My first trip to Red Rocks was everything I thought it would be: amazing climbing in a beautiful setting. One small issue was that we scheduled our trip for the coldest weekend of the year, but when the sun was present it wasn't that bad at all.
Friday morning we (Brian, Dawn, Shannon and Siew Moi) left Brian's in Costa Mesa at about 5am and arrived in Red Rocks at about 10am or so. We got oriented in the park and headed out to get on Cat in the Hat (5.6 7p 1090'). The hike in was significant, but not too bad... took us about an hour. We geared up and I led pitch one. It was a bit odd for me for a few reasons. First off, sandstone has a much different feel than granite. Secondly, I used Brian's rack which has some different gear than I'm used to as well as having the gear racked on a shoulder sling instead of on my harness which I usually don't do. And finally we were using double ropes which I have never climbed on. All of this in addition with the cold weather made it a very interesting lead for me. I made it up the first pitch and built a gear anchor, not realizing I could have scrambled over a block and belayed from a set of chains. I brought Brian and Dawn up on the doubles "manually" as I have never set up my belay device in guide mode which would have made it much easier to manage the two ropes at one time. They followed me up and Brian took the second lead up a short pitch to a tree. We were behind other parties at this time and the waiting begins. Making things more complicated, parties were rapping down the route while we were going up, so it was a bit of a Charlie Foxtrot. I then go the next lead up a sweet pitch, 120 feet of sweet crack and face climbing with good pro. Once we were all at the belay, we decided to get in the decent line, as parties were lined up to rap off and it was starting to get late in the day. Shannon and Siew Moi joined us in the line to get down and we all rapped the route together. We hit the ground and packed up and headed out at a quick pace, making sure to not get a ticket for being in the park past 5pm. We made it to the cars at 5:15, but the rangers hadn't been by yet... nice. We drove out and crashed in Shannon and Siew Moi's room at La Quinta just outside the park. It was super cold, so this was a far cry from camping in Little Afghanistan.
The next morning Tim met me at the La Quinta and we headed off to catch up with the rest of the group in Oak Creek Canyon. We had planned to climb Johnny Vegas (5.7*** 480' 4 Pitches) and were trying to be the first 3 parties on the route. Brain, Dawn, Shannon and Siew Moi were about an hour ahead of us... they ended up getting passed by a couple guys that were running the trial. When Tim and I arrived Shannon was finishing the first pitch. There was another couple that was there to climb the route before us, so it was clogged up bad. If I had more Red Rocks experience, I might have looked around for another route that wasn't crowded. I can't even say I even thought about it, but I will next time. The sun was shining while we waited and it was really nice. As we waited the clouds came in and the wind kicked up. When I started the first lead, it was starting to get nasty. I arrived at the first belay after an interesting and enjoyable lead, although I found it a challenge to find quality gear placements. The group ahead of us was about half way through the next pitch and had the anchors used in a way that I wasn't able to do much but clip in with my personal protection. My second mistake now occurred. There were a couple cracks suitable to make a gear anchor, but I didn't even think about just building an anchor and bringing Tim up as quickly as I could. As I waited for the group ahead of us I started to get really cold, and by the time Tim was at the first belay I was damn cold and shivering. I got a belay coat from Tim's backpack, which helped greatly. Tim took off on his lead... he was quickly out of sight. A slight delay, and then Tim was at the belay bringing me up. I arrived to find 6 people on or around the chains. I got up there and balanced in a corner of the ledge. Rope pulls and rappels going on, more waiting. Brian and Shannon, then Siew Moi and Dawn did single rope rappels and then Tim went down. I followed last and quickly was down on the ground after a quick stop at the first belay. We packed up and left on the couple mile hike back to the car. We got a second room in the La Quinta and did some gear sorting before cleaning up for dinner. The Italian place near the hotel was excellent. After dinner, we made a quick stop in the Jacuzzi while it rained lightly. A couple beers, then I was out.
