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Red Rocks Birthday Bash

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:09 pm
by teleross
After spending nearly 2 weeks in Yosemite cranking on steep cracks on the many sunny, warm crags lower down the Merced it was nice to head back to the desert for a weekend. Originally Trish and I had planned on heading to Zion, but after the weather forecast crapped out at the last minute, we decided to stick around Red Rocks for the whole weekend.
Friday was my 36th birthday...damn, gettin old these days ;) and wanting to climb something long-ish and warm and sunny we decided on Levitation 29, one of Red Rocks ulta classics. I had climbed it many years ago with Kelly just about on my 29th birthday.
Anyhow, Trish and I got to Vegas late Thursday night, and had a bit of a leisurely morning before we finally motivated to start the kinda long approach up Oak Creek.

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Looking up at Eagle Wall
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The approach is straightforward but time consuming as you meander up the canyon, jump and scramble around and over many many boulders and finally finish by climbing some steep slabs to the base of the wall.

Looking up Levitation 29
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Levitation 29 is a great climb...its tall-ish, at about 700' or so, you only need a very minimal rack, it has steep, thought provoking climbing, you climb in a t-shirt in mid-November, and you rap right back down with one rope! Nice!

I linked p1 and 2 for a good long one, finishing through a steep powerful roof all on bullet stone
Trish following
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The next couple pitches are easy, one 5.8 and the other 5.10, following cracks and face features up to where the wall abruptly steepens again

Looking down p3, I think
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Then it's the crux pitch, steepening thin crimping to laybacking a seam, to the technical crux in a shallow corner. The first time I climbed it I found it tough and got super pumped, this time it felt quite easy and I waltzed up it clipping about every other bolt( they're very close together) Super fun!
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After the crux pitch there's a really cool steep crack pitch and then a funky weird layback pitch on some cool, soft white rock, and then two more easy pitches to the top. Such a fun climb and a great way to spend the afternoon on my birthday!

Since we had decided to stay in Red Rocks instead of chancing the weather in Zion, we decided to hit the Red Rock Casino that evening and do some damage on the beer supply at the Yardhouse. We recruited Mark Westman, who has seemingly been on the road climbing since about April, to come join in the festivities.
Hours later after a giant plate of nachos, some french onion soup, a spicy chicken sandwich and many many beers, including on "half yarder", I felt like I was going to pass out, so we called it a night.
Needless to say, the next morning was a slow one, but eventually we motivated to go climb something. The funny thing about Red Rocks is that other than Eagle Wall, almost all of the bigger climbs face north, which means that, for me anyhow, this time of year they feel quite cold. (I think that after living in San Diego for a couple years now, that I am developing an aversion to cold...or I'm just getting old and turning into a fair weather climber...at least we've got that year round here! :) )
anyhow, we toughed it out and froze our way up an amazing climb called Risky Business.
The story of this climb is the runout...and LOTS of it. 4 pitches up a steep wall with great stone, cracks, face, slab, and with 30' + between gear the whole way... it's all in the 5.10 range, so you know you're not going to fall, but it definitely adds some flavor
Looking up the Dark Shadows wall and Risky Business
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The route climbs discontinuous seams and corners linked by super fun face climbing up a steep well-featured wall, a highly recommended climb, one of my favorites in Red Rocks.

Trish following
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What a fun way to spend a hungover afternoon!

One other thing I noticed on this trip: I'm really starting to have a dislike for winter. It's easy to forget during the long days of spring and summer, but why the fuck does it have to get dark at 5:00 in the winter time? Seriously, can't stand it! haha

Ok, back to climbing
anyhow, Sunday we had to head home, but we wanted to get a little climbing in, so we went up to a nice sunny little crag called the monument, right at the mouth of Black Velvet Canyon. It's home so many stellar splitters...a rarity in Red Rocks.
We were short on time and Trish wanted to have a go on lead so we opted for Handbone, a choice 10c splitter

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we had a visit from a large golden eagle, which flew by quite close a couple times, unfortunately by the time I got my camera out, it had moved off quite a bit. What an awesome creature
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so, Trish sent the Handbone, then I led it also, and then we both ran another lap on it, and then we called it a day, ran back to the car to make sandwiches and start the drive home.
Good times
:)

Re: Red Rocks Birthday Bash

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:57 pm
by skykilo
Happy birthday again! Looks like more great times. I have always hated rock climbing in the cold. I'm just not that hard core.

Re: Red Rocks Birthday Bash

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 5:18 am
by E_$
great b-day trip, Ross. happy would be redundant at this point methinks.

best years are ahead of you, punk.

Re: Red Rocks Birthday Bash

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 7:16 am
by Diamond Dachshund
How do you crush so much splitter?

Re: Red Rocks Birthday Bash

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:16 pm
by teleross
copious amounts of coffee!