Red Rocks, Nevada

Overview map

If you plan to do a multi-pitch climb at Red Rocks, call (702) 647-5050 to get a Late Exit Pass. The Scenic Loop road closes at 5PM in winter, and 6PM in Summer. You WILL get a ticket if you park anywhere along the loop road without a Late Exit Pass after the road closes. Late Exit Passes are not issued for First and Second pullouts.  
  1. Solar Slab 5.6, Oak Creek Canyon



    Approach:     Park at the end of the dirt road. Look for a big arch on the Southeast face of Rainbow Mountain. Solar Slab goes up along the right edge of the arch. Once you get to the hairpin turn of the trail, go down about 40 yards, then stay on the rocky trail to the right. Do not go down to the steambed like the guidebook says. After about 10 minutes on this rocky trail, you will came across two gigantic boulders and two cairns marking the trail. Go up hill from here. The rest of the approach is clearly marked by cairns all the way to the base of the climb. Total approach time is about 50 minutes for someone going at a slow to moderate pace.

    GPS Coordinates:
        Oak Creek Parking    N36 06 38.9 W115 27 59.2  3929 ft
        Hairpin Turn              N36 06 10.8 W115 28 56.0  3929 ft
        Solar Slab                N36 06 12.8 W115 29 12.8  4387 ft

    The climb:     The topo in Swain's guidebook is very accurate. Solar Slab gully can be simul-climbed. This climb is long, so make sure you start early, climb fast and bring a headlamp and a jacket with you.

    Gully 1st Pitch: The easiest option is to go up the chimney and stay in the chimney. Do not wonder over to the face the left or the dihedral to the right. Belay station is     a small tree and 2 bolts plus 2 pitons on the wall to the right. 

    Gully 2nd and 3rd Pitches: Easy 4th and 5th class. If you have a 60-meter rope, you can combine these two pitches together. The belay for the 3rd pitch is many slings around a natural thread. 

    Gully 4th Pitch: Go up the easy low angle crack and belay from a tree in the corridor right before the waterfall. 

    Gully 5th Pitch: Climb up the wet waterfall to another corridor, and another short section of the waterfall. Belay from the bolts to the right of the waterfall after you emerge from the corridor. 

    Solar Slab 1st Pitch: The start of the climb is about 50 yards or more to the left of the bolts. This pitch is part slab and part crack with no moves harder than 5.6. Very nice pitch. Start from a white face, then traverse to the right into the crack. Belayfrom a bush on the ledge.

    Solar Slab 2nd Pitch: Goes over a corner then up to a ledge with a dead tree. 

    Solar Slab 3rd Pitch:     Go right a little bit then up a crack. Use long slings on pros to reduce ropedrag. Belay from 2 bolts

    Solar Slab 4th and 5th Pitches: We ran out of time and bailed after the 3rd pitch. 
    Descent:     Two ropes to rap.  When you rap from the bolts on top of the 3rd pitch (where we bailed), do not stop at the ledge (belay station for the 2nd pitch), keep going down until you get to the bolts just below the arch. One more rap from the bolts will get you to the terrace. The Gully can be rapped with one 50-meter rope. 

    Pro:

  2.  Cat In The Hat, 5.6+, Pine Creek Canyon



    Approach:     .Park at Pine Creek Canyon parking lot. Cat In the Hat is on the Southeast wall of Mescalito Tower, a diamond formation that can be easily seen from the parking lot. Hike down the trail and stay on the trail well above and to the right of the creek until you are almost at the toe of Mescalito. Follow the faint trail and hike around to the South side of the tower, then scramble straight up to the base of Cat In The Hat.  

    GPS Coordinates:
        Pine Creek Parking        N36 07 47.0 W115 28 23.8 4042 ft
            Trail Junction:                N36 07 26.4 W115 29 24.8 4089 ft
        Cat In The Hat:              N36 07 19.6 W115 29 36.0 4166 ft
    The climb: 

    1st Pitch: The first pitch is where most people got lost. Climb the crack and chimney as the guidebook says. Half way up the pitch you should see a couple of bolts to the right of the climb. Once you are on the sloping terrace (the much smaller one compare to the next terrace), step right 10 to 20 feet (almost around a corner) until you find 3 bolts at chest level on a block. Do not climb the steep crack on the wall to the left of the terrace.

    2nd Pitch: The description in the guidebook is very confusing. This pitch has one 5th class move at the beginning, followed by a lot of walking on a flat terrace, then a short chimney. It  starts with a very short 5.0 scramble to a huge terrace, big enough to park several tour buses. Walk on this almost flat terrace for 50?? yards to the right until you get to the belay tree at the corner directly below a chimney. Climb up the short chimney and belay from a tree.

    3rd Pitch: Guidebook description is very accurate. The traverse under the white roof is the crux of this pitch. Belay from many slings around a big block.

    4th Pitch: Traverse to the right, then down to the ledge. If you are trailing a rope, make sure it's not caught on anything. Easy but exposed.

    5th Pitch:  Probably the best pitch. Climb the crack to the slabby face. Make one 5.6+ (or 5.7 if you are tired) move to reach the bolt. Climb past the bolt up the crack and belay from 2 bolts. 
    Descent:     Two ropes to rap.   First rap: from the bolts on top of the 5th pitch to the block with many slings (top of the 3rd pitch). Then rap the route from here.

    Pro:
      Regular rack with one set of nuts, pink, red and blue tricams, BD camalots from 0.3 to #3
       
  3. First and Second Pullouts

    4. Second Pullout Parking  N36 09 06.7 W115 26 14.6 4059 ft 
    Black Corridor                 N36 09 19.0 W115 26 11.7 3981 ft
    The Gallery                     N36 09 24.7 W115 26 19.2 
    PantyWall                       N36 08 58.3 W115 25 47.5 4127 ft 

  4. Calico Basin

    5. Red Spring Parking    N36 08 39.8 W115 25 13.2 3639 ft 
    Cannibal                     N36 08 56.7 W115 25 21.1 3713 ft 
    PhysicalGraffiti           N36 08 58.1 W115 25 35.5 3978 ft 
    Valentine 5.8               N36 08 31.8 W115 25 13.2 3779 ft

  5. Other Areas:

    6. RAGGED EDGE            N36 09 28.5 W115 29 58.2 4343 ft 

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