Below are some of my pics from Daryl and myself's two day excursion to the Rainbow wall at Red Rocks, which is regarded by some as the highest and baddest wall there. We hiked in our water, bivy and climbing gear the afternoon before and started climbing after a night of little sleep due to the brightness of Vegas in the distance. It was amazing and fun climbing, partly due to the fact that I lead nothing but the 5.6 first pitch. The whole thing goes at 5.12a or 5.9 A2. I belayed Daryl up the first seven pitches so he could work the moves. They are graded (Pitches 1-7 ):
5.6- not near as fun as the pitches to come
5.12a -not very warmed up by the time you make it to the burly crux move on this one
5.11d- very strenuous and sustained liebacking
5.11a- Follow a thin seam
5.11b- Daryl nabbed the redpoint on this one. Climb gingerly up a huge detached block and then up to a strenuous roof around right.
5.10c- This was still pretty hard after all the preceding pitches. We then rappelled the route
Here are a few pictures
The Original Route follows the dihedral directly in the center below one of two black streaks. Follow the notch on the skyline down and you'll see it. You can bivy at Rainbow ledge up near where the tree is slightly up and right. Now, can you see the climber aiding pitch 2? No? I'll zoom in for you...
He's just left of the black streak in the center
Daryl at our perfect bivy spot at the base
A couple from Santa Cruz jugging up their fixed lines
Looking over at Crimson Chrysalis and beyond to Las Vegas. Again, for scale you can just make out a couple climbers on top of Crimson, about halfway up the 45 degree slab on the top of the tower. It was a kick to look out over a 1000 foot route I had done a few years ago with my climbing accomplice Richard.
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