[TR] Red Rocks - RRRendevous,/Geronimo 3/24/2007

[Sherri]

Trip: Red Rocks - RRRendevous,/Geronimo

 

Date: 3/24/2007

 

Trip Report:

Hey all,

Had a blast checking out the Rendevous scene this year(my first).

 

I stayed at Arizona Charlie's(northwest of town, clean, reasonable, 24-hour bingo(!), easy 25 min. drive to RR), so I missed out on the en-masse camping experience, but I skipped on the daily showering so that I could blend while milling about with the other climber folk.

 

The event seemed well-organized and offered a lot of opportunity to network, gawk, learn, and save the planet through sustainable drinking.(Loved the biodegradable beer cup idea! )

 

Started Saturday morning with a hardy desert trail run, hosted by the North Face folks. The combo of deep sand and 80+ degree heat kicked my PNW butt. But I met some fun people.

 

Attended the Trad Women clinic in the afternoon. It was taught by Roxanna Brock(wrote one of the RR guidebooks). She was great in the way that she related her experiences, showing us that even accomplished climbers have their moments of achievment tempered with moments of caution. Her confidence was contagious, though, and she left the group feeling encouraged and ready to take their skills to next level.

 

Sunday morning, I got in a few laps at Moderate Mecca. Most of the crag was already taken up by the AM clinic groups, but we found an open route at Abbey Road and also the TR'd the funkily bolted sport route to the left of it.

 

My Sunday clinic was The Art of Bailing, taught by Lee Clark. Loaded with great tips and tricks that will surely come in handy. Practiced retreating leaving behind the least amount of gear, using natural features like chockstones, and how to set up a rappel for hauling an injured climber.

 

On Monday morning, we headed out for Geronimo, my first RR multipitch. It was a busy place. There were at least two other climbing parties ahead of us, and at least two more behind us.

 

I redpointed the first pitch(5.6, 160ft). It was my longest, hardest trad lead to date--I started feeling sketchy about halfway up and my rack was looking awfully thin. I didn't think I'd ever make it to the end, but I am so glad I went for it. I think it took me over an hour, though.(Sorry to the folks waiting behind us. )

 

After that, I was glad to hand the rack to my patient partner for the last three pitches.

 

The rest of the climbing was awesome, especially that exposed arete on the fourth pitch, but the winds had really started to pick up by the time we started our descent. The forecast was calling for 30mph-50mph gusts, and we had hoped to be off before they were upon us. So, to trim a little time, we did three double rope rappels that went smoothly and got us back to the parking lot just in time to retrieve my car(they had already locked one of the gates).

 

Other highlights of the trip included meeting the handsome "High on Rock" and his gang, playing my flute amongst the boulders of Calico Basin and enjoying some cool reverb, going for a sunset trail run and falling into a cactus , and discovering the Whole Foods Market on Charleston with a deli full of quinoa burgers and falafel(I know, I know... how could I have passed on the "Spam and Eggs" that was on the menu at Arizona Charlies? ), and only losing $2 in the slot machines.

 

Geronimo, 500ft

 

1st of 4 pitches:

 

Made it to the top!

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Gear porn

 

Rap from 3rd pitch

 

 

 

Desert Flora

(I liked the yin-yang of this juxtapostion; doesn't really show up in the photo, but there's a little pink flower on one of the cactus spikes. Pretty.)

 

Gear notes:

Rack--used my partner's so I'm not exactly sure what all we had there

2 Ropes--1 60m, 1 70m

Other: thermos of Assam Golden Tip tea, peanut butter/jelly sandwich

 

Special thanks to my partner, Super Dave, who I met thru a fellow cc.comer, for a great time!

Edited March 28, 2007 by Sherri

[rbwen]

Thanks for the TR! Geronimo was my second multi-pitch (Frogland being the first the day before) and I loved it. I don't think I led anything, so kudos to you. A double-rope rap is recommended because we got our rope stuck on one of the raps but luckily there was another party coming down after us. Thanks again!

 

rbwen

[catbirdseat]

Nice job on the trad lead and thanks for the TR! Sounds like you had a blast.

[Sherri]

Thanks CBS! And rbwen! I know it's small potatoes compared to some of the amazing stuff folks here are doing, but it sure was a good feeling to try for something a bit out of my comfort zone and have the memory of a great experience as the reward.

 

Rbwen, kudos to you for doing those two multi's in a row. I'm not quite that hardcore(yet!). Appreciated the rest day afterward, you know, to bask in the glow and all that. About the ropes getting stuck, we were also concerned about that, especially in light of the wind gusts and impending storm. It was my partner's recommendation to do all the raps as doubles, and he was great at throwing the ropes, too, so the rope gods must have smiled on us that day.

 

Although, I do remember him mentioning that it was nice knowing that we weren't going to be the last ones coming down....hope all the other folks fared as well.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Those pics almost make it look like summer

 

Thanks for the stokey :tup:

[Sherri]

It felt like summer(well, a northwest summer, at least.) Don't think I'd want to experience the Vegas version...temps shouldn't have three numbers.

 

And you're welcome.