On Sunday, we decided to keep it simple and do some climbing in the Calico Hills area at the First Pullout. After a few minutes looking at the book and contemplating where to climb, we decided on Tuna & Chips wall. I set up a TR on The Minnow (5.8) and Shannon led Tuna and Chips (5.3 Trad) to set up a TR for a couple routes nearby. Tim and I both did The Minnow twice taking different lines each time as a warm-up. After that we switched ropes with Shannon and Siew Moi and Tim climbed Water Streak (TR 5.8). I got on the TR and decided to give the direct line up the Water Streak a go… damn it was thin and tough. I later found out it was only rated at 5.10a but it felt a bit harder than that. Then we got back my rope and I led Dolphin Safe (5.7 Mixed 110’) which turned out to be a sweet route. I got in a couple of pieces of gear down low… the remainder of the route had 6 bolts to the chains. The route was fun, but a bit run-out in a couple sections which had me paying close attention to what I was doing. Tim followed on TR and liked the route as well. While Shannon and Siew Moi got on Dolphin Safe, Tim and I did a couple more variations over by the Water Streak that were in the 5.8 range. After we were done with that, we decided to hit the Panty Wall before heading home. I elbowed (not literally, but almost) my way into line for Sacred Undergarment Squeeze Job (5.8 60’ Sport). I jumped on quickly as it opened up and sent the route clean… it was a nice line. Tim followed while Shannon and Siew Moi climbed a route a few over from us. We left the rope for them to TR it and I led the climb next to it, Boxer Rebellion (5.7 60’ Sport) and it was fun as well. I couldn’t really tell any difference in the routes rating wise, but they were both fun. By the time we were down, the weather looked to be coming in and the sun was getting low, so we decided to pack up and head for home. A quick stop for Starbucks led us onto the freeway and we were clear sailing… for about a half an hour. Then for the next 5 hours or so we were stuck in the infamous Vegas to LA traffic… every Sunday evening is bad, but after a holiday weekend is the worst. We got back to Brian and Dawn’s at about 11:30pm and got all out gear loaded back up and said our goodbyes. I rolled into home at about 12:15 or so. Even with the bad traffic it was an epic first trip to Red Rocks. I’ll be dreaming of sandstone and long multi-pitch routes until I return.
11.29.2010
11.22.2010
Joshua Tree [November 19-21]
Seared Ahi and Filet Minion
Usually I wouldn’t give food names as my title, but this weekend the food was the highlight. Tim and I headed out to Joshua Tree on Friday, hitting the road at 2:00pm just before traffic starts to become an issue. We had an uneventful trip out and hit the park around 5:30pm or so. We looked at Hidden Valley and Ryan, but all the sites were taken of course, so we were banished to Jumbo Rocks again. We set up camp and had a great dinner consisting of Pan Seared Ahi and grilled veggies (Onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers and sugar peas). It was amazing to say the least. Then we cranked up the fire and had beers while waiting for my friend Nick to show up. By midnight, I was ready to get some sleep and Nick was yet to be seen.
When I woke up on Saturday, Nick had arrived… late I guess and he decided to sleep in the car. Tim and I had bacon and omelets for breakfast and got packed up to climb. The weather was cold and windy, but we thought we could get in a few routes none-the-less. We headed out to the Real Hidden Valley to check out the Thin Wall, but when we arrived it was a mob scene… about 6 top-ropes set up and 30 people milling about. That’s out. Since we were close and nobody was on it, we got on Fote Hog (.6 – 2 pitches). This worked perfectly since we wanted to do some multi-pitch before out trip to Red Rocks coming up. Tim led the first pitch and sent it clean. It had a couple tough sections and he did a great job. I followed and was soon at the belay. We traded gear and I took off on my lead. It was pretty uneventful and fun climbing. There was a fun place where I had to bear hug 2 cracks to get up over a bulge, then a fun layback section near the top. Soon I had the belay built and Tim followed up. We then walked off the Sentinel and back around to our gear, packed up and headed to Intersection Rock.
