Routes as trad in Nevada

One of the most popular multi-pitch routes at Red Rocks due, at least in part, to large comfortable belay ledges the whole way. Can be rappelled on one 70m rope with a bit of 4th class down-climbing, or with two ropes.

Starts below an obvious left-slanting crack.

1. 150' 5.5 - Climb the left slanting crack, skip the optional belay at 90', up a wider crack to a ledge, then continue up the crack to another ledge. Bolted anchors are a few yards out to the right.

2. 50' 5.5. Hike right along the ledge, boulder up to the next ledge, and up gentle slabs to a steeper wall. Re-belay from here, then up steepish black wall to a small overhang, the up a left-facing corner to a ledge with trees. End on a belay off a small group of trees.

3. 120' 5.6. Start up 4th class terrain about 15' to a small ledge, climb a thin crack in the varnished face left of a small corner to a small roof, traverse left under the roof to another crack that continues upwards, and up this to a ledge with a large block on it. Belay off slings around the large block.

4. 50' 5.3. Traverse right and a bit down to a ledge with a crack above it and anchors.

5. 110' 5.6. Climb the crack, past a bolt to run-out 5.5 terrain to the anchors. Most people end here at the anchor and rappel.

1. Climb the slab between bolts. Stay calm, it really is easy.... (5.5)

2. Stellar pitch up a dihedral crack system, you should try get another red cam stuck, this pitch needs more fixed gear! Can be linked with pitch 1. (5.7)

3. A long, long and rewarding pitch, the desert paten looks intimidating, but those cutouts are just sooooo good. For a confident leader you will be running this one out. (5.7)

4. The money pitch, but so short. Trend right off the belay over lots of air. Negotiate the offwidth, look around for gear, then fire out to the right across a series of stellar, unprotected but bomber face moves. Unreal. (5.8)

Descent: With 2x60m ropes, rappel down to the top of P2. Or, with 1 x 60m rope do 2 rappels with a hanging belay half way. From P2 anchors rappel to the ground avoiding the pool below.

P1: start on scrubby vertical arête with lots of features and a crack for pro. Follow crack past small roof to ledge. P2: Move right to steep corner crack and continue to top. Rap station is on the backside, to the right.

One of the best 5.8's in the world.

1. 140ft (5.8)

2. 100ft (5.8)

3. 100ft (5.8) 2&3 can be linked with 60m rope.

4. 160ft (5.8)

5. 110ft (5.8)

6. 100ft (5.6)

7. 130ft (5.7)

8. 80ft (5.7)

9. 75ft (5.8)

Descent: rap the route.

A superb sustained route at the grade (5.7+). Very popular, due to bolted anchors, ability to be rappelled on single 70m rope, and very good climbing with generally solid protection.

Start below the left-most of 2 obvious long cracks the split the lower part of the varnished buttress left of the corner that Spectrum climbs to the roof 60ft up. This is a few yards above a huge boulder that leans against the cliff creating a tunnel.

1. Climb the left crack to an anchor on a treed ledge. 110ft. 5.5 (Handren says 5.6, but it doesn't climb that hard.)

2. Climb straight up from the anchor, then follow a crack in the wall right of the main chimney to a ledge. Up the steep corner, then right under a block to an anchor at the right end of a big ledge. 110ft 5.7.

3. Go up and right about 10ft of easy ground to a left-leaning corner. At the top, traverse left past a bolt (crux) then up a steep crack to a ledge. Then up and right to the anchor. 85ft, 5.7+.

4. Go up about 20ft to a horizontal crack, then move up and right accross discontinuous cracks to an anchor on the face. This pitch has the most complicated route-finding -- generally, when in doubt, go up or right. On the face there should be a down-arching horizontal curve, and the anchor being aimed for is near the bottom of the curve. Belay at anchors with huecos for your feet. 95ft 5.6.

5. Move up and right to a thin crack, then over a bulge and up a thin (finger crack) on a varnished face with small holds and small gear. Finish on a small triangular, down-sloping ledge (crux). 95ft, 5.7+.

6. Variant, adds an extra 75ft pitch, not usually climbed due to fragile rock and run-out climbing. Climb up passing a small roof on the right, then continue up and right to an anchor in a small right-facing corner. 75ft, 5.7.

A Red Rocks Classic!

Approach: from Pine Creek parking lot, follow the main trail just past an old home foundation. Take a left here on the Oak Creek trail. This trail eventually forks right after about 15 minutes. Take a right on a faint trail heading to Juniper Canyon. Head for the Rose Tower, a rounded top pink formation by going into the second of two gullies. The first gully is the descent. The climb starts bout 250 yards up this gully after going over some boulders and a small creek, at a small clear beneath a left-facing, left-leaning chimney in a corner.

