By Scott McLeod
Apr 3, 2008
| Hello,
I am coming down this weekend from SLC and was curious if anyone had recommendations for moderate trad climbs (5.5-5.8) that are off the beaten path so the weekend wont be spent waiting behind tons of parties and waking up at the crack of dawn.
I am coming down there with my partner, and while she is a competent climber, extra variables kinda stress her out. Also, it would probably be a plus to do routes that are not overly long, 3-5 pitches is generally good for her, but i am glad to hear about longer ones as well.
THANKS!
Scott |  |
By Jordan Ramey
From South Pasadena, CA
Apr 3, 2008
| Sundog, Trad, 4 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III (instead of Solar Slab)
Purblind Pillar, Trad, 6 pitches, 900 feet, Grade III
Ginger Cracks, Trad, 7 pitches, 900 feet, Grade III (instead of Crimson Chrysalis)
A little longer, but I had these slated to avoid the crowds while still being trade routes (i.e. not much loose rock like RR non-trade routes). | |
By vegastradguy
From Henderson, NV
Apr 3, 2008
| Sundog is good, but its closer to .10a than 5.8!
Ginger is a bit tough as well- 5.9, but bolted at the actual crux.
I'd recommend:
Cookie Monster to Cat in the Hat- Cookie avoids the crowds of Cat, but stops short of the last two pitches of Cat. If you get up there and its a ratrace, just rappel Cat.
Group Therapy- not as crowded as its neighbor (Tunnelvision), but better imho. Wide, though, and a bit runout in spots.
There and Back Again, 5.8 - really good, although the anchors arent as awesome as I'd like them to be. Amazing finish on a crack that would be 5.10+ anywhere else!
Hot Flash, 5.8- one of the new routes up the First Creek Slabs. Really good, from what I hear.
Sunset Slabs, 5.fun- the easiest way up the slabs- really fun climbing the whole way with a vertical handcrack finish. Run-out in spots, but never where its hard. Mostly 5.easy climbing, but it gains 1000' feet and brings you to the base of the Labyrinth Wall. Check mtnproject for beta on the descent as the latest guidebooks arent that good.
Bourbon Street, 5.8 - one of my routes. Its right next to Frogland. A little more adventurous, but never too serious. A stellar crux pitch on a perfect finger crack followed by awesome slab climbing for a long ways up Whiskey Peak. | |
By Larry DeAngelo
Administrator
Apr 3, 2008
| Scott McLeod wrote: Hello, I am coming down this weekend from SLC and was curious if anyone had recommendations for moderate trad climbs (5.5-5.8) that are off the beaten path so the weekend wont be spent waiting behind tons of parties and waking up at the crack of dawn. ... probably be a plus to do routes that are not overly long, 3-5 pitches
Some good suggestions already, but here are a few more.
Lady Luck just recently done, euphoria-inducing, 7-pitches. Climbing is almost all easy on very friendly rock. All the other routes on the First Creek Slabs are good, too.
Windy Peak never seems crowded, especially Windy Corner or Hot Fudge Thursday.
In the Solar Slab area, there is never a line for Heliotrope and it might be the best route up there. Of course, you won't be far from the crowds, and you'll be doing a lot more than 5 pitches.
If you head up to do Olive Oil and find crowds (very likely) you can continue to One-Armed Bandit. Across the canyon there are Guppies on Ritalin, Minnows on Mescaline and a few other routes that haven't made it into the database yet. The nearby MysterZ is very pleasant and relaxed, and does not seem to get a lot of traffic yet. Rose Hips might be worth a look as well.
Spare Rib is pretty good, although a bit of a hike. | |
By John Hegyes
From Las Vegas, NV
Apr 3, 2008
| Black Velvet Canyon
Refried Brains, 5.9, 4 pitches
Arrow Place, 5.9, 2 pitches
The Misunderstanding, 5.9, 2 pitches
First Creek
Black Magic, 5.8, 4 pitches
Brujah's Brew, 5.9, 4 pitches
Trihardral, 5.8, 4 pitches
Oak Creek
There and Back Again, 5.8, 5 pitches (I definitely second the nomination)
Sunspot Ridge, 5.8, 12 pitches
Juniper Canyon
Black Dagger 5.7+, 6 pitches (the best route at that grade in the park, I think)
Cat Scratch Fever, 5.8, 6 pitches
Armatron, 5.9, 4 pitches
Pine Creek
Dark Shadows, 5.8, 4 pitches (likely crowded, but on a cool week day...)
Splitting Hares, 5.8, 2 pitches (a good one, not often climbed) | |
By Scott McLeod
Apr 4, 2008
| Wow,
You guys are amazing. Thanks for ALL of your help! One more small question: Where is the closest gear store to the park? I will have to buy a new fuel bottle when i get there cuz i am flying...
thanks,
Scott | |
By John Hegyes
From Las Vegas, NV
Apr 4, 2008
| Desert Rock Sports is the local climbing store. Charleston and Cimmaron
Sport Chalet is chain sporting goods store. Charleston and Ft. Apache
They are both about 8 - 10 miles from the park. | |
By Doug Hemken
From Madison, WI
Apr 4, 2008
| If you are burning propane, there is a Home Depot on that same stretch of Charleston that has welding supplies. | |
By lin
Apr 4, 2008
| It always boggles my mind when I see people replying to this type of inquiry.
Not to sound like a jerk, but if you post to this type of inquiry then eventually all the routes where you used to be able escape the crowds will be filled with crowds. Who else sees it that way?
