Red Rocks April 2024

Category: Nevada Elev: 4,000-6,000 ftRock Type: Aztec Sandstone
Date: April 4-7, 2024 (Thu-Sun)Trip Report #: 683Partner: Nate Beckwith

RED ROCKS April 2024:

Cloud Tower (5.12a, 7p, 800')

CLOUD TOWER (JUNIPER CANYON)

Levitation 29 (5.11c, 10p, 1060')

EAGLE WALL (OAK CREEK CANYON)

Unimpeachible Groping (5.10b, 7p, 700')

GINGER BUTTRESS (JUNIPER CANYON)

Three awesome Red Rocks classics on a blitz trip to Red Rocks.

Intro

Climb 1: Cloud Tower (5.12a, 7 pitches, 800')

Climb 2: Levitation 29 (5.11c, 10 pitches, 1060')

Climb 3: Unimpeachible Groping (5.10b, 7 pitches, 700')

Intro

It had been 5 years since my last trip to Red Rocks. I was itching to return. I'd been working hard all winter pulling 60-hour work weeks with my main job as a data analyst and tutoring in the evenings. A long weekend blitz trip to sunny Red Rocks seemed like a great way to reboot. I mentioned it in passing to Nate Beckwith, one of my climbing partners. He was interested as well. We chose a weekend, bought tickets, reserved a rental car, found a cheap airbnb, and the trip was on! We planned to do a four day trip, Thursdsay through Sunday.

On Thursday I left Estes Park at 2am to rendezvous with Nate in Boulder and catch a 6am flight out of Denver. We arrived in Vegas at 7:20am (we gained an hour due to time zone), picked up a rental car, and drove directly to Red Rocks, stopping briefly at a gas station to pick up some snacks. We were hiking out of the Pine Creek parking lot at 10 am toward our objective: Cloud Tower (5.12a, 7p). I had been eyeing this route for years, a Red Rocks classic featuring lots of crack climbing and a technical crux 5.12a pitch. This is a shady route and it was not a particularly warm day (mid-70's in Las Vegas, perhaps high of around 60°F Cloud Tower), but winds were forecasted to be gusts to 50mph from the southwest, making anything in the shelter of Rainbow Mountain an excellent choice (indeed, it was pretty calm our entire ascent). Nate led the entire route. There was a party ahead of us, allowing us a bit of time to work on the crux 5.12a pitch—Nate led it without any falls on his second attempt, an impressive lead (I had to pull on a couple of pieces of gear at the cruxiest sections). We reached the top of Cloud Tower 16.5 hours after I left my doorstep in Estes Park. A quick rappel and hike out and we were back to the Pine Creek parking lot without needing headlights. We drove to our airbnb, stopping at Albertsons on the way back to pick up dinner and groceries. I camped out for a couple of hours in the airbnb common room making an overlay and writing up the trip report for the day, and was in bed 22 hours after leaving Estes Park that morning. A wonderful full day!

On Friday the weather was chilly (high of around 35-40° in Red Rocks), windy (gusts to 60mph), and there were random rain/snow squalls. Although we wished for better weather, with our long and successful day the previous day and a good forecast for the next couple of days, we were less bothered by the forced rest day. We would just go big on Saturday. I took advantage of the forced rest day to visit the Uriostes, who I hadn't seen since my last visit to Red Rocks. It was so good to see them and it made the rest day even more welcomed.

On Saturday, the forecast was for sun and less windy, but cool (highs in mid-60's in Las Vegas, and a good 10-20° cooler in Red Rocks). The squalls of Friday had been quick and it had been quite windy, so we figured the rock had probably stayed dry enough to climb. We wanted to do a sunny, long route. Levitation 29 (5.11c, 9p) —perhaps THE Red Rocks classic route—seemed like a great choice. This route climbs a beautiful line up the impressive and steep south face of Eagle Wall. This route was put up by Jorge and Joanne Urioste, with the first ascent on April 5, 1981, Joanne's 29th birthday, almost exactly 43 years previous. Considering the number of protection bolts that had to be put up on lead, this was quite an impressive ascent. Nate led the entire route, crusing through all of the cruxes. Another great day in Red Rocks.