1. 90ft (5.7R) Climb the slab on the left side of the corner, passing a bulge (crux) and head diagonally right to a small sandy alcove,

2. 120ft (5.7) Climb the corner then move right into a splitter crack (fingers an hands) to a small ledge (semi-hanging gear belay)

3. 100ft (5.7) Continue up the crack, over a bulge and then move left into the corner. Climb the corner and belay with gear at a good ledge on the arete.

4. 140ft (5.7) Traverse right and then up a runout easy face, trending right towards a huge left facing corner. Follow the corner to a big flat area atop the column. Don’t go into the corner too soon. You can use some stoppers for your anchors here and save some cams for the long pitch ahead.

5. 195ft (5.7) The money pitch! Head up and right to the beautiful corner as long as the rope will get you. A 60m barely reaches a small ledge at the top of the corner. Save somesmall to medium size gear (.75 camalot) for the belay.

6. 50ft (4th class) Head right and up, then right and up again to the big flat top of the Rose Tower. Sign the logbook

Descent: Head north off the Rose Tower (the other side of where you came from) with 1 short exposed down-climb, then hike south down the gully (gully east of Rose Tower).

Starts behind pillar that looks like it has a boulder perched on it, left of the Solar Slab Gully.

1. 5.6 40m Cracks and featured patina to a bolted belay below a right facing corner.

2. 5.6 30m Corner and crack to belay in middle of face.

3. 5.6 30m Up and right to chicken heads on arete. Step left above roof to anchor.

4. 5.4 20m Easily up to 'Solar Slab' terrace.

Approach via Johnny Vegas or Solar Slab Gully. Both are easy, Johnny Vegas is great value, too.

Descent - Either do some soloing to the right of the route facing the wall, or follow cairns up and left to the Black Orchard Gully walls. A single 70m rap, (double ropes, on rope stretch just!) or multiple 20-30m raps will get you down to the slabs. From here, it's a ~hour walk down (trend UP the canyon, but down the slabs), and then back down through the canyon to the car. This descent is more tiring than the walk out, but can avoid scary scrambling and abseil madness.

A single rack to 3 will get you there with some inspiring runouts if you choose to link pitches.

Climb pitch 1 further than the original finish, anchor on the block half way up pitch 2. This lets you get to the p3 anchor with a 70m rope. A few other pitches can be linked (you might need to simul ~5m), making for an enjoyable day out.

This is it. THE classic red rocks route. And it's just as good as everyone says it is. Original route description said 18 pitches, but it can be done in as little as 11 with some boldish soloing in the upper segments.

1. 5.8 Start at the base of a steep, gray face Climb past a couple bolts up to a ledge with a few small trees. Continue up a white face, over a small roof, and past a slabby bolt-protected move to the belay. If you place a lot of gear, rope drag will be terrible. So, either use a lot of long runners, run it out, or do it in two pitches.

2. 5.6 Climb up the chimney to easier terrain. This is your warmup for the more serious chimneys above. Belay at the base of the major chimney system.

3. 5.9 Follow tricky 5.8 flakes up to the "real" chimney section. Grunt, squirm, and slither your way to the belay 170 ft above. This is probably the most cardiovascularly tasking pitch of the entire climb. Conservation of energy and minimization of effort is critical.

4. 5.9 I think this is the hardest pitch of the climb. Paste your foot on the slippery chimney wall that's angling the "wrong" way, arm bar in the off-width at the back of the chimney, and worm your way up to a good bucket. Continue over some tricky blocks and cracks to a beautiful 15' hand crack. Belay on a nice (but small) ledge with bolts.

5. 5.9 A tricky mantle starts the pitch off. Then, the climbing turns to "feet/knees to back" chimneying. Finish at the top of the tower. This is a really fun pitch.

6. 5.7 Switch into face climbing mode, and cruise the bolt-protected 5.7 face above. Pull the 5.7 roof, and head right to a good ledge.

7. 5.9 Move the belay right to the base of the "Elephant's Trunk". Head up the Trunk (5.6), past a two-bolt anchor, and up a steep 5.9 face to another two-bolt anchor. The climbing here is exquisite. There are good holds everywhere, but it's steep and really exposed.

8. 5.9 Climb up another beautiful face/dihedral to an alcove with a two-bolt anchor. More steepness and exposure!

9. 5.8 Follow the dihedral for 170 ft or so to a two-bolt anchor. This pitch is fun cruising.

