RRG in Late October?

How's the RRG in late October? Too cold? Too rainy? Just right?

My partners and I are trying to decide between the Red and Red Rock (Las Vegas). Any advice would be welcome.

JL

Nothing is ever for sure in the Red. End of October is usually best weather of the year. But it may rain. If it does, go to one of the many walls with rain shelter. But, it could be 75, could be 40. It will probably be in the 50s or 60s.

^ What he said, but when October is good in the Red, it's truly phenomenal!

Thanks, guys. That's what I was hoping to hear!

JL

The website says you are the administrator for the RRG. Not trying to be mean here, but perhaps you're not qualified for that job?

I'm gettin some popcorn for this one. Did you get Gannett?

jhump wrote:I'm gettin some popcorn for this one.

What, to feed the troll?

JL

The only troll I've seen in this thread is this one:

"How's the RRG in late October?"

well, I've found that moccasyns are really nice for the trad cracks where you have to make your own chock anchors, but for "sport" edges and clipping bolts, I like my assanazi velcroes!

If you try to buy breakfast around there, they smother it in "Red Eye Gravy" which I am told is made from coffee grounds. It's more like Brown Eye Gravy. I'd go to Vegas.

John, have you done jungle beat 5.10 on military wall? Classic trad 2 pitch. about 200 ft.

Mike Anderson wrote:The website says you are the administrator for the RRG. Not trying to be mean here, but perhaps you're not qualified for that job?

Oh yeah he's qualified!

Peter L K wrote:Nothing is ever for sure in the Red. End of October is usually best weather of the year. But it may rain. If it does, go to one of the many walls with rain shelter. But, it could be 75, could be 40. It will probably be in the 50s or 60s.

this was your best answer. i've climbed in the RRG as late as mid-November, and if you catch a sunny day it's totally doable (just be ready for cold hands on your first few climbs).

In terms of where you go to climb, I have to say that any time I've sport climbed outside of Kentucky I haven't been super impressed. Granted, it's only a handful of other places, and the climbs were all fun, but the sport in the Red is fabulous. If you're headed out on a sport trip, I highly recommend the RRG. The day I spent sport climbing at Red Rocks was really fun, and we did some good climbs, but the Red, like I said, is awesome. And, for the record, there are climbs there that aren't just overhanging jug hauls - good ones, too.

Aaron Martinuzzi wrote: this was your best answer. i've climbed in the RRG as late as mid-November, and if you catch a sunny day it's totally doable (just be ready for cold hands on your first few climbs). In terms of where you go to climb, I have to say that any time I've sport climbed outside of Kentucky I haven't been super impressed.

Thanks for the input. When I've climbed at the Red in the past, it's been earlier in the season, so I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be too cold. I'm hoping it's dry too, but I know where to go when it rains.

I know most people go to the Red for sport (and I'll definitely do some while I'm there), but I'm more interested in trad; Arachnid and Purple Valley are on my list this time. Not sure I'm ready for Brad's suggestion of Jungle Beat, though; my experience with trad there is that it's stiff for the grade, and I'm just breaking into 10s as it is.

JL

Brad Killough IV wrote:Oh yeah he's qualified!

I appreciate it, Brad. This wiseguy had great timing -- I'd just spent the better part of last weekend cleaning up the train wreck that RRG had turned into on this site due to lack of an admin. So I wasn't exactly in the mood for a jerkoff comment. (Isn't it interesting how often people telegraph that they're about to be an asshole by first saying they don't mean to be one?)

JL

John your doing a great job! Hang in there!

OK, now who's being a jerk? IT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION! It seems to me that if you don't know if the weather is good at the Red in late October, then you don't climb there very much. If you're going to take the responsibility of being administrator (and the benefits that go with it), then you are susceptible to some oversight.

How much have you climbed at the Red? What are your qualifications to be the admin?

Mike Anderson wrote:OK, now who's being a jerk? IT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION! It seems to me that if you don't know if the weather is good at the Red in late October, then you don't climb there very much. If you're going to take the responsibility of being administrator (and the benefits that go with it), then you are susceptible to some oversight. How much have you climbed at the Red? What are your qualifications to be the admin?

Unless you are volunteering for the job... it might be wise to stop complaining. All the admins are volunteers and they do it as a labor of love - there are very few, if any, benefits.

saxfiend wrote:...I know most people go to the Red for sport (and I'll definitely do some while I'm there), but I'm more interested in trad; Arachnid and Purple Valley are on my list this time. Not sure I'm ready for Brad's suggestion of Jungle Beat, though; my experience with trad there is that it's stiff for the grade, and I'm just breaking into 10s as it is. JL

Plenty of good trad routes at that grade at the Red...all well-documented here and in print.

I think the ratings are pretty accurate. However, the nature of the sandstone (pebbly, nubbins, flaring cracks, etc.) does make setting pro a bit of a mind game - not the most comforting and secure at times.

Andy Laakmann wrote: Unless you are volunteering for the job... it might be wise to stop complaining. All the admins are volunteers and they do it as a labor of love - there are very few, if any, benefits.

I'm not complaining, I'm asking. If someone would answer the question instead of calling me a troll and a jerkoff (don't be a jerk, right? way to set the example), then maybe I'll complain.

Mike,

I think you're a bit out of line. You are correct that there are a number of Admins that are not really qualified to be admins, whatever that means, but its clear that any Admin is better than no Admin. MP.com is doing the best it can to run a website. Most of the job of being an Admin comes down to computer savy, time, effort & attention to detail; not knowledge of the climbing area. Ideally every Admin would have climbed every route at every crag they are responsible for, but that is obviously never going to happen.

I think everyone in this conversation should take a deep breath & start over. I'm pretty sure Mike meant to say something like this:

"Saxfiend, October is a great time to visit. I'm glad to see that you're taking the time to check out this sweet crag since you are currently stuck with the overwhelmingly unrewarding responsibility of adminstrating it. If you ever need a hand with any of the specifics, I would be glad to help you out."

And in Mike's defense, let me say that IMO, MP.com isn't very proactive in recruiting Admins. There certainly isn't a very rigorous screening process, evidenced by the fact that they let me slip through twice! Generally you have to ask if you want to be an Admin, maybe that's not the best process, especially since all the Admins appear to be overworked.

If you want to be an admin, I'm sure we can make that happen, though it will probably be harder now that everyone involved thinks everyone else is a big stupid jerk.