When I visit RR I always talk with other people at the campground and which ever routes are talked about the most I know to avoid. | |
By Aaron S
From Vegas
Apr 4, 2008
| lin wrote: It always boggles my mind when I see people replying to this type of inquiry. Not to sound like a jerk, but if you post to this type of inquiry then eventually all the routes where you used to be able escape the crowds will be filled with crowds. Who else sees it that way? When I visit RR I always talk with other people at the campground and which ever routes are talked about the most I know to avoid.
Perhaps not everyone who climbs at RR constantly scours over this site. There are tons of obscure climbs here; some are rad and some suck. Getting together to figure out the cool ones seems pretty worthwhile to me.
Black Widow Hollow is a lesser known 5.9 that I really like. It climbs good rock and has an easy approach/descent and I have posted this more than once online. Despite my posting this I highly doubt there will be any crowds on it tomorrow. | |
By Josh Audrey
From LAS VEGAS
Apr 5, 2008
| lin wrote: It always boggles my mind when I see people replying to this type of inquiry. Not to sound like a jerk, but if you post to this type of inquiry then eventually all the routes where you used to be able escape the crowds will be filled with crowds. Who else sees it that way? When I visit RR I always talk with other people at the campground and which ever routes are talked about the most I know to avoid.
Lin,
guess what I think this site might exist for...... this exact reasson,
so climbers can comunicate with each other. Peep the main page
"beyond the guide book" duh! I climb here regularly, I'm pretty sure there is
enough routes to go around.
Scott,
Check Angel Food wall easy approach and all the routes are
really close. | |
By lin
Apr 7, 2008
| Arron and Josh, don't get you panties so knotted up. Obviously you do wear them or you wouldn't get so bent over another point of view expressed on an open forum.
| |
By Ed Wright
Apr 7, 2008
| Off the beaten track and well worth the long hike in is Cat Walk 5.8. | |
By Josh Audrey
From LAS VEGAS
Apr 7, 2008
| another great route suggestion from Lin.....yeah way to contribute! When you put a question mark at the end of a sentence it implies a question, you asked" who else sees it that way?" I don't. Sorry to answer your question and from your profile I see you like to conribute, awesome you are a real inspiration thanks Lin thank for being soooo great. | |
By Doug Hemken
From Madison, WI
Apr 7, 2008
| lin wrote: ... if you post to this type of inquiry then eventually all the routes where you used to be able escape the crowds will be filled with crowds. Who else sees it that way? ....
There are SO MANY good long routes, at every level of difficulty, that its not hard at all to find stuff off the beaten path. I've been on at least a dozen good routes here where we did not encounter other parties all day, and saw little or no chalk. Yet information on some of those routes has been readily available for 25 years or more. Many of them pop up regularly in internet forums. Your theory may sound logical enough, but it flies in the face of my experience. I'll stick with the evidence, thanks.
(1) Most people don't like to walk.
(2) The crowds are on the "best" 2-3 routes that are readily accessible at a given grade.
I enjoy it when other people get as enthused about Red Rock as I do. Why not help them out? | |
By Tony Bubb
From Boulder, CO
Apr 7, 2008
| Is 'Sour Mash' considered a trade route now? It is a top-10 5.10a, and at least when I did it was NOT considered a trade route. Also some of the stuff on Lotta Balls Wall (IE Lotta Balls) get less traffic and are good. | |
By Dave Holliday
From Louisville, CO
Apr 7, 2008
| Tony Bubb wrote: Also some of the stuff on Lotta Balls Wall (IE Lotta Balls) get less traffic and are good.
Agreed. We did Trihardral and Black Magic on the Lotta Balls Wall. Trihardral was ok; I thought each pitch was thoughtful for the grade. I really liked Black Magic and I would recommend that to anyone looking for a good moderate. | |
By Tony Bubb
From Boulder, CO
Apr 7, 2008
| lin wrote: It always boggles my mind when I see people replying to this type of inquiry. Not to sound like a jerk, but if you post to this type of inquiry then eventually all the routes where you used to be able escape the crowds will be filled with crowds. Who else sees it that way? When I visit RR I always talk with other people at the campground and which ever routes are talked about the most I know to avoid.
Though I do avoid crowds, I don't see the issue the way you do at all. I just elect to do trade routes on weekdays with early starts on when the forecast is less than perfect.
Given that there are a certain number of people, if they all "escape the crowds" and disperse, then they will be dispersed, and then there will be no crowds. Problem solved - or at least that's how I see it. If X = people and Y= Routes, then X/Y = N when N is numer of people per route. You can figure out quickly that N is decreased with an increase in Y.
Regardless, maybe I'm a year or two too old to be in the "ME, Me, and then me first, and in that order" generation and realize that it's not all about me. I like to share and am not so territorial.
lin wrote: Arron and Josh, don't get you panties so knotted up. Obviously you do wear them or you wouldn't get so bent over another point of view expressed on an open forum.
So maybe I am wearing panties too?!?!? Hope that doesn't give you heartburn. They are my wife's. She's hot. | |
By Aaron S
From Vegas
Apr 7, 2008
| lin wrote: Arron and Josh, don't get you panties so knotted up. Obviously you do wear them or you wouldn't get so bent over another point of view expressed on an open forum.
Sorry Lin, next time I respond to one of your posts I will try to use more childish insults and personal attacks. | |
By lin
Apr 8, 2008
| Tony, if you want to wear your hot wife's panties then more power to you, just don't get them all knotted up like Josh and Aaron.
Aaron I will look forward to your creativity. | |
By caughtinside
From Point Richmond, CA
Apr 8, 2008
| I like your style lin, you talk to other climbers at camp so you can get psyched to not climb something, a fine counterintuitive process of elimination I don't think I would have thought of. Negative Beta! | |
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