Red Rocks, May 5-6, 2007
Aaron and I had free plane tickets to Las Vegas for a 2 day trip (really only one full day). We climbed "Epinephrine," a fun classic with lots of pitches---the famous chimneys and also some face climbing that would have been totally chill were it not for the fact that the rock looked awfully flaky. After the route "ends," there's still another 700 feet of scrambling and easy fifth class to get to the top. It's very exposed and to me, the rock was pretty suspect (more of the flaky stuff), so I was happy to simulclimb it, but there wasn't very good gear so there's definitely a good argument against staying roped up for it. Nonetheless, I wouldn't have done it any other way than roped up, but that's just me.
Red rocks in the morning. Black Velvet Canyon is to the left of this formation.
Aaron using a fixed rope to negotiate the boulder-choked streambed.
Aaron in one of the chimney pitches. We had the timing just right---when the wall was in the sun, we were in the nice shady chimneys, and by the time we emerged from the chimneys the wall was in the shade.
Aaron now facing the other way.
At a belay.
Aaron at the top of a chimney.
Aaron on one of many flaky face pitches. We don't climb much in Red Rocks, so I don't know if this stuff is super common and considered bomber by the locals, but it looked kind of freaky to us.
Amy following.
Aaron at the top, with the Vegas skyline in the distance.
We saw a group of bighorn sheep, but they didn't let us come close enough to take a good picture.
Aaron watching the sheep.
Aaron on the descent. The descent was pretty hard for me---OK, I'm out of shape---my quads were killing me for days afterwards. We had run out of water and were dreaming of slushies.
©2007 Amy Jordan; Email Me.