Red Rocks First Timer...

[Blake]

Hey all, I will be heading down to Red Rocks for about 10 days at the end of MArch. This will be my first time in the area, and I'll be meeting friends and looking to climb. The group of part-time climbers probably wont tackle anything above .10a or so, but adventurous routes, complicated descents, etc are fine.

 

Any list of things I need to know about Vegas/RR/the area? What quirks or insider tips do you wish you had known? Where are the cheapest buffets and all that?

 

What routes are the MUST-DO climbs, if we climb for 5 days or so. (Black Orpheus and Frigid Air Buttress look awesome)

 

 

Also, we'll probably do some kind of 3-4 day exciting and scenic backpacking trip somewhere around there at that time as well. As someone who has never been to the SouthWest, would the GRand Canyon be a good idea in this regard? Any other recomendations for a hike?

 

Thanks!

-Blake

 

P.S. does anyone live in Vegas or have connections that could loan us (4 of us) a floor and shower for the night? Anyone else going to be there at that time and want to climb?

[lancegranite]

Blake,

I may be able to put you up.

Bring your own hookers and blow.

 

PS,The mountains around town got pasted with snow yesterday.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2007 by lancegranite

[EWolfe]

I always stay with the stewbums at the abandoned Sleep-Inn next to the Golden Spike Casino, "off" the strip.

That way you are only a block away from your next bottle of night train or the wonderful smoke-choked quarter slot room of the "Spike".

 

This last time (last weekend) I had the flu the whole time, so it was even more special than usual.

 

 

 

[kevbone]

Hey all, I will be heading down to Red Rocks for about 10 days at the end of MArch. This will be my first time in the area, and I'll be meeting friends and looking to climb. The group of part-time climbers probably wont tackle anything above .10a or so, but adventurous routes, complicated descents, etc are fine.

 

Any list of things I need to know about Vegas/RR/the area? What quirks or insider tips do you wish you had known? Where are the cheapest buffets and all that?

 

What routes are the MUST-DO climbs, if we climb for 5 days or so. (Black Orpheus and Frigid Air Buttress look awesome)

 

 

Also, we'll probably do some kind of 3-4 day exciting and scenic backpacking trip somewhere around there at that time as well. As someone who has never been to the SouthWest, would the GRand Canyon be a good idea in this regard? Any other recomendations for a hike?

 

Thanks!

-Blake

 

P.S. does anyone live in Vegas or have connections that could loan us (4 of us) a floor and shower for the night? Anyone else going to be there at that time and want to climb?

 

 

Anything in the Black Canyon. Lots of 10.a and under there. Hike up the hill from there and do 2 pitch gear climb called The Big Red Book 5.8 ( I think that’s the name).

 

Solar slab 5.6 17 pitches

Frog land 5.8 8 pitches.

 

There is so much to do there

 

Have fun.

 

Or you can say screw climbing and just drink yourself silly on the strip.

 

[motomagik]

I always stay with the stewbums at the abandoned Sleep-Inn next to the Golden Spike Casino, "off" the strip.

That way you are only a block away from your next bottle of night train or the wonderful smoke-choked quarter slot room of the "Spike".

 

 

Ha! The Golden spike! My partner and I stayed there when we went to Red Rocks two years. That place is one of a kind. I've never been so afraid in my whole life! Cheap, but I think I'll try to get a campsite next time!

[motomagik]

As for climbs, I think Frogland was my favorite. Epinephrine was certainly different, and totally wild, scared the s*** out of me! I second the vote for anything in the Black Canyon, what an amazing environment. Dream of Wild Turkeys looks amazing, I wish we had time to do it, I think it's 10a.

[hemp22]

You should have no problem finding enough long, moderate 5-star routes to fill up 5 days of climbing. black orpheus, tunnel vision, frogland, dark shadows, etc... Some of them get almost all sun, some get no sun, so the weather conditions might narrow the list down for you.

For a good list of some of the best or most popular, I recommend going to the Supertopo site and downloading the free topo to Black Orpheus. included in the file is a short description of each of the other climbs & crags that are included in the actual book, and those descriptions can help you plan the trip, even if you don't buy the book.

it also includes all the normal beta about when the loop road opens, and what you need to do if you're going to be on the loop road after closing because you're doing a long route.

Other than that, just remember that most climbs in the canyons have 1- or 2-hour approaches & the descents can be difficult in the dark. so factor that into your decisions too.

 

as for backpacking, yes the grand canyon would be good for a trip like that. I've never been there in march, though, so don't know what the conditions would be like. Another option is Zion, which is 4 hours away & has trails for long back-packing trips, and some of my favorite scenery in the area.

 

oh, and i've stayed at the "Spike" before....never again, man, never again...

[dbb]

Blake-

 

something you may or may not know is that the loop road into the regular red rocks area has "open" hours. If you are parked in there past the open hours and without a late exit permit, you'll get a ticket.

