Red Rock Canyon is an amazing place..
The view is exceptional, and the sandstone is like nothing I've ever seen before.
I highly recommend it for climbers and non.
Weather was mid 50's during the day with clear skies, short days, and cold nights.
Here we are on Saturday getting ready to approach in Pine Creek.
I lobbied hard for Epinephrine (super classic 5.9+, with 600 feet of chimney, topping out at 2000ft), but everyone seemed pretty tame and were afraid of getting cold.
---So---
Simone, Micah and I headed to
Olive Oil, which was about an hour hike from the parking lot across your typical Nevada desert (which is to say very pretty). The route we climbed is on the back side of the peak in the foreground.
The topo says the route is 6 pitches of 5.6-5.8 climbing, but we made it in 3 plus a scramble to the top. The route itself was fun, but a little tame, I wouldn't have had any problems free-soloing it on sight. (if I was into that sort of thing.) Pitch 3 was the highlight with a nice long crack and a chimney.
Simone Starting up Pitch3: Micah half way up the chimney:
Me looking down, about halfway up the chimney:
If I had just gotten into the sport, I would have been in heaven, it was a classic climb and superb for a beginner... I was a little disappointed that no one wanted to try some harder routes tho.
Once we reached the top, we began our descent which was a walk off the back, - not one minute in, Simone rolls his ankle ending his weekend, and turning our hour return into a slow 3 hour journey in the dark. (I did remember to bring a headlamp)
Cheap Panoramma:
Some more views from the top (Approached from the left, big wall on the right)
Note the wall in the background:
This is very indicative of what is available all around. Any one of those cracks could be climbed if one was so inclined. The vast majority will not have any sort of anchor at the top to rappel off, but an adventurous soul could have a great time here making up their own routes, and not worrying about lines for the established climbs.
After returning to camp, most everyone left for town to get some supplies, and Tim and Pat and I struck out for the neighbors fire, as it was about 40 by this time (7pm)
The Neighbors (aka The guys from Missoula) passed around the jug-o-Seagrams7 and Tim got rippin drunk in under 45 minutes (No food?).
As the night went on there were plenty of camp hijinks
[ 
] afoot. I drove the Missoula guys back into town to get more beer, and had a rippin good time before going to bed in the desert. The Missoula guys were pretty cool mid-20s kids that had been there for about a week.. They offered to take me climbing the next day. I had to stick with my party, but it was a great indication of how easily you can find fun/good climbers.
..More of the same Sunday...
All in all, a great first climbing/dirtbag/camping experience.. Red Rock is a stunning place with a lot of amazing rock. The wind/rain erosion has made some truly amazing features, that make for equally beautiful climbs and views. I look forward to going back.
January is off season (cold) and by June it is too hot to climb. In between the campground and the routes fill up.. Plan your trip accordingly.