Nobody was on Overhang Bypass (5.7 – 2 pitches), so I suggested we jump on that. I got the first pitch this time, so I geared up and led off up the gulley/crack system. It was a fun lead with a semi-tough move to get over a roof. It seems I didn’t extend my draws enough in the beginning of my lead… by the end I had to pull rope just to be able to move the final feet to the overhang so I could set up my belay. After building the belay, I had to yank that damn 70M rope up there which wasn’t much fun. Tim followed without any issues and was soon looking at the traverse he needed to do on his pitch. It was intimidating, but he pulled around the corner and was soon at the bolt before the slab finish. I followed the fun move and was happy to find a few foot holds that you can’t see from the belay. We rapped down from Intersection Rock and were unsure if we wanted to climb another or not… it had already rained a bit and the clouds were coming in pretty strong. We took a look at Bussioner located on The Blob there in Hidden Valley CG, but decided to hit it another day. We headed back to camp and started the fire and waited out the light drizzle that was coming down. It only lasted for about an hour or so then let up. After warming up a bit and having a few beers, we got on the food which was Filet Minion and veggies again. The Filets were amazing… they stole the show on this night. A few more beers and I was down for the count.
Sunday we woke up to a cold windy day. We were able to get some free wood from an empty site close by and had a nice morning fire to stay warm. It seemed a bit cold for climbing, so we decided to hike into the Wonderland of Rocks to check out the area and scope some future climbs. It was my first time into that area and it was amazing… a lot of rock out there. After a few hours out there, we headed back to the car and decided to go check out Gun Smoke Traverse (5.11+) while we were close. A short walk in brought us to Gun Smoke and a few people were there working it. We talked a bit and I decided to work it a bit. Man, it is tough! I got the beginning section dialed in up to the first crux area. I will hit this again and keep working it... it’s a good project for me. My forearms are still sore as I type this, so I can tell it beat me up a bit. We headed back to the car and headed for home… stopping in town for a hot cup of coffee on the way. Next stop… Red Rocks, NV!
Usually I wouldn’t give food names as my title, but this weekend the food was the highlight. Tim and I headed out to Joshua Tree on Friday, hitting the road at 2:00pm just before traffic starts to become an issue. We had an uneventful trip out and hit the park around 5:30pm or so. We looked at Hidden Valley and Ryan, but all the sites were taken of course, so we were banished to Jumbo Rocks again. We set up camp and had a great dinner consisting of Pan Seared Ahi and grilled veggies (Onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers and sugar peas). It was amazing to say the least. Then we cranked up the fire and had beers while waiting for my friend Nick to show up. By midnight, I was ready to get some sleep and Nick was yet to be seen.
When I woke up on Saturday, Nick had arrived… late I guess and he decided to sleep in the car. Tim and I had bacon and omelets for breakfast and got packed up to climb. The weather was cold and windy, but we thought we could get in a few routes none-the-less. We headed out to the Real Hidden Valley to check out the Thin Wall, but when we arrived it was a mob scene… about 6 top-ropes set up and 30 people milling about. That’s out. Since we were close and nobody was on it, we got on Fote Hog (.6 – 2 pitches). This worked perfectly since we wanted to do some multi-pitch before out trip to Red Rocks coming up. Tim led the first pitch and sent it clean. It had a couple tough sections and he did a great job. I followed and was soon at the belay. We traded gear and I took off on my lead. It was pretty uneventful and fun climbing. There was a fun place where I had to bear hug 2 cracks to get up over a bulge, then a fun layback section near the top. Soon I had the belay built and Tim followed up. We then walked off the Sentinel and back around to our gear, packed up and headed to Intersection Rock.