 

Red Rocks is awesome, you'll love it. A small selection of good stuff:

 

Frogland

Climbs on the brass wall, esp the 5.9 finger crack

Ginger Crack

Sport climbing at the Gallery (classic RR sport!)

Great Red Book

Johnny Vegas to Solar Slab (long classic)

Geronimo

Tunnel Vision (chimney!)

Cat in the Hat (crowded with gumbies, but in the sun and fun)

 

red rocks has tons and tons of fun climbing 5.10 and under. I second the drive to Zion idea. It is a great place to take a hike or do some canyoning. If you drive through the park, about 30 minutes from the north entrance is the coral dunes national monument (big pink dunes of sand). Having driven from the grand canyon to zion and then red rocks last spring, I'd say it is not worth the lengthy drive on a short trip.

[kevbone]

Epinephrine if you can climb old school 5.9.

[fgw]

I recommend getting that Larry DeAngelo book "Red Rock Odyssey". Great read w. great photos - makes me want to go back every time I flip thru. it. In addition to what others mention,

 

Crimson Chrysallis 9P 5.8 - probably best 5.8 I've been on. Might be crowded but there's Ginger Cracks next door as plan B. Shady. pain in the ass approach.

 

Triassic Sands 6P 5.10 (only about 20 feet of 5.10 - I've heard "old timers" call it a 5.9 - I thought it was pretty 5.10 but i'm weak). Beautiful line and goes quickly as most pitches are 5.8 or easier. 40 minute approach.

 

Frigid Air Buttress. 10P (doable in 6 or 7 long pitches) 5.9+. Fun pitches separated by huge ledges. Most of it is 5.7-5.8. Shady but we did it in Jan. and it was reasonable. Painful descent. 20 minute approach.

 

Community Pillar. 6P 5.9 (one 5.9 squeeze on first pitch - easier if you're small) with much 5.7-5.8 chimney's/wideness (some runouts). 25 minute approach.

 

 

[counterfeitfake]

I loved Frogland (5.8, 6p I think) and Dark Shadows (5.8 for the first 4 pitches which is "standard" although I kind of wish we had kept going).

 

I thought Crimson Chrysalis (5.8, 9p) was easy for the grade, weird, and not really the uber-classic it is supposed to be.

 

There are a ton of sport crags which are probably worth some of your time, I went to Black Canyon (a canyon about 10 feet wide lined with sport routes) and had a lot of fun there. Would probably be good on a hot day as it doesn't get much sun.

 

Moderate Mecca and Calico Basin are decent and easily accessible, although probably not the absolute best you could find. Calico Basin in particular is really striking scenery.

[chucK]

Red Rocks is a pretty large place. for a first timer, you can make it more comprehensible by thinking of it canyon by canyon instead of climb by climb. Getting a select guide (and asking for rec's on the web) is a good way to get a starting point for some classic climbs, then you can branch out if you're more adventurous.

 

As Alpinedave said, there is this loop road thing that is a pain in the ass. It opens and closes basically with the sun, and you get a big ticket if you aren't out in time. Plus, it's a pain to drive around, as it's windy and long and if you're a law-abiding type of guy, a uniform 20mph speed limit. It's a one-way road, and unless you are going to climb at the sport areas, most of your destinations are going to be a long way down the road. Oh, and if you're on a budget, it costs $$ to enter.

 

Anyway, one very good thing you can do is get a late exit permit from the ranger station. I think all you need to do is give them a call and leave your car info on an answering machine. It'll give you a couple more hours, and allow you to be somewhere cooler than a road or parking lot when the sun sets in the desert.

 

Some canyons can be accessed without bothering with the loop road. Black Velvet Canyon and First Canyon are a couple, and you can also access Oak Creek Canyon by walking in from the highway. It's probably about a 1/2 hour longer hike from the highway, but on the way in you save 1/2 hour of driving on the loop road.

 

Frigid Air Buttress (Icebox(?) Canyon) is pretty good. It and the other stuff in Icebox will be a very good choice if Red Rocks is either hot or crowded or both. FAB is completely in the shade by late morning.

 

Black Orpheus (Oak Creek Canyon) is much more exposed to the sun, and will be best if your partners are cool with simuling a long stretch of 4th, low 5th. All the popular stuff in Oak Creek is in the sun.

 

Epinephrine (Black Velvet Canyon) should not be missed. One of the most fun climbs I've ever done. Contrary to popular belief, it's not difficult to knock it off in a relatively easy day (< 10 hrs CTC), if you've got a strong partner and you're not held up by other parties. Probably want to know how to chimney too . I think BVC gets shade in the afternoon.

 

Also in BVC are a bunch of cool climbs on Black Velvet Wall. It's usually crowded so you miss out on the wilderness experience, but it's popular for a reason. You probably won't find a lineup on Refried Brains, which is really cool and in your stated difficulty range.