10. 5.9 Continue up the dihedral to a 5.9-ish roof. Pull it, step left, and belay. The roof is probably not 5.9. People think it's that hard because they're so tired by this point.

11. 5.6 Fly up easy terrain to the end of the technical difficulties.

12. 5.4 Climb up the right facing ramp to a flat, bushy ledge. Best simulclimbed on a shortened rope.

13. 5.4 Climb up the right facing ramp to a flat, bushy ledge. Best simulclimbed on a shortened rope.

14. 5.4 Climb up the right facing ramp to a flat, bushy ledge. Best simulclimbed on a shortened rope.

15. (4th Class) Head across the slanted ledge to the giant pine tree. Easy but very exposed.

16. (2nd Class) Unrope at the tree and scramble to victory.

Starting just right of "Electric Coolaid", climb the right sloping crack until it turns vertical and peters out in the slight scoop in the face, then follow two bolts up and leftwards to the shared anchor.

This climbs the gully to the right of lower solar slab.

1. 150ft 5.1. Climb past first anchor at 80' to second anchor at 150' on a solid ledge beside a small tree.

2. 80ft 5.0. Climb up and left with some 3rd class to the base of a wide chimney split by a rib.

3. 150ft 5.1. Climb up the crack on the right side of the rib, then up some easy slab to a short steep section.

4. 80ft 5.3 Climb up a steep section (stemming), to flat ground, to a second (less) steep section, then look for an anchor on light-coloured rock to the right of the gulley.

Rappel the route (should go on a single 60m rope).

Climb the thin crack about 10ft right of Neon Sunset until it runs out, then up a seam, then run out to a bolt, then to the anchor for whichever adjacent route you choose.

Climb diagonally up rightwards to the obvious crack splitting the large varnished area on the front of the cliff.

An excellent route with a unique and freaky crux on P2.

P1) 100ft, 5.7, climb the broken face with cam placements in horizontal breaks, then move across to the left facing corner for a few moves, then follow the diagonal crack up and right to a bolted anchor.

P2) 160ft, 5.8, straight up the varnished face with bizarre balls for holds, easy to the first bolt, then the balls reduce in size up to the 2nd bolt, and reduce in size further for the crux up to the crack above. The crack turns into a dihedral, follow the crack to a bolted belay.

P3) 200ft, 5.7, climb the right facing corner above and move left on to the face between 10-20 feet below the roof. The angle backs-off quickly. Continue until you have no rope left and set a trad belay in the crack.

P4) you're probably left with 40 foot of 4th class or maybe 5.0 climbing to the top.

Descent: The descent gully is on the other side of the pinnacle you climbed, however, the safest access is to walk up and right through bushes to the highest point and down to a large tree with rappel slings. Three abseils lead down, something like 40m from tree, 20m from tree, 27m from bolts. Follow cairns and a vague track down to your packs.

A nice hand crack,and corner that run to the right of the large chimney/arch feature to the left of Ragged Edges. A fun, quality route.

Start a couple feet right of the triangular cut-out at a wide crack in the lower rock. Climb up this and a thin seam through the nearly solid varnish to a bolt. Then, continue up the wall past two more bolts to anchors.

A narrow crack on a slab about 10 feet to the left of the corner. Fun and easy, can probably be led with all passive gear.

Excellent and interesting lead.

Sour Mash is one of Red Rocks finest climbs. With varied climbing, tons of thin cracks, face climbing cruxs, and an intriguing traversing roof to crack. It features a mix of styles, between traditionally protected and well-bolted pitches. The bolted cruxs with the fifth pitch being the crux pitch. Small cams to #3 Camalot are good to have.

The start is easily identified by a large and deep arch on the R side of Black Velvet Wall. The route follows discontinuous cracks through the R edge of the arch's roof and then angles slightly back L as it ascends the steep wall above.

1. 150' 5.10a belay at the base or solo up to the next ledge to allow for less rope drag. The climbing starts up at a flake, then moves over easy ground into the steep blank L facing corner. Followed by layback moves and then a crimpy traverse L. Once above, easy climbing leads to several places where you can setup a belay below a roof above with a tree in between.

2. 80' 5.9 Head R from the tree to avoid rope drag. Ascend easily to below the broken roof area. Jugs to a small roof section up and over into a broad crack. Traverse R along the crack as it narrows. Keep trending R until you reach the belay station.

3. 180' 5.8 A long pitch broken up with easy rest places. Move up and slightly R on large holds into a corner. Continue out and L over face onto ledge with a rappel/mid-belay station. Then up the small corner above to a crack. Continue up to anchor and small ledge on the R.

