All about Red Rocks
Kit on top of Whiskey Peak: Kit on top of Whiskey Peak
Most people visit Las Vegas to gamble, rarely to be seen outside their hotels except when they visit other hotels, take a local tour of drive-through wedding chapels, or take a day off gambling to see nearby Hoover Dam. Few visitors know that Vegas is also home to one of North America’s finest rock-climbing locations - the Red Rocks of Nevada.
I first visited Red Rocks in 1992, with some fellow graduates of the Hibbert/Moore climbing class of 1989-90. We had already been to Yosemite and Joshua Tree, and were looking forward to more adventures in a new area. We heard that Red Rocks camping left much to be desired, so we booked a "suite" of rooms at the inexpensive climber’s motel known as Ferguson’s, which also left much to be desired but had hot showers, beds, flush toilets and a roof. Since then I’ve stayed at Ferguson’s several times and have many vivid memories of drifting off to sleep to the sounds of gunshots, with prostitutes and drug dealers hawking their wares on the streets outside our tightly locked windows.
On our first Red Rocks day eight years ago, we headed out of Vegas along West Charleston Boulevard, past mall signs that read "Drugs, Guns, Booze" and "Gamblers' Anonymous HQ", first stopping at the local climbing store, Desert Rock Sports, which now includes an impressive climbing gym for those rare bad weather days. After leaving Vegas, we turned onto the Loop Road about 25 kilometres west of Vegas, but first had to stop for photos of wild burros silhouetted against Mount Wilson, the red-banded wall of rock that forms the focus of Red Rock’s most famous view.
The 25 km Loop Road takes climbers and other tourists past the visitor centre to parking pullouts for canyon trails, and is open during daylight hours. Cars found in the Loop after hours are often subject to very large and unpleasant fines, so we usually stop climbing well before dark if we can.
To begin with, we chose some easy 1-pitch routes and an easy approach, at the Ragged Edges cliff in the Willow Spring parking area, starting with Tonto (5.5), Peaches (5.5), and Lower and Upper Butler (both 5.6). Other moderate routes in the area include Walk to School (5.7), Space Case (5.7), Head Case (5.8) and Spiderline (5.7). We ended our first day at Red Rocks on the classic 5.8 trad route known as Ragged Edges, a full rope length of gripping climbing that requires lots of large gear and a cool head. I still enjoy this climb and try to include it in every visit I make to Red Rocks, along with some exciting harder climbs in the area, which I’ve included in my favourites at the end of this article. The "interesting" climbs on the list include Black Track (5.9 with 2-rope rap after 1 pitch), Little Big Horn (5.10a), Left Out (5.10d), Chicken Eruptus (5.10c), The Graduate (5.10a, rap on 2 ropes) and Plan F (5.11a, 2 pitches, mixed bolted & trad). Watch out for Sheep Trail, a dangerous 5.10b close to Chicken Eruptus that isn’t rated R/X for runout but should be!
The "Frogland" wall in Black Velvet Canyon: The "Frogland" wall in Black Velvet Canyon After another warm-up day, Valerie Ng and I decided to go for a moderate 7-pitch route called Frogland (5.8), covering about 300 metres of climbing to the top of Whiskey Peak in Black Velvet Canyon (note the liquor theme). The route starts with a rough drive-in approach outside the Loop, leading to a parking area about a 30-minute hike and scramble from the base of the climb. As Frogland is popular, you may find other climbers waiting at the base, so an early start is recommended. For most of the climb, Valerie and I alternated pitches, which include four moderate pitches (5.6ish), two solid 5.8 pitches and a 4th class scramble at the top. The walkoff is beautiful and fairly straightforward (no raps necessary).
