Vegas Baby! (or rather Red Rocks Baby!)

I hadnt quite worked out how close Red Rocks was to Vegas, I realised as I drove through downtown close to midnight. After 16 hours of driving with only one 20 minute nap (I pulled over first!) things were starting to feel very surreal as the caffeine in my system began to fade. The small sketch map in the front of my borrowed climbing guide showed four different roads and there were a lot more than that. I turned onto West Charleston boulevard in certainty that this was not going to take me to the spectacular climbing area I had heard about. Twenty minutes later I was doing laps of the Desert camp ground trying to find campsite 47 and my friends. Red Rocks really did live up to its reputation, vast hillsides of rock, a huge variety of styles, confusing (and soft) grades and it was indeed, really close to vegas.

The best part of being in Red Rocks was definitely the friends I managed to climb and catch up with, Cori, Jor-el, Rachel, Rachel, Nadia, Kai, Mick, Amber, Cara, Kevin and Alfredo. I left Red Rocks with the knowledge that I have not even scratched the surface of what is on offer there - I will be back. Some photos...... Jor-el (and i think Nadia belaying) heel hooking and pulling hard on an unknown route at "moderate mecca)

Me trying to follow Kai's good style through the roof crack i convinced him to lead (photo taken by Nadia)aa

Another beautiful hike in - on our way to "Sunny and Steep Wall"

Kai going for the onsight of "serpent" (5.11a) at sunny and steep (that route name could be wrong)

The ever proffesional Mick pearson gets his eyebrows trimmed by Rachel before our night out on the strip in vegas (Check out http://www.mickpearson.com/ for Micks "Kaf Adventures")

Our night out in Vegas (in the Rhumbar) From left - Jor-el, Rachel too, Mick, Nadia, Me, Rachel one.

A tree with some red rocks behind.

Kevin and Alfredo spotting Cara onto the start of a route in the "Black Corridor"

Amber and I after my last days climbing - a cold day where i forgot my belay jacket and had to "warm up" ambers for her a few times.....

Rachel G pulling down....................