On Sunday the forecast was for partly sunny but still cool. We had a plane flight to catch that evening. Unimpeachable Groping (5.10b, 7p), a 7-pitch sustained 5.10 sport climb that had become quite popular since it was put up in 1999, seemed like a good choice. Indeed it was. With our early start inspired by our plane flight that evening, we were the first party tup the route. It was a fun route, and a good route to do after two harder routes.

This page gives a trip report for our 4-day blitz trip to Red Rocks. It was an awesome trip, with three classic routes, each quite different in character from the others. I cannot wait to come back.

Note that this is the first trip report for Nevada since I re-created my website in late 2020. So the formatting of this trip report is different than my previous Red Rocks trip reports.

Photos: Pitch-by-Pitch Photos for the Three Climbs

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Climb 1: Cloud Tower (5.12a, 7 pitches, 800')

CLOUD TOWER (JUNIPER CANYON)

With everything from tips to offwidth, on superb splitter rock, this is one of Red Rock's finest crack climbs and one of the best long free climbs of its grade in the country. There is a single crux pitch, but all pitches tend to be long and sustained, and are very well-protected.

OUR TIMES: APPROACH: 1.5-2 hours BASE TO TOP: 5 hours DESCENT (rappels): 50 minutes

Route Overlay

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd

Pine Creek Canyon parking lot. Colorful cars...only in Vegas.

Headed towards that! Cloud Tower is just right of center. Rainbow Wall in distance on the right.

Trail. There were new signs since the last time I was here over 5 years previous.

Lots of pokey things in the desert.

More pokey things.

Pitch 1

5.8

we linked P1+P2

Pitch 1: 5.8 fun.

Pitch 2

5.8

we linked P1+P2

Pitch 2: More 5.8 fun. We linked this with Pitch 1 for a 60m 5.8 warm-up.

Pitch 3

5.10a

Perfect 5.10a hand crack on Pitch 3.

Pitch 4

5.12a

Nate leading the crux pitch. He did not get it clean on this first try, so he lowered down and blasted back up for a red point. I was quite impressed with his lead. I admit to pulling on a couple of pieces to get through the cruxiest sections.

Old bolt at the beginning of the pitch. There are a couple of small cam placements shortly after this.

Pitch 4 corner. Sustained and awesome.

Anchor at the top of Pitch 4.

The view. Hard to believe this is all just a handful of miles outside of Las Vegas.

Pitch 5

5.10c

Looking up at the start of Pitch 5. I thought that pulling over the roof was the 5.10c crux of this pitch.

Hand to wide-hands crack above the roof. Fun.

Pitch 6

5.6

Tunnel through to the anchor below Pitch 7. The guidebook also mentioned a "unprotected 5.10c offwidth to the top of the pillar, downclimb other side" but we did not see this and tunneling through seemed like the obvious (and safest and quickest) choice.

Tunneling through. Mid 5th class.

The haul bag kept getting stuck here, but we pushed and pulled it through. Even though hauling is a pain, I think it was the way to do this route if you want to bring extra water/food/shoes/layers (ideally if climbed with no parties ahead on a warm day, go light and don't haul).

Pitch 7

5.11c

Looking up Pitch 7. This pitch reminded me of Indian Creek.

Indian Creek esque enduro corner climbing. This sort of climbing is my forte, so while the 5.12a crux pitch below felt stout for the grade, this pitch seemed a bit soft for the grade (but I wasn't leading it). Nevertheless, this pitch made both Nate and I work for a clean finish to the top.

Descent

8 Rappels with single 70

The top of Pitch 7 is the top of the rappels.

Rappelling...

Thanks to whoever installed these rap bolts. Getting down in 8 rappels took just 50 minutes.

Back at the parking lot. Just before needing headlights.

Friday, April 5, 2024

Rest Day

Cold and stormy. A forced rest day. But a visit with the Uriostes made this rest day more than worth it!

Forced rest day....

I snatched the opportunity to visit the Uriostes. Such amazing people, I am so fortunate to know them.

Gorge and Joanne.

Saturday, April 6, 2024

Climb 2: Levitation 29 (5.11c, 10 pitches, 1060')

EAGLE WALL (OAK CREEK CANYON)

This route climbs straight up the wall through the tail of the Eagle. The beautiful direct line and continuous steepness more than make up for the occasional patches of sandy and flaky rock on this well-established classic.