After another easy day of short climbs, Karen McGilvray and I decided to try the full 12 pitches of Dream of Wild Turkeys (5.10a), also in Black Velvet Canyon. We managed an early start, completed the 1-hour walk-in, and were on the climb by 8 am. Except for the first pitch, which is a warm-up 5.6, all pitches are fun and tend to be in the 5.8 to 5.9 range. Contrary to the guidebook’s suggestion to rap after 8 pitches, we went all the way to Turkeyland ledge and didn’t regret it. We arrived at 2pm, had a quick rest and lunch, then completed the ten 2-rope raps to the base by 4 pm
Valerie Ng on "Dark Shadows": Valerie Ng on "Dark Shadows" After another easy day, four of us hiked into beautiful Pine Creek Canyon for a 4-pitch climb known as Dark Shadows (5.8), overlooking a waterfall and deep pond surrounded by pine trees and other bush. This climb is especially recommended for hot days, as it sits in shadow most of the day and includes a cooling dip after rapping down. The area includes many other good climbs, and I particularly remember the full-rope-length climb called Slot Machine, a solid 5.10 crack that I shook myself up on, a few years ago. That year, Karen and I also enjoyed another multi-pitched climb called Chasing Shadows (5.8) which parallels Dark Shadows and leads to a final bolted pitch called Edge Dressing (5.10). On our last day of the 1992 visit, Karen, John MacMillan and I decided to try a bizarre climb known as Tunnel Vision, which includes a steep and exposed 5.7 chimney and a 5.3X caving pitch that tunnels through the rock (headlamps advised!) to an easy ending and short descent. Although I don’t plan to ever do this one again, you may want to try it once after you’ve done all the Red Rocks classics!
On a later trip to Red Rocks, I met one of my favourite climbing partners, Wendell Broussard, who has climbed for many years in the Vegas area, is the same age as me (well actually, a few weeks older!), and enjoys climbing almost as much as I do. Because Wendell knows the area so well, and has participated in many first ascents there, he has shown me Red Rocks climbs, I might never have discovered and taken me up climbs I would never have set foot on myself. Most notable of these was Bighorn Buttress, a 5.11 4-pitch classic with questionable rock but a wonderful, solid 5.11 pitch in the middle. He has also taken me up a few R/X-rated climbs such as Territorial Imperative, Sheep Trail (5.10R/X - he led), Sterling Moss and Heatwave (5.10R - I led). I hope to continue climbing with Wendell for many more years.
On our first trip, I skipped the sport-climbing areas, but on later trips have made at least one visit to the first and second pullouts on the Loop Road, and to Sandstone Quarry, which include many excellent bolted climbs for dedicated sport climbers. Beginners will want to visit TheMagic Bus, the Ultraman Wall and the Black Corridor, and more experienced sport climbers will prefer The Gallery, The Front Corridor at Sandstone Quarry East, or the Wall of Confusion. Trad climbers wanting some solid 1-pitch 5.11 climbing might want to try the Fixx Wall at the first pullout on the Loop - my recommendation here is Saved by Zero, an exciting 5.11 trad route with one tough crux!
Rather than go on forever, I’ve included a list of my favourite Red Rocks climbs (actually, my favourite favourites, since most of my climbs are favourites...). I’ll be happy to give you my opinion about any of the climbs I know there, but first I’d recommend getting yourself a copy of the latest edition of Todd Swain’s very useful "Red Rocks Select" guidebook.
1999 Update
On my most recent trip to Red Rocks in 1999, the highlight was to tackle a climb known as Fiddler on the Roof, particularly the third pitch traversing along the rim of a giant roof on Black Velvet Wall. Todd Swain's guidebook gives no grade for this pitch, but mentions that it has a scary section. I can now confirm that it has a VERY scary section which I'm tempted to grade at 5.12+ but is probably no more than 5.10+. My partner for that trip, Cliff Glover, got his share of excitement on the following 5.10+ pitch, at which point we both decided we'd had enough excitement for the day and rapped down just before dusk fell at 5 pm. To put this climb in perspective for you... if we'd travelled to Red Rocks and done only the first 4 pitches of Fiddler on the Roof, the trip would have been a success for me!
As a bonus, we managed six other days of climbing, including many of the favourites mentioned earlier - Sour Mash, Triassic Sands, and climbs on the Mass Production Wall, at Willow Springs, and on Mescalito. We also had fun on a 4-pitch 5.9 route called Bruja's Brew on Lotta Balls Wall in First Creek Canyon - another recommendation! Although our traditional Red Rocks accomodation - Ferguson's Motel - has changed hands and is no longer recommended among climbers, we were pleased to see that a new campground has been set up within minutes of the entrance to Red Rocks. It's called 13 Mile Campground, and provides campsites, water and toilet facilities for US$10 a night.
If you want to hear more about our recent Red Rocks trips, just ask Cliff or me on your next visit to Rock Oasis and we'll be happy to talk about it - one of us is usually there!