Nobody was on Overhang Bypass (5.7 – 2 pitches), so I suggested we jump on that. I got the first pitch this time, so I geared up and led off up the gulley/crack system. It was a fun lead with a semi-tough move to get over a roof. It seems I didn’t extend my draws enough in the beginning of my lead… by the end I had to pull rope just to be able to move the final feet to the overhang so I could set up my belay. After building the belay, I had to yank that damn 70M rope up there which wasn’t much fun. Tim followed without any issues and was soon looking at the traverse he needed to do on his pitch. It was intimidating, but he pulled around the corner and was soon at the bolt before the slab finish. I followed the fun move and was happy to find a few foot holds that you can’t see from the belay. We rapped down from Intersection Rock and were unsure if we wanted to climb another or not… it had already rained a bit and the clouds were coming in pretty strong. We took a look at Bussioner located on The Blob there in Hidden Valley CG, but decided to hit it another day. We headed back to camp and started the fire and waited out the light drizzle that was coming down. It only lasted for about an hour or so then let up. After warming up a bit and having a few beers, we got on the food which was Filet Minion and veggies again. The Filets were amazing… they stole the show on this night. A few more beers and I was down for the count.
Sunday we woke up to a cold windy day. We were able to get some free wood from an empty site close by and had a nice morning fire to stay warm. It seemed a bit cold for climbing, so we decided to hike into the Wonderland of Rocks to check out the area and scope some future climbs. It was my first time into that area and it was amazing… a lot of rock out there. After a few hours out there, we headed back to the car and decided to go check out Gun Smoke Traverse (5.11+) while we were close. A short walk in brought us to Gun Smoke and a few people were there working it. We talked a bit and I decided to work it a bit. Man, it is tough! I got the beginning section dialed in up to the first crux area. I will hit this again and keep working it... it’s a good project for me. My forearms are still sore as I type this, so I can tell it beat me up a bit. We headed back to the car and headed for home… stopping in town for a hot cup of coffee on the way. Next stop… Red Rocks, NV!
11.17.2010
Joshua Tree [November 13/14]
It was a weekend of firsts for me at Joshua Tree… led my first .8 and led my first .9 and took my first fall on gear. It was a great climbing trip for me. I drove out on Friday night to meet up with Tim at Jumbo Rocks CG. Got there at about 10:15pm and set up my tent and camping gear. I had a few beers and some good times by the fire, then to bed to get ready for climbing.
Saturday morning we were to meet up with Alfred and Ellen in the Intersection Rock parking lot. Alfred was right on time and Ellen was a no show. We were not sure if Ellen was coming and just late, so we decided to stay close and check back for her. First we jumped on Right Ski Track (.3), a perfect easy warm-up climb which I have led about 5 times now. After finishing that, we hopped on Toe Jam (.7) which is a fun climb and usually has a line but didn’t this day, so it was a great opportunity to get on a classic route without waiting. It was almost too good to be true, but around the corner from Toe Jam is Double Cross (.8) which is an Uber-Classic… always has a line and I’ve wanted to lead this for a while. I on-sighted it with relative ease and Tim followed. Alfred was going to, but Tim removed the top directional piece, so both ends of the rope were stuck in a pod away from the climb, directly on Route 499 (.11b). Alfred tried the TR on Route 499 but ended up not making it… he had a severely sore neck and really was not in good climbing shape because of it. I jumped on the TR and sent the route with a couple hangs. It was seriously tough. Next all three of us led Sexy Grandma (.9 bolted) which went without issue. It was my first lead at Joshua Tree at that grade, so it felt really good. That climb shared anchors with Band Saw (.10c) so we decided to give that one a go as well. It had a tough start and a roof section that was very challenging, but I sent it clean. By this time the sun was setting, so we wrapped up for the day. Tim and his Dad headed back to Dana Point and Alfred and I headed back to the camp site to eat and rest up for the next day.
