Trip Report – Red Rock, Nevada | November 2014

11 Nov Trip Report – Red Rock, Nevada | November 2014

It’s only “Snow-vember” in the High Sierra shade right now. Thanks to high pressure and record warm temps, the high sunny places have felt more like “Rocktober.” Down in the desert, the conditions have been as dreamy and perfect in both sun and shade as they can be this time of year. With the assistance of our friends at Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, their guest guiding program and one of their top local guides, Josh Janes, we commenced our semiannual (spring & fall) pilgrimage to Red Rock, Nevada. For those that are unfortunate not to be familiar with this place, Red Rock is a rock climbing holy land surprisingly close to the sinful hellhole that is Las Vegas. Nothing against the city and is inhabitants, but let’s face it, most people who live and visit there have likely never even seen Red Rock National Conservation Area. And the Luxor, able to be seen from planetary orbit, is a far more recognizable landmark. We all know that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas and what you climb in Vegas, also stays in Vegas. But sometimes stories must be told. Climbing-related stories only of course. And you may find some of them quite titillating.

In this episode, we convened with our first class compatriots: Taylor Samuels, Vatche Bezdikian, and Peter Schulman at the Bonnie Springs Ranch. Our climbs included classic multipitch, vertical adventures like Dream of Wild Turkeys, Community Pillar, Tunnel Vision, Black Magic, Lotta Balls, and more. We also explored an interesting and rarely climbed potential future classic called Tooth or Consequences, a line developed recently in 2009 and involved at least one of the legendary Uriostes, the prolific couple who have had a very big part of making Red Rock the climbing mecca it is today.

We shared laughs, smiles, cowboy tunes, fear, blood, sweat, and nearly tears of joy and pain simultaneously. We kept seeing and touching rock hard nipples, which for a bunch of dudes visiting Vegas would be fairly commonplace were it not for the fact that we stayed well outside of the city and away from any such adult clubs for the entire duration. Perhaps we just saw what we wanted to see, like mirages in the desert. Or maybe Red Rock once again cradled us in its generous and rosy bosom and offered to let us suckle upon its teat like freshly borned babes. In any case, we all seemed to leave strangely satiated, our souls well nourished, and a little bit sleepy.