OUR TIMES: APPROACH: 2 hours BASE TO TOP: 4 hours 50 minutes DESCENT (rappels): 38 minutes

Route Overlay

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd

We parked along the highway just outside the loop road. This is a slightly longer approach than from Oak Creek parking, but it also avoids having to drive around the loop road and get a late exit permit.

Approaching Oak Creek Canyon glowing in the morning light.

We took the direct "wiley climber" approach. This never felt more than 4th class and saved a lot of time over the other approaches that exit the wash higher up.

Start of the "wiley climber" approach.

"Wiley climber" approach.

Eagle Wall above.

Looking up the route from the base of the wall.

Pitch 1

5.10b

Nate leading Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.11a

Nate leading Pitch 2.

The improbable roof on Pitch 2.

A history of bolts at the anchor.

An original Urioste bolt.

Pitch 3

5.8

The easiest pitch of the route.

Pitch 4

5.10b

We linked Pitch 3 with Pitch 4. This photo is looking up Pitch 4.

Pitch 5

5.11c

Looking up Pitch 5.

Pitch 6

5.10d

Pitch 6. Nate linked this with Pitch 5 because the belay at the top of Pitch 5 is an uncomfortable hanging stance.

Pitch 7

5.11a

Nate leading Pitch 7. The rock is softer on this pitch but the climbing is engaging.

Pitch 7.

Another Urioste bolt.

Pitch 8

5.9

Looking up Pitch 8. Many parties rappel at the top of Pitch 7 because the climbing is not as good or challenging above that, but we went to the top for a sense of completion.

Pitch 9

5.9

Pitch 9.

Pitch 10

5.5

Looking up at the last bit of low 5th above the anchor at the top of Pitch 9. (We stopped here because we planned to rappel the route.)

Descent

Rappel the route from the top of Pitch 9 with a single 70 or climb Pitch 10 to top and walk off

Rappeling the route. This went quick (just under 40 minutes for 9 rappels).

The rappel of Pitch 4 is a rope-stretcher. But our 70m rope made it with a foot to spare on each tail.

Mmmm, M&Ms.

We descended the same way we came up, via the "wiley climber" approach.

"IBM Boulder".

We descended the same way we came up, via the "wiley climber" approach.

Cool rock.

We descended the same way we came up, via the "wiley climber" approach.

Pimples.

The start/end of the "wiley climber" approach.

We noticed that someone had marked the route through the wash with black spray paint. Hm.

Rock swirls.

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Climb 3: Unimpeachible Groping (5.10b, 7 pitches, 700')

GINGER BUTTRESS (JUNIPER CANYON)

This multi-pitch sport route climbs straight up the east face of Ginger Buttress. Exposed and exciting wall climbing and a beautiful location.

OUR TIMES: APPROACH: 1 hour 15 minutes BASE TO TOP: 3 hours 45 minutes DESCENT (RAPPELS): 35 minutes

Route Overlay

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd

Pine Creek Canyon parking lot.

Indian paintbrush.

The gully to the left of Ginger Buttess, headed to the base of Unimpeachable Grouping.

The tree marks the start of the route.

Pitch 1

5.10b

Climb the tree to reach the high first bolt. You could sling a tree branch for protection since a fall here would not be pleasant.

Nate leading Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.10b

Nate starting up Pitch 2.

Pitch 3

5.10a

Looking up Pitch 3.

Time for some M&Ms.

Pitch 4

5.10b

The roof on Pitch 4. This pitch was super fun, and a nice break from the face climbing fest of Pitches 1-3.

Higher on Pitch 4. There was an intermediate anchor we accidentally stopped at, so we ended up breaking Pitch 4 into two short pitches.

Pitch 5

5.10b

Looking up Pitch 5. The black rock is a harder and more featured rock than the softer white rock below.

Pitch 6

5.10b

Pitch 6.

Pitch 7

5.8

The final pitch to the top.

Descent

Rappel All You Can Eat (6 single-rope raps)

The rap anchor from the top of Ginger Buttress.

Scramble down this path to get to the second rap station, perhaps 30 feet directly below the flat ground where Rappel 1 ends.

Rappel 2.

Rappelling.

We were at the airport by 5pm, with plenty of time to catch our 7:45pm flight. But then it was delayed. So I decided to head to the slots and win big....