The idea to go originally came from Bobbie Morrison. She was on a 6 months leave and was driving across the country, she emailed me and said if I would fly into Las Vegas, she could pick me up at the airport and we could climb at Red Rocks. Same night at Planet Granite Karin Wuhrmann and Linda Shen told us they already had tickets for the trip the same weekend. They also told Nat he is invited to climb with them since Bobbie & I were going to do long multipitch climbs. Linda mentioned since Nat can lead harder, they don't mind him in their team of 3 and he is always welcome to climb with them. That night Nat was bragging about being a "new" kind of man even a women's group don't mind on trips! :)
2 weeks later I mentioned this trip to Maria and said we had uneven number of people, she decided to go too. Then Bobbie's trip cross US got cancelled and we were left with 5 people again. That's when my friend Scott, the guy I climbed with while still living in Austin, TX emailed me. I guess it was that time of the year for him to visit us. Scott visits us every year since I moved here 3 years ago, last time he was here in March attending our wedding in Yosemite. Surprisingly Scott decided to drive to Red Rocks to meet us. He said it was only 22 hours :)
In preparation for my extended fall vacation in Nepal, India and Thailand and fearing that there will be no more computer jobs in Silicon Valley in 3 months I was working 2 full time contracts at the same time (one is 100% from home). I was very tired & stressed out and barely found time to exercise & go to climbing gym and couple of ski trips. Because of that I did not have very ambitious plans for the trip. It was my first trip to Red Rocks and I mostly wanted to relax, spend some time with Maria (who was also working 2 jobs and got into snow boarding so I haven't seen her for 2 months!) and also spend time with Scott and enjoy 3 days with no stress.
We were flying in on Saturday morning and were going to meet Karin & Linda & Scott there and do short climbs. Next day if the weather was nice we could get up earlier and go do the longer Canyon climbs. Nat wanted to do Frogland with Scott and Maria 7 I were going to do something easier, since Maria mostly leads only sport, and the only trad climb she led was "After Seven" in Yosemite and she said she was scared on it.
When we arrived on Saturday morning, it turned out the airline lost my climbing pack. So I couldn't climb that day and was mostly hanging out at the campground, did some hiking while everyone else went to do some short climbs. At night we went and picked up my backpack at the airport.
It rained at night and the morning was very gray and dreary, so everyone decided to go to the Moderate Mecca because it had short approach and many moderate trad and bolted climbs. We all had fun there, the sun came out, the views ver gorgeous, Scott & I lead some 5.6+ short crack which felt very easy, Linda led a 5.7 next to it, then we set topropes on 5.8+ and 5.10 roof. In short everyone was having a good time until it got very cold and windy and we left to buy firewood and cook dinner. We enjoyed dinner with great conversation about dogs, life, climbing, jobs and gossiped about common friends. I found out Scott actually read my posts to climbing newsgroup, I didn't know he was even reading it. Kristin Bloomer, the sheclimber, who was staying with our dogs called on my cell phone to say she loves the dogs, they are very adorable & loving (read: needy & clingy spoiled brats taking advantage of a naive & good natured cute climbing girl)
Next morning we got up early. I told Scott & Nat to go ahead and leave and let us pack the camp because they were heading to do the Frogland. I was feeling very tired so Maria and I wanted a relatively short climbing day and then she was going to show me Vagas. We were flying out next morning and staying at the hotel at night so we can catch an early flight. I really wanted to do a long 2 pitch 5.6 route called "Physical Graffiti" with a half and hour approach. Linda & Karin had done it on one of their previous trips, Linda lead both pitvhes. She highly recommended it, but said it was more of a 5.7. Another choice was to go to Panty wall with many moderate bolted climbs. The appeal was that Maria would actually be challenged since she climbs pretty hard. In particular a 5 bolt 5.6 with 2 5.10's off same anchor seemed like a nice short climbing day and there were couple of bolted 5.7's 5.8's and 5.9's nearby. After some thinking Maria & I decided to go there. I figured it was going to be an easy and pleasant day, and I would have no problems leading some 5.6, 5.7 and maybe 5.8 well bolted routes.We took minimal gear, just quick draws and rope & guide book.
At the base of the wall, Maria looked into my guidebook and confidently pointed to a long bolted face climb. That's the 5.6 she said. The guy gearing up to climb nearby said: "Oh yeah, it is very nice and has 2 5.10's off the same anchor". Good, I thought, I am going to lead it. However Maria decided first bolt looked very hard and the fall would be dangerous. Then I remembered I carried a cheater stick in my pack all the time (it is very small collapsible kind) and we decided to try to figure out how to use it. It wasn't too bad, we actually managed to stick clip the first bolt, we barely could reach it too. Now I was safe, it felt good, because the base of climb was a tiny ledge with a 20 foot drop-off.
It turned out to be a smart idea to stick clip the first bold because I fell making the first move! Damn! hard start for a 5.6! Boy am I having a bad climbing day! Somehow I climbed to the next clipping stance and with the last strength left clipped the second bolt, and had to hang on it. Maria said she could lead it if it's hard for me. I looked up and it looked like it was getting easier (it wasn't) and it was a very well bolted climb and I just wanted somehow to clip the anchor and set up a top rope for 5.10's so we can play on them. I decided I will not worry about the style and do whatever to get to the top. Somehow using the second bolt as a foothold and pulling on a quickdraw I managed to climb up to the third bolt stance and clip it and hang there panting. I told Maria that if I come down and find out it wasn't a 5.6 she is a dead person. After the third bolt I made numerous attempts to climb to the fourth bolt but was falling down every time: there was a bulge I couldn't climb over.
I lowered and Maria went up. She was having a really hard time too! But at least she wasn't "aid-climbing" ;-) She had to hang couple of times and was exhausted after clipping 5th bolt (1 bolt left) when Nat and Scott showed up and announced we were on Panty Mime 5.10c! At this point Maria decided she can't do it, because she doesn't lead 5.10c. But we convinced to to try and clip the last bolt and she did it! After she lowered off, Maria and I took the other rope and I quickly lead the "real" 5.6: Panty Prow. it was an easy 5 bolt climb on arette. Maria followed it. meanwhile Nat and Scott unsuccessfully tried to top rope the climb Maria & I "lead". Then Maria climbed the 5.10a off 5.6 anchor. Maria and I were beat and headed back to the car. It turned out Nat & Scott got stuck behind a slow party of 3 on Frogland and had to bail.
We checked into our hotel, got cleaned up and went walking on a strip. We saw all the casinos. I've never been to Vegas before so it was kind of interesting, then we ate some Italian food, walked around Venetian mall, bought my little niece a cute bunny toy (which Nat and Scott made fun of but Maria 7 I decided they didn't know what little girls like) and went to bed early to catch an early flight next morning. Back to the rainy Bay Area. great little trip. Didn't get to do the canyon climbs, maybe next time we are there if the weather is warm and we actually manage to get up early enough.