RRC Archives

leaving tomorrow for vegas and it will be 97 degrees in the shade. any beta on mt. charleston climbing?

anyone got a guidebook I can borrow? (I have todd swain's old book)

You can borrow my copy of the online guidebook if you promise to return it before next weekend. http://www.redriverclimbing.com/RRCGuideV2/

Get psyched for the drilled pockets?!?!? And plan on climbing a number or two harder there then (most of) the red.

Piggy - email me and I'll get you in touch with Mike and Susan if you want. Mt Charleston is pretty cool..literally. It might be too cool there still. You might consider climbing on the shaded cool side of Red Rock...its mostly trad but it stays in the shade all day.

I've climbed at Charleston many times and think it's a cool place. It gets a somewhat bad rap for drilled pockets but it's killer limestone in a beautuful setting. Yes some of the routes are manufactured but there are lots of natural lines too (unlike nearby Mt Potosi which is mostly jizzled).

The Hood is the place that most people go. Takes about 45 minutes to drive there from downtown Vegas and then a 15-20 minute somewhat uphill hike. The crag goes into the shade around 12-1P which is when most people show up. Bring some warm clothes, I usally throw a down jacket in my pack as it'll be cold in the shade and usually windy. Should still be snow on some of the nearby mountains; it's hard to believe that you're that close to Vegas.

As far as climbing goes, the Hood has really good easy (<5.10) slab routes and good harder (12 and up) routes. The 10's and 11's can be weird and tweaky.

Warmup on one of routes on the Pine Tree ledge (Witness This or one of the linkups) then pick your poison. Some of my favorite routes:

Urban decay (12c) fun overhanging edges

Warlord (13a) overhanging crimps

Corrosion (13a) very cool bouldery route that's probably still wet

Rappin Boyz (12c) long leftward traverse on cool pockets. can stop at 1st anchor for 12a. Most toprope to clean unless draws are on it

Bloodline (12a) Terrible feet at the beginning but fun

Straight out of Comption (12d) Long powerful pulls between jugs. Steep.

It always takes me a little while to get into the groove at Charleston because the footholds can be ...well...terrible. The opposite of the Red in that regard.

Have fun!

--Brent

what guidebook will help me the most while out there....I know it isn't the one yasmeen loaned me.

Islands in the Sky would be your best bet...great guide. Although not sure if it has been updated recently...it should still be the best bet for chuck and the roost...definitely try to go to the roost, I really loved it when we started going there. I was a couple months pregnant, but I climbed a little on some easy stuff. it's really pretty up there and tucked away. We were climbing there in august I think...so not sure what it's actual season is.

The hood is fun too, Pine Tree ledge also has a really fun 10d with a harder extention...and not sure of the names, but there is a 10b if you want to warm up real good and get used to the elevation, it's just at the top of the trail...if you're looking at the cave there, it goes up the left side of the outside of the cave. there are two climbs there, maybe the same start if I remember and the 10 goes to the left, I think the right branch is an 11.

islands in the Sky...the gear shop on Charleston Blvd will have one that you can look at, or just buy it.

I was down at Red Rocks a week ago, and took a hike up Mt. Charleston. As soon as I hit 10,000', I was postholing through thigh-deep snow. The temps were plesantly cool in the shade with a nice breeze, maybe 55 degrees when it was 95 in Vegas. The cliffs look incredible...hard, too! There is a lot of untapped potential up there, have fun!

i climbed there in aug/sept over labor day last year. was there during the hottest day of the year. wasn't bad. get to the canyon by 6am - leave by 11. stay in the shade. don't touch sunny rock or it will burn you there's also a place called icebox canyon that's about 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the area. i haven't climbed there (yet)

if you like sushi, check out Todai - it's in the shops at the alladin. all you can eat buffet that is very VERY good. don't eat too much, though

there's also a great salad bar i always hit called Sweet Tomatoes. good stuff there, too.

hope you have a good time.

bolojm wrote:I was down at Red Rocks a week ago, and took a hike up Mt. Charleston. As soon as I hit 10,000', I was postholing through thigh-deep snow. The temps were plesantly cool in the shade with a nice breeze, maybe 55 degrees when it was 95 in Vegas. The cliffs look incredible...hard, too! There is a lot of untapped potential up there, have fun!

When I've been up there in May, I haven't had to posthole, but you'll see snow, at least across the canyon. You'll be cooking in LV, but take the advice to bring some warm clothes up there. (Without the guide book in front of me, I can't remember where I've been up there, but it's all been pretty nice climbing and it's a beautiful area)

Also, don't totally write off climbing at Red Rocks - in the shade, and esp. in the morning, it's totally doable. (and I hate the heat!)

If you have time, consider a trip up to St. George - there's a ton of variety and I'm pretty sure that there's shady and/or high elevation stuff.