 

One more climb I really enjoyed there was Black Dagger (Juniper Canyon). It's a good long hike in there, but that keeps the crowds down, and it's just an excellent six moderate pitches stacked right on top of the other, and with an easy descent. Make sure you get a late exit permit for this one due to the long approach and return.

 

One good idea is to plan an area with alternate choices in case your first choice is bunged up. Frogland, Solar Slab, Cat in the Hat, Tunnel Vision, Crimson Chrysalis, Dark Shadows are all fun but will have very good chance of holding conga lines.

 

 

 

 

[G-spotter]

You can find free camping down by Mount Potosi.

 

If it's super busy in Red Rocks you can head down to the Keyhole Canyon/Nob Hill/Christmas Tree Pass area south of Vegas and climb granite with no crowds. This might be a good area to go for your desert hike.

 

Jubilant Song is an awesome route that is never busy. In fact there are tons of moderate routes that are as good, if not better, than 'the classics" but that see no crowds. The classic routes are the best place to find booty, though.

 

There are some awesome free hot springs in canyons near the dam.

 

Blackjack table offers the best odds if you know what you're doing. Poker is a game of skill and in Vegas it's probable that someone at the table will be more skilled than you.

[fgw]

Loop road late exit pass: 702 515 5050. Free & painless - no need to stop at the visitor center.

[still_climbin]

For good cheap eats any of the large outer (off The Strip) cassinos have inexpensive buffets. Suggestions are the Texas Station. Santa Fe Station and the Feista Cassinos. These all cater to the local retired crowd (read cheap) and are more or less on the right side of town from Red Rock.

[tlinn]

There are some awesome free hot springs in canyons near the dam.

 

Tell us more about the free hot springs near the dam? Are you refering to the Hoover?

[G-spotter]

Yes.

Get the Hot Springs of Nevada hiking guide. The springs are below the dam. One on each side of the river. You park at the highway and walk/scramble down canyons to get there.

[motomagik]

All this talk of Red Rocks makes me think I have to take a long weekend and get back down there this spring. How far a drive is it to these free hot springs?

[G-spotter]

30 or 40 miles south of Vegas. It is a good place to go on a rest day.

[Jens]

Blake I don't know anything useful about red rocks, but before you travel all the way down their to climb a red rocks for 10 days in a row, you may want to take a peak at my thread about "red rocks" questions I posted a few weeks ago I think it was in the "rock climbing forum"? You may change your venue.

[genepires]

don't let jens negativity deter you. RR is awesome. Especially on your first trip. If you get the supertopo, you won't go wrong for rock routes.

 

I would like to make a suggestion for a cayoneering trip in zion for your backpacking portion. Is one of the best non-climbing activities going. There was a website that had lots of info on routes there. maybe canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion

 

you could rent a drysuit just outside of the park (you will want it) and do keyhole and pine creek canyons in the first day, then go in for a multiday canyon after. maybe the full narrows. pm me if you want more info.

 

 

[dberdinka]

Backpacking.....

 

Late March there will probably still be a snowpack on the rims on the Grand Canyon. Check with the NPS there.

 

In Zion (2+ hrs north of redrocks) the Narrows will be both cold and potentially closed due to flow volumes. Again check with the NPS. A good two night trip in the area is up in Kolob Canyons of the park. Hike 6+ miles back into La Verkin Creek (I think) Spend a day exploring up to Bear Trap Falls.

 

If you really want the best Colorado Plateau Backpacking check out Coyote Gulch in the Escalante. This is probably a 5-6 hour drive from Vegas but absolutely incredible (and fairly crowded). 3 days is perfect.

 

The real crown is the Paria River. A 30+ mile one way trip down an incredible canyon. Permits need to be arranged well in advance as well as a shuttle at the start of the trip. Again a 5-6 hr drive but well worth it.

 

PM if you have any questions.

 

D

[Drederek]

Make copies of topos to stick in your pocket, not all the excellent routes others have mentioned are straightforward. If you've done the descent from Frogland descending from Epinephrine is much simpler since you'll have done the bottom half. Water is cheaper down there than it is here. All the cheap buffets I went to sucked - theres lots of good restaurants.

[chucK]

If you want to have any chance at the tables you should have in your pocket (be willing to risk) 20 times your standard bet.

 

Give the cocktail waitress a tip everytime you get your "free" drink and she'll return more frequently.

 

Tip on "descending" Epinephrine, first you go up to the top of something, then follow the cairns, and when you get to a dropoff and are thinking, "WTF, how do you get down this, I don't see any more cairns", look to your left.

 

Somewhere on Epinephrine descent

[alpinerack]

Red Rocks is awesome!!!! I have a 2 bedroom condo reserved for March 21-23 in Vegas. Your welcome to stay if your in town those days. PM me if interested. Have fun! Here is a good site with a lot of great red rock climbs!

eric and lucies bus trip