4. 180’ 5.9 A little run out. Up the long L leaning crack on good rock and out L on crack. Over bulge to crux directly below anchor.

5. 90' 5.10a The crux pitch. Up crack with delicate moves until you reach a bulge. Pull up and over then trend R to anchor just below the small roof.

6. 75' 5.10a 5.9+ Over roof above the station to steep ground to a crack. Trend up R from the crack to enter the blank area, up to anchor.

Descend via rappelling off the middle of the giant roof.

1. 130ft (5.5)

2. 150ft (5.8)

3. 90ft (5.8)

4. 140ft (5.9) the crux of the route, protected by a bolt.

5. 150ft (5.8)

6. 160ft (5.2)

7. 160ft (5.7)

Descent: Rappel off the back of the tower, watch for cacti on the ledge below - the fine spines can get into the rope sheath. Follow the zig-zag trail down to the slab below and rappel 3 more times down " Power Failure".

Climb the crack in the middle of the formation, then the chimney/gulley above.

Starts about 10' left of Abbey road -- look for a couple bolts in the slabby face.

Very very run-out on lead, bad ground-fall potential, poor gear other than the widely spaced bolts.

I really liked this route as a lead. It is 5.8 if you use holds on the face, 5.9 if you stay in the crack. Protection is abundant although there are a couple of run outs.

On the east face of Mescalito, looking at the south side, there are two obvious big corners. This one climbs the 2nd big corner in from the south (left) side.

This finishes about 30-40 ft above the tree belay of "Cat in the Hat", an easy 5.0 not-exposed down-climb allows one to rap from there (3 raps with a single 70m rope).

Climbs up the right side of the Wholesome Fullback pinnacle.

Start 100 m right and downhill from Crimson Crysalis in a chimney.

Pitch 1: 5.8, 35m, chimney and crack to double bolt belay

Pitch 2: 5.9, 35m, follow crack to ledge and head left up to the crack that leads to the crux pitch dihedral. Either belay from rappel anchor (25m, step left on ledge) or build an anchor at the base of the crack

Pitch 3: 5.10, 30m, hand crack and face climbing trending left to ledge below dihedral with double bolt belay

Pitch 4: 5.12a, 30m, face climb past two old bolts into the techy, pumpy finger/tips dihedral. Final hand jams lead to stance with 3 bolt belay

Pitch 5: 5.10, 40m, steep hand and fist crack that gets wider towards the top but face holds and a thin crack within the crack prevents any serious off width action. Build belay on gear

Pitch 6: 5.something, 15m, tunnel through the chimney to reach a stance in the west side. Belay on old slings and gear

Pitch 7: 5.11d, 35m, up the steep waving crack over several buldges to rappel anchor

Gear: 3-4 C3#0.1-#0.3, 2 C4#0.4-#0.75, 3 #1-#3, 1-2 #4, set of stoppers

Descent: rappel on the west face with single 70m rope via 6 newly bolted anchors to the ledge, walk left to the second anchor. Rap to the ground from there.

Start on a boulder. P1) 140ft, 5.8, climb a flake to the left facing corner and bolt. Horizontal traverse left, climb right facing corner to a second bolt, the horizontal traverse back right. Climb the shallow corner/crack up to a single bolt anchor with a thread below, you can also supplement with cams above.

P2) 150ft, 5.6, basically climb straight up the face, the challenge is finding gear placements, maybe wander slightly left and return right to a double bolt belay in white rock.

P3) 100ft, 5.8, it looks intimidating, almost overhanging. Move right to a crack and climb to a roof, place a cam with extended sling then step out right and traverse to a bolt, then up a short steep wall to a very laid-back slab. Wander up and set a trad belay in the crack. Expect a bit of rope drag.

P4) 100ft, low 5th class, straight up the crack to the top.

Descent: Walk left to a saddle between Lotta Balls Wall and the main cliff. Continue down the gully on the other side down to a large tree with rappel slings. Three abseils lead down, something like 40m from tree, 20m from tree, 27m from bolts. Follow cairns and a vague track down to your packs.

A tight corner that goes through a roof and continues up a crack to the bolted anchors of the first pitch of Physical Graffiti.

Not really part of Ranch Hands Crag, this is up above Ranch Hands and Dickie Cliff -- about mid-way between the two of them.

A clean-cut right-facing corner.

Continue on another 6 pitches to the top of Mescalito after the usual rappel point and the end of pitch 4. Not a trivial undertaking.

Crack is generally too shallow for jamming but lots of face moves keep the climbing pretty mellow. Protection is tricky with lots of passive placements and generally small cams. Tricams will work here. Bolted anchors.