Sunday we were up by 6:45 and had camp packed up and were heading to climb by 8:15 or so. We made a quick stop by Jumbo Rocks CG to look as some climbs, but it was cold and windy at the wall (which was in the shade) so we decided to head to the Echo Rock area. I had been wanting to lead Fun Stuff (.8) which is a very popular route and usually has a line… got lucky again, no line. I on-sighted it and it was as good as I thought it would be. Next we climbed an un-named .7 slab route that was fun and challenging. After that we headed around the formation to Bacon Flake (.9) which was where I took my first leader fall on gear. To get to the route, you had to cross a boulder stuck in a 6 foot wide crack… at the bottom 15 feet below were boulders and jagged rocks. While standing on the boulder you could get in a piece of small gear in a horizontal crack, and then traverse about 10 feet to the main crack, which starts off in with a roof section. I placed another small piece of gear (an orange Metolius Master Cam) and started up and over the roof. I had one bomber jam and good feet placements to the right, but as I got up on to my feet, I couldn’t get the sequence quite right and felt the bad thing coming. All I remember is saying falling, and then I was hanging from the rope. Good thing the piece held or a trip to the hospital would have been in order. I regained my composure and got back on route… got over the roof and sent the climb. It was a good experience to have finally taken the fall on gear and then getting back on and sending. Alfred followed, and then we had a fun JTree down climb to get off the formation. Next we jumped on Pope’s Crack (.9) and Alfred led that one. It was a very stout climb for the rating, with a tough section in the middle of the lower crack section. I was glad I didn’t try to lead it this time. Once we made it up that, we rapped down and left the rope to TR British Airways (.11d). Alfred and I both made the climb with numerous takes. It was the hardest thing I have ever climbed without a doubt. By this time, the sun was inching closer to the horizon, so we headed back to the cars. I bid farewell to Alfred and cleaned up a bit before heading home, which included a post climb beer at Intersection Rock. An uneventful drive brought me back to Dana Point… already looking forward to next weekend when I will do it again.
Saturday morning we were to meet up with Alfred and Ellen in the Intersection Rock parking lot. Alfred was right on time and Ellen was a no show. We were not sure if Ellen was coming and just late, so we decided to stay close and check back for her. First we jumped on Right Ski Track (.3), a perfect easy warm-up climb which I have led about 5 times now. After finishing that, we hopped on Toe Jam (.7) which is a fun climb and usually has a line but didn’t this day, so it was a great opportunity to get on a classic route without waiting. It was almost too good to be true, but around the corner from Toe Jam is Double Cross (.8) which is an Uber-Classic… always has a line and I’ve wanted to lead this for a while. I on-sighted it with relative ease and Tim followed. Alfred was going to, but Tim removed the top directional piece, so both ends of the rope were stuck in a pod away from the climb, directly on Route 499 (.11b). Alfred tried the TR on Route 499 but ended up not making it… he had a severely sore neck and really was not in good climbing shape because of it. I jumped on the TR and sent the route with a couple hangs. It was seriously tough. Next all three of us led Sexy Grandma (.9 bolted) which went without issue. It was my first lead at Joshua Tree at that grade, so it felt really good. That climb shared anchors with Band Saw (.10c) so we decided to give that one a go as well. It had a tough start and a roof section that was very challenging, but I sent it clean. By this time the sun was setting, so we wrapped up for the day. Tim and his Dad headed back to Dana Point and Alfred and I headed back to the camp site to eat and rest up for the next day.
Sunday we were up by 6:45 and had camp packed up and were heading to climb by 8:15 or so. We made a quick stop by Jumbo Rocks CG to look as some climbs, but it was cold and windy at the wall (which was in the shade) so we decided to head to the Echo Rock area. I had been wanting to lead Fun Stuff (.8) which is a very popular route and usually has a line… got lucky again, no line. I on-sighted it and it was as good as I thought it would be. Next we climbed an un-named .7 slab route that was fun and challenging. After that we headed around the formation to Bacon Flake (.9) which was where I took my first leader fall on gear. To get to the route, you had to cross a boulder stuck in a 6 foot wide crack… at the bottom 15 feet below were boulders and jagged rocks. While standing on the boulder you could get in a piece of small gear in a horizontal crack, and then traverse about 10 feet to the main crack, which starts off in with a roof section. I placed another small piece of gear (an orange Metolius Master Cam) and started up and over the roof. I had one bomber jam and good feet placements to the right, but as I got up on to my feet, I couldn’t get the sequence quite right and felt the bad thing coming. All I remember is saying falling, and then I was hanging from the rope. Good thing the piece held or a trip to the hospital would have been in order. I regained my composure and got back on route… got over the roof and sent the climb. It was a good experience to have finally taken the fall on gear and then getting back on and sending. Alfred followed, and then we had a fun JTree down climb to get off the formation. Next we jumped on Pope’s Crack (.9) and Alfred led that one. It was a very stout climb for the rating, with a tough section in the middle of the lower crack section. I was glad I didn’t try to lead it this time. Once we made it up that, we rapped down and left the rope to TR British Airways (.11d). Alfred and I both made the climb with numerous takes. It was the hardest thing I have ever climbed without a doubt. By this time, the sun was inching closer to the horizon, so we headed back to the cars. I bid farewell to Alfred and cleaned up a bit before heading home, which included a post climb beer at Intersection Rock. An uneventful drive brought me back to Dana Point… already looking forward to next weekend when I will do it again.
