Big gear at Red Rocks

I recently purchased the Handren guide in anticipation of a trip to Red Rocks and was surprised to read that many of the routes, including many of the "classic" lines, list pro up to 4-5 inches. According to the chart in the front of the book Handren equates that size with a #5 C4 Camalot. All the places I've climbed using a single #4 camalot is common but 5 and 6 are specialty pieces.

How frequently do people carry the big cams at Red Rocks, assuming they are not looking to specifically climb offwidth?

It's hard to answer without know which routes you are looking at.

I have done a few of the Red Rocks multi-pitch classics and have not used a #5.

I feel the following could be climbed without a #5.

Cat in the Hat
Solar Slab
Johnny Vegas
Birdland
Dark Shadows
Sundog
Sunflower
Dream of Wild Turkeys
Eagle Dance
Prince of Darkness
Only the Good Die Young
Levitation 29
Cloud Tower (At least 2 #4's useful/necessary)

On my ascent of Epinephrine we did not have a #5 but it might be nice for one of the earlier chimney's.

Cheers,

Luke

I've only been to RR twice, but: I was really happy to have both a #5 and 6 Friend on 'Black Dagger', as well as both on 'Group Therapy'. (And for a while I really was wishing I had had 2 #6's on 'Kick in the Balls'). Up to #3 C4 worked most elsewhere.
But I'm a weenie, and some of these 5.7/8's are still working me over.....

I just got back from RR last week. We did a bunch of the standard classics and my #5 and #6 Friends never got used. The #4 Camalot was used a couple of times (can't remember exactly where) but anything larger probably won't be necessary unless you're looking to climb chimney routes exclusively.

Other than obvious offwidth routes, for the moderate classics, it's nice to have a big piece for Refried Brains, Group Therapy, Black Dagger, Frigid Air Buttress - and I'm having trouble thinking of any others at the moment. Not a part of the "standard Red Rocks rack" by any means. The new #4 camalot is a bit small for the big piece on Epinephrine, a #5 (or old #4) is fine.

Thanks for the help. Most of the routes I looked at Luke listed. Many of them listed pro as "Single rack up to 4 inches" with some individual route variation. I'll plan on only up to my #4 C4 if Handren lists pro to 4". Not only will that save me the cost of buying a #5 cam but more imporantly I won't haul that heavy beast up a bunch of routes that don't need it.

There are plenty of classic routes out there that don't even require a #4, I can think of several just on Black Velvet wall, and that's just one wall.

That being said, if you do get or borrow some bigger pieces be sure to check out the southern outcrops (Chocolate Rocks & Illusion Crags) for tons of steep moderate single pitch trad routes on bulletproof rock.