Red Rock: Free soloing recommendations?

RyanO wrote: Maybe it's the tourist climbers?

The LVCLC will soon start a wag bag initiative at certain areas to help mitigate some of the problem so keep your eyes and ears open.

Killis Howard wrote:Trouble is, I'm pretty sure I'm daring fictional characters, feels like church or something.

I'll bite. Killis-You wanna help me build WAG bag dispensers next week? I/the LVCLC got an American Alpine Club grant to fund the project. If you care to know the particulars, we've gotten the run-around from previous BLM folks as to the particular red tape on this project. Thanks to Nick and his higher-ups being in support, it will happen whenever I get around to making it happen. Incidentally, one dispenser will be in the Corridor. Then I will get to make the rounds once a week to pick up all the full WAG Bags that "tourist climbers" and lazy locals leave. I got an idea - I'll give you a stack of trash bags, and you can help.

americanalpineclub.org/gran…

FWIW, I put in at least 50 hrs of office work to get that, and contrary to the AAC's website, Mountain Gear also contributed to the project. Despite the fact that I'm not working temporarily either, I've haven't had time to save Red Rock from the Climbers yet. Let's talk next week when I'm in town, and I can relay a few more details. I suppose I should tell you to go fuck yourself, but you've done quite a lot of work in RR, and I think have the best interests of the land at heart, so I won't.

What does it entail to build a dispenser? I think its a great plan.

The idea that you can just leave the poobag in the canyon should never cross anyone's mind. Is that a problem at other wilderness areas? If so, bring up that Four Horseman avatar again.

I'd be willing to help too (scotchplease), but DO NOT imply to the masses that someone will pack it out for them OR wipe asses. (choke)

Steve

Hey Dimitri - Don't know if they are in your range, but Olive Oil (5.7) and Solar Slab Gully (5.3) to Solar Slab (5.6) are great routes and pretty solid too. Plus they have descents that are pretty straight forward for some of the longer routes in RR; especially if you are by yourself and don't want to take along a lot of stuff, like ropes for rappelling, though I think you will need a single for getting off of Solar Slab. Cheers.

Steve-apparently you haven't spent much time on mt baker or other popular venue in the PNW, where WAGs are mandatory when there aren't portos on the mtn. Ask Brandon and Leif (climbing rangers)about packing out everyone else's shit. BTDT. It absolutely Should NOT happen, but it does. The dispenser is made from 3/4" oak. It's just a wood box on a post. It has a slot on the bottom to remove the bag, and a locking lid to restock them. PM me for the design. It is pretty simple to someone with basic carpentry skills, which is all i've got. If you wanna help too, you're more than welcome. The scotch can wait til after the power tools are finished with, at least on my part as well. Killis-I didn't take it too personally. It is difficult as an organization to give the appearance of making progress, when the bureaucracy you're liaising with occasionally gives the impression they operate on geologic time.

Back to the original post. The alternate descent into the painted bowl, which i think is the one's Julian's referring to, can be downclimbed at 5.4 or so. The third pitch of SS is the solo crux, with somewhat insecure face climbing on sandy edges, so if you're not feeling it, take a 60m tag line to rap with, or downclimb. The SS gully's an easy downclimb, assuming its not running with water. A general rule of thumb from someone who does a fair amount of soloing here: Make sure the rock is bone dry, pick well-traveled routes (Epi's been soloed CTC in under 3 hrs), oh yeah don't fall - it's embarrassing for the rest of us.

I have more than basic carpentry skills and tools. Let me know if I can help.

mcarizona wrote:I made it up Tonto once (short climb). That was pretty scary!

I will post up next week, and lets see if we can get some dispensers built and installed. Thanks for the offers of help.

amount of poo under the cliff tells me that soloing IS indeed scary in the Red Rocks. :)
Regardless of where this discussion has shifted, thanks a bunch for all the recommendations; "unfortunately", I seem to have found partners for almost every day of my trip; but if somebody bails I'll know which routes I should be making my own call about. Peace!

Dimitri

Glad to hear your trip is coming together. I was there on a solo road trip over T-day back in 97. You could still camp out for free across from the gypsum plant back then. Everybody I talked to said I could join them at the Black Corridor. I had no interest in sport climbing, no one was interested in anything multi-pitch.

Driving past the exit of the loop road I saw a guy enjoying the sunrise over b-fast. Took a chance and stopped. His climbing plan was to solo Solar Slab but I could tag along. For some strange reason I ended up giving him a belay even thou he wasn't placing gear. All in all it was a good day we made fast work of it and he had the decent wired so that went fast as well.

Enjoy your trip.