are hundreds of climbs of both types where you will be the only one on the route.

 

I find Red Rock's greatest value in long relatively unexplored traditional climbs. These have an alpine feel to them as they require a bit of an approach, may have some weather issues, and require commitment.

 

There is low elevation limestone all around Las Vegas. I don't think it's that great. Some of it has graffiti and glass beneath it. A lot of it is a short approach from the road so kids will party there and break bottles. The Charleston limestone is better, but it is way too cold up there to screw around with anything but ice this time of year up there.

 

I've heard this "over-rated" comment before. It seems to me that those who say this just don't try very hard to see what's really back there...

 

Jason

[powderhound]

If you want great sport climbing that is near Las Vegas; the slimbing in St. George is great, two hours north of Las Vegas.

[bwrts]

jens, do you believe everything you hear/read?

 

what limestone route could be better than hanging on skinfriendly sandstone jugs that are pink/orange while looking up at brown/chocolate tinted rock and standing on light brown/white hues. Fukin Neopolitan man. Not to forget about the holds/crossbedded texture, and flora views...boring indeed.

GO climb some limestone and send me some pics as I wouldn't mind checkin out a few other places in good ole vegas....

[Jens]

I don't believe everything I hear or read but when it comes from dudes that I have spent many days climbing with, I tend to beleive em'. -Especially if they've opened more new routes than the total number of pitches that many posters on this site have climbed.

[chris]

Jens-

They may be right about the sport climbing potential at Red Rocks, but they're smoking something and not sharing if they argue that the trad sucks. The trad kicks ass - I've spent a total of two months there now, and I've never climbed the same route twice, and nothing smaller than 4 pitches long. I'll keep going back.

I'd love to hear about some big limestone walls with Verdon-quality though, so give'em a couple of beers and get them to tell you more.

[lancegranite]

We have a couple good spots within 2 hours of town...

A select list:

Red Rocks

Mt.Charleston

Mt.Potosi

Promise Land

X Cave

Rainbow canyon

Arrow Canyon

All the new stuff around Mesquite

VRG

St. George

Zion

 

Go a little farther now...maybe buy a second cup of coffee

Josh

The Needles

Buttermilks

Owens River Gorge

Happy Boulders

Lone Pine

Alabama Hills

Mecca

the Serrias

Paradise Forks

Pheonix area crags

Granite Mtn.

Sedona

 

 

 

That list gets better if you want to drive a little farther... say 8 hours.

 

Yosemite

Indian creek

Moab

SLC area

Joes Valley

Ibex

Mt.Lemmon

Cochise

Sequoia

Tahoe

Mammoth area

 

BTW... how long does it take to get to Leavenworth from Seattle these days?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Weekend_Climberz]

BTW... how long does it take to get to Leavenworth from Seattle these days?

 

It's not getting there that's the problem, it's getting back

[dberdinka]

Climbing at Red Rocks is not particularly technical, almost always friendly and generally moderate, I use to go there a fair bit and now find it sort of boring (and I suck!).

 

Just to agree with everyone else you probably wouldn't regret spending a few days in Black Velvet Canyon. Yes it's popular and generally moderate but the climbing is superb. It's also more than likely freezing ass cold at this time of year.

 

There is also some superb "adventure" climbing in some of the other canyons. Go do Community Pillar it's the ballz.

[G-spotter]

There's two whole sandstone canyons that aren't even in the guidebook if you want to have real adventure. The climbing in there is pretty fun too.

[Jens]

So what I've made of this thread

Red Rocks

for me would be

* An amusing and enjoyable place to do some trad away from people ifi ventured up one of the remote canyons.

* A sunny diversion from Seattle's rain if I happened to be on a vacation to Las Vegas and staying on the strip.

* A good place to find a belayer if I was by myself and didn't care if I was neccerily at the Vegas' best climbing area or not.

[chucK]

Someone with your climbing ability and apparent risk-taking threshhold, you could probably have a good time soloing some of the classic long trad lines (i.e. the one's that have been well cleaned up by the hordes).

[billcoe]

I've never climbed on trips to Vegas, but am considering it and am seeking some beta on areas.

Could the following be true:

Two of some the most well traveled and expereinced sport climber aquantances I know have both told me the same thing "Red Rocks is lame- people just don't know what else is in the nearby vicinity."

Not counting the popular Mt. charleston limestone, they have said that their is Verdon quality limestone with immaculate pockets at all grades that is roughly the same drive as red rocks. They have also said that red rocks is just the herd mentality because people do not know of these other areas and red rocks is simply horitzontal handhold greasy sandstone endurance problems with boring cruxes and a few trad lines.

I've seen the pictures of these other limestone areas and the 5.10's look like verdon, France!............ Anyone care to weigh in?

 

Yes, I'll weigh in. How is it you did not ask them to explain what the hell they were talkin about?

[bwrts]

-Especially if they've opened more new routes than the total number of pitches that many posters on this site have climbed.

This is funny!~ Were the routes closed before?

Anyrate, perhaps they are legit, well traveled climbing people. But I bet prior to their attitude on RRs being lame, they enjoyed climbing in the canyons, even the gallery....

WAIT... actually, they are right, it is lame, boring, unscenic and definitely not worth visiting.

 

 

Lance: the drive to Leavenworth is about 2.5hrs give or take 10-20min.

[texplorer]

OK Jens,

 

I have been living in Vegas for about a year and a half. At first I was disappointed. The sport climbing at the 1st and 2nd pullouts on the loop road are the most visited areas. These areas have nice sport stuff but would not be a reason to visit (unless your seeking a warm climbing destination in winter)

 

After the pullouts the next most visited place is black velvet canyon. It does have several long sport lines and of course epinepherine. The prince of darkness and yellow brick road are sport lines that get critized for being the repititious - crimp, crimp, good hold, crimp, crimp, good hold, ad nauseum. I thought they were fun but the true jewels are several mixed climbs -Dream of Wild Turkeys, epinepherine, and Fiddler on the roof. They are definately fun and you need crack skills to get up them.

 

Where I think RR shines for the visitor is its collection of long moderate trad lines. There are lots of fun, good routes in the 5.6-5.8 range.

 

For me though, Red Rocks has a much different appeal. Much like the cascades, you have to hike a little and deal with desert flora to taste its beauties. Many routes have a hike to get to them and contain elements of alpinism and adventure.

 

As of right now most of RR has a no new bolt rule. This has kept the canyons from becoming polluted with mediocre sport lines that no sport climber will hike to. As a result, in most canyons you'll be the only climbing party out even during the best seasons of the year. I have probably put one new line for every 2 established routes I have done. There are 4 star FA routes still waiting here. Just a few months ago a partner and I climbed a 13 pitch route with most pitches being around 60m. FA pic Anyway, there's lots of stuff to do.

 

Lastly, I have found that it is hard to find belayers here unless you head to the popular sport areas. Its best to come with a partner or arrange to meet one. On the flip side there are nice and cheap hotels, lots of entertainment, and you can buy liquor or beer 24 hours a day

 

You might want to check out this site. It has some good info on routes an has a "route finder" to help you find routes of your liking and grade. Mountain Project - Red Rocks

Edited December 16, 2006 by texplorer

[TobinJourdan]

The first 15 routes (not pitches)you climb in RR are crowded and over-bolted...

 

After that it is the goods.