11.02.2010
Joshua Tree Halloween
I went out to Joshua Tree with Chrissy and met Tim in a parking lot outside the park. No camping accept Jumbo Rocks and not many sites there. A quick set up at 12:45am or so and then a few beers before crashing.
First we hit Echo Cove. The plan was to climb some easy routes and set up a TR for Chrissy. I led Chute Up(5.2) and couldn't set up a TR due to the angle and nature of the climb, the rope was getting stuck. Tim led Helix(5.2) and set up a TR on The Sound Of One Shoe Tapping (5.8) and W.A.C. (5.8) and I did both. The were slab face climbs and pretty stout. Climbing these hurt Chrissy's bad ankle, so we headed to Atlantis Wall in the Lost Horse Area. I led Solar Technology (5.6) and Tim led Men With Cows Heads (5.5), both fun routes that were mostly face climbs with cracks to use for Pro. We bit Tim farewell and headed back to get the fire and beers going. After discovering a mouse got into the great apple pie we left on the table, we made a fire and had pasta for dinner. Bed early to get ready for more climbing.
Sunday we ate and packed up, then headed to Trash Can Rock. I led B-1 (5.1), which is funny because of the sand bagged nature of the ratings there. Chrissy made it up, and then we had a fun JTree scramble off the rock. I then led Walkway (5.4R), which had an unprotected crux about 10 feet off the ground. The move was fun and the climb went easy. Chrissy made it up without issue and I lowered her down to spare her the walk off. Chrissy's ankle was done, so I led Tiptoe (5.7+) which got 2 stars in the book. It was a face slab climb with one place for a tiny cam, then 3 bolts. It was thin and challenging, but I sent it in style. After that we packed up and headed home. Another great trip to my favorite climbing destination.
(pic to follow...)
First we hit Echo Cove. The plan was to climb some easy routes and set up a TR for Chrissy. I led Chute Up(5.2) and couldn't set up a TR due to the angle and nature of the climb, the rope was getting stuck. Tim led Helix(5.2) and set up a TR on The Sound Of One Shoe Tapping (5.8) and W.A.C. (5.8) and I did both. The were slab face climbs and pretty stout. Climbing these hurt Chrissy's bad ankle, so we headed to Atlantis Wall in the Lost Horse Area. I led Solar Technology (5.6) and Tim led Men With Cows Heads (5.5), both fun routes that were mostly face climbs with cracks to use for Pro. We bit Tim farewell and headed back to get the fire and beers going. After discovering a mouse got into the great apple pie we left on the table, we made a fire and had pasta for dinner. Bed early to get ready for more climbing.
Sunday we ate and packed up, then headed to Trash Can Rock. I led B-1 (5.1), which is funny because of the sand bagged nature of the ratings there. Chrissy made it up, and then we had a fun JTree scramble off the rock. I then led Walkway (5.4R), which had an unprotected crux about 10 feet off the ground. The move was fun and the climb went easy. Chrissy made it up without issue and I lowered her down to spare her the walk off. Chrissy's ankle was done, so I led Tiptoe (5.7+) which got 2 stars in the book. It was a face slab climb with one place for a tiny cam, then 3 bolts. It was thin and challenging, but I sent it in style. After that we packed up and headed home. Another great trip to my favorite climbing destination.
(pic to follow...)
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