The climbing Trip -- Red Rocks

Well friends, I have made it back from Sin City. I am not really sure why they call Las Vegas Sin City, as I think Detroit could more easily fit the profile. Sure, there is gambling and strip clubs, etc, but really Detroit is no better. Actually the worst thing about Vegas was that although the hotel rooms are inexpensive, everything else is really over priced. For example, one thirty second ride on the roller coaster at New York, New York was $12.50. Or a cab ride for a 5 minute ride to the Airport was around $15-20. Fortunately, the shuttle bus was only $4.75 plus tip. That is another thing, everyone expects tips in Vegas. When I checked in at the Excalibur Casio and Hotel using e-check-in, the girl who stood there got pissy when I did not tip her for her “assisting me” in my check in. Screw that. One more comment about the Vegas Strip… Cowboy hats, Mexicans, Mullets, gold lamiae, and fake breasts, Oh My!

Now, about the real reason I went to Las Vegas or in reality Red Rocks, NV. First off, Red Rock Canyon is gorgeous. Red Rocks is layers of petrified sandstone and limestone layers. These mountains look like rainbows with different color layers. It is a desert, but they have had so much rain that it was actually pretty green. The weather was perfect for climbing too, starting out around 50 degrees and topping off around 65-70 degrees. It only was bad on Friday when it rained, but we worked through it.

I have to say that my guide/ instructor, Jason Martin, was awesome. He works for the American Alpine Institute, one of the top rated guide services by Climbing Magazine. He is the kind of person who you want to learn from. He was very personable, positive, laid back, and had this way of motivating you without ever coming close to being pushy. I personally think that he would fit perfectly into my circle of friends, as he is into cultural endeavors. Did I mention that he was also a writer who has done some screenplays? He also does freelance writing, such as movie and book reviews. It was cool that although we were climbing, we had a lot of other things to talk about. Everyday went by too fast. He is off to Ecuador on Tuesday to guide another group of people on a mountaineering trip.

Back to stuff about me.
On Tuesday Jason taught me how to build proper anchors, proper lead climbing, how to clean anchors, and proper repelling techniques. It was a fun day, but mentally tiring. I went to sleep at 8 PM. Wednesday we climbed Olive Oil, a multi-pitch trad route. It was a blast, although I have to admit that it does take some time to get used to hanging belays. One of the best parts was climbing the chimney, which confused me at first, but once I got moving, it was so fun (except when the gear on my harness or my back-pack that I hat to dangle below my feet would get caught). To best explain how one climbs this section is to imagine trying to climb a doorframe using your legs and back to scoot up the distance. I can’t wait to do it again. Thursday was the most challenging day for me, both physically and mentally. This was the day where I would learn how to properly place gear for Trad climbing and then do some trad lead climbing. You can learn more about trad climbing here. Friday was another fun day, although it was cloudy and raining. This was the day that Jason taught me climbing rescue techniques. This was the day I considered the most important and really fun. It is also a topic that many climbers do not take the time to learn, even though it could save a life, or eliminate the need to be rescued at all. I personally think that it should be a topic that is learned prior to doing any multi-pitch climbs, but that is my opinion. I know that I will be practicing this so that I will not forget it. One last high note of Red Rocks was that on our hike out, we got to see a big horn sheep. Too bad I left my camera in the car (It was raining pretty well and I did not want to get it soaked). That was by climbing adventure cliff note style. You can see some pictures here.

See ya!