Are there any walls/areas where there are still new routes to be had? I like the adventure of starting up a wall and figuring out where to go even if it means leaving gear to retreat. Where is the best area to find unclimbed potential routes or are these all guarded secrets of the locals? Not looking for super hard or to bolt anything.

Brian

Of course, practically everywhere. The best place? Drive out to Red Rocks, walk across the desert, choose a spot and start climbing.

There is more untouched rock than not in Red Rock ... part of the challenge is figuring out how to get to it. Study a guidebook, look at the photos, and you'll see what I mean.

There are three main approaches to locating new routes.

The Analytical approach: study the available information (guidebooks, magazine & journal articles, local chatter) and identify the blank spots on the map. Then go out, identify one that appeals to you, and find a line up through it. This frame of mind has produced many guidebook authors, and is also commonly seen in engineers and those who have spent too much time in universities. This is the approach I try to follow.

The Romance of Spontaneity approach: wander off into the desert, spot a line that appeals to you, and climb it. Figure out later if it was a new route. (See Glime's note, above.) Tremendously rewarding if you are a good judge of potential routes, and your wandering leads you to stumble across something that is both beautiful and near your limit. Can be terrifying if you are not a good judge of the rock, or if the route has hidden its worst secrets.

The Clueless Idiot approach: try to keep you nose clean by picking an existing, documented route, then get off route. Or even better, don't realize you didn't find the route you were looking for until you are so committed it will be easier to continue up than retreat. Of these three strategies, this one has probably been the most "productive" for me.

Thanks all for your responses. I realize that quality new routes are being put up daily in Red Rock but what I am really looking for are areas where I may be more likely to find quality unclimbed routes. For example, if I hike out to the Necromancer wall, Lotta Balls wall, Brass wall, etc. I'm not going to find anything new of any quality because those areas have such heavy traffic that everything of any quality has been tried whether on purpose or stumbled upon. I'm looking for areas that may be a little off the beaten path that haven't yet been fully explored.

Normally Brian I would agree with your statement about heavily trafficed areas but redrocks is kind of an exception to this. In the few years I have been here, there have been several pretty decent FA's put up right in the middle of well established areas.

Some examples:
Beerrun (Lotta Balls Area)
The Gambler (Sweet Pain Wall)

Some of my own:
DD (Wilson)
Sunburn Buttress (Solar Slab area)
Grinch (Cat in the Hat area)

Granted that these may not be as spectacular as the fox, or yinyang but were also not talking about junky routes either.

By the way, were all looking for the "good" routes. If I knew where they were I would have climbed them or wouldn't tell you about them either. The truth is that you just can't tell alot of times though. You can start up nice rock and then run into a sugary horror show or vice versa.

The hard thing about Red Rocks is that there are alot of unrecorded routes out there. When Larry and I went up what is now called sunset slabs in first creek we thought we were on a FA only to find out later it was an early Joe Herbst route. Just a few months ago Doug Hempken, Larry DeAngelo and myself climbed what we thought was a new line on jackrabbit buttress only to find a webbing belay at the top of the first pitch. As a result you may see some routes listed as FRA (first recorded ascent). When I first arrived I was lucky to find Larry DeAngelo who is a walking encyclopedia of the routes in the park.

So, there are routes everywhere but your still looking for some large areas for development. Mt. Wilson is ripe with routes from single pitches to mega grade IV's. Around the base there are quite a few "crags" and even many lines of weakness to the summit. First Creek has seen a flurry of activity lately but probably still has more potential especially on the north (wilson) side of it. The hidden wall only has one route on it but its way back there. That is alot of the story now. Most of the mouths of the canyons have been climbed up but deeper in the canyons there are really unlimited possibilities. The walls your are seeking may not even be named yet.

One last thing is to remember to be careful. The rock quality here varies . . .ALOT. Red Rocks may seem close to the city but when your half way up Mt. Wilson you might as well be 100 miles away. Cell phone service is spotty at best and even other climbers are many times a rarity on "popular" routes and crags.

Be sure to post your endeavors on the Proj to immortalize your adventure.

Cheers and happy hunting.

Thanks Karsten. Hopefully I won't epic and have to leave half my rack behind. :-)

the black canyon of the gunnison river is always a good place for an fa.

Healyje,
I've been there done that and it is always fun...afterward when you recount the epic to friends.
May gravity be your friend.

Brian

You mean like this?
http://www.redrocksguidebook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1>>>>>

Anyone know if any of these cracks in to the left of the tree have been climbed. They're certainly not in any guide book.

Where is that wall Jerry???

Jerry,
Let me start by saying that your guidebook is a the best guidebook I've ever seen for any area. The glossy photos are a thing of beauty. Any hints on where this unclimbed wall is?

Brian

squirrl
doesn't look familiar to me. This is exactly the shit I am talking about. There looks to be several promising lines in your pic.

I guess no one is volunteering a hint as to where those unclimbed walls are. :-)

Here's a new one on a previously unclimbed wall. ~1000ft, easy 5.10, 6 pitches of 200+ft climbing

Karsten, A hint as to where it is? The route that has been done on it looks like the easiest line.

Brian, send me a personal e-mail with your best guess, if you get the major feature, i'll tell you. but i must warn you. the "easiest line" is not that easy. 3/4 of the way up one particularly poorly protected pitch i thought i was going to puke from shot nerves. but that is what boltless onsight FAs on big stone is all about.

So I've been working in Hardware Ranch Utah recently, and I've noticed on the drive down the canyon between there and Hyrum, miles upon miles of rock, cliff, peaks etc. Anyone climb there? It looks remote and desolate and non-developed. I'm in Logan right now.