Red Rock: Free soloing recommendations?

the title says it all...

In more detail,
1) is it wise to free solo on the fragile sandstone of RR?
2) if yes, where? and what are the most reasonable lines to solo? everything solid in the 5.0-5.6 range will do!

I'm planning out my trip to RR on thanksgiving week and it looks like I won't have a partner every single day. I usually free solo up to 5.7 but on a granit.

If this topic has been discussed already, please share the link
Thanks!

Find the biggest scariest wall you can and just start climbing... you'll be fine... just like Hannold! Sandstone is just like Granite, totally bomber and totally obvious climbing!

i think soloing is personal, if you have to ask for someone else's thoughts you probably should hang back and wait until you can form your own opinion... i certainly would never take another person's recommendation as anyone willing to direct/ assume responsibility for another's risks is probably not wise.

HOWEVER, i will sort of answer your question by telling you that this place is FAR from the gunks or dacks in terms of rock quality/ density (i'm an east coaster as well)... it took me YEARS climbing here to stop thinking that EVERYTHING could break, now i understand that only MOST of our rock can break! LOL... it is a MAJOR additional factor to consider before soloing and i've onsight soloed VERY few routes in red rock because of this

good luck! don't forget how friable our rock gets when exposed to moisture (even several days after a good rain) and be careful!

jon

I made it up Tonto once (short climb). That was pretty scary!

Steve

thanks for your replies, everyone! The advices are appreciated and will be taken into account.
I am not suicidal and always take the breaking-in period seriously; but I was just hoping that maybe there's an easy line (5.4?, 5.2??) that has never seen a broken hold regardless of the rock density, or something like that... So, it was worth asking anyways. Obviously, I wouldn't jump on a route that you'd recommend right away and would make the judgement call myself in the long run
But as you guys suggested, I should probably look for partners at the campground. Hopefully, some climbers will be around even during the turkey time

My advice - DON'T SOLO.

Just climbed there for the first time last weekend. Had what I thought was a solid handhold explode in my hand. We had loose rocks and debris coming down all day.

To say DON"T SOLO seems to be missing the point IMO. Solo climbing something that is well within your limits on rock that you are familiar with is one of climbing's greatest rewards.

Asking for advice on a solo in an unfamiliar area, well that might also miss the point.

Choosing to climb solo is a personal thing, your on your own and it's all on you. Putting someone on the spot by asking where to solo seems unfair to me.

Dimitri if your willing to sport climb you should have no trouble getting on a rope.

Also there is some great hiking up the canyons or maybe some bouldering one day.

Hope you have a great trip. Once your used to the rock if you see something you want to get on.......

John Wilder wrote: um, yeah, thats not normal. if you were climbing here on the 5/6, then shame on you for climbing on wet sandstone. if you were here the weekend before and climbing on dry rock- you picked the wrong crag.

We climbed on friday before the rain hit--We finished up our first and only route just as it started sprinkling and called it an early day. We climbed at the rad wall. I think the route was called diagon.

Dimitri Dylov wrote:the title says it all... In more detail, 1) is it wise to free solo on the fragile sandstone of RR? 2) if yes, where? and what are the most reasonable lines to solo? everything solid in the 5.0-5.6 range will do! I'm planning out my trip to RR on thanksgiving week and it looks like I won't have a partner every single day. I usually free solo up to 5.7 but on a granit. If this topic has been discussed already, please share the link Thanks!

If you've got to ask you shouldn't be doing it.

John Wilder wrote: um, yeah, thats not normal. if you were climbing here on the 5/6, then shame on you for climbing on wet sandstone. if you were here the weekend before and climbing on dry rock- you picked the wrong crag.

Are you so sure? I understand having pride for your local crag, but you're trying to tell us that crumbly rock is not the norm out here? Even on the routes that don't get gang banged by sport climbers all day?

I also climbed here for the first time last weekend and I have to agree with Dave. Crumbly rock all over the place - I must have found 10 hollow sections of rock that _looked_ perfectly normal but _sounded_ like a set of bongos. Even in the "dark corridor" (well traveled and dry), I was pulling on some flakes that I did not trust in the least. The oasis was the worst place (in this regard) that I climbed - none of the big stuff came off, only small crumbly footholds, but I guarantee I could have pulled off a few flakes if I wanted to or didn't know better. I guess that's just the nature of the rock in this place?

All I'm saying is that even on the trade routes in Redrock I feel like I don't have the familiarity to understand what is safe to pull on and what is not. A solid couple of weeks would maybe make the difference - but even then I doubt I would feel comfortable soloing out there. There's a time and place for everything - and friable sandstone is not it.

Dave Wise wrote: We had loose rocks and debris coming down all day.

RyanO I think this is what John was referring to as "not normal". Unless you are on some new route, or off route, I don't think its typical to be knocking off rocks and debris "all day". Maybe a few here and there but this poster made it seem like he was just raining debris down on his belayer all day, not my experience whenever I have climbed there.

Yes, agree with John and dorse, rock quality at Red Rocks, on established routes, is generally very good. Not so sure I would recommend soloing there (or anywhere else).

Wally

dorseyec wrote: RyanO I think this is what John was referring to as "not normal". Unless you are on some new route, or off route, I don't think its typical to be knocking off rocks and debris "all day". Maybe a few here and there but this poster made it seem like he was just raining debris down on his belayer all day, not my experience whenever I have climbed there.

To clarify: we climbed one route before we were chased off by rain. In addition to the seemingly solid handhold at literally exploded in my hand, every one in our party knocked down pebbles, debris, friable edges.

Despite this, the climbing was great and I am excited to go back for a serious climbing trip. Having climbed at many places around the US and having spent more than my share of time on all kinds of sandstone, i definitely would not recommend free soloing on the relatively soft variety. Then again, Vegas is all about gambling.....just remember that the house always gets it's cut ;)

RyanO the right side of the black corridor is crappy quality rock. Not much varnish on that wall except for Black Magic. The heavily traveled stuff in the canyons is good rock. Every trad climber should know how to check the quality of rock before pulling it off in showers all day.

Asking about free soloing suggestions on a public forum is just tooting your own horn. Obviously you want the most solid rock (any free soloist should know this), in RR its the varnish. Look at some photos of classics in that range on this site and look for the routes that are all chocolate brown and have walk-offs. There are BLM personal that visit this site and we don't want to be seen as people who condone and encourage reckless behavior (as they would view it).

Dave what did you climb?

Yer gonna die!

RyanO wrote: All I'm saying is that even on the trade routes in Redrock I feel like I don't have the familiarity to understand what is safe to pull on and what is not. A solid couple of weeks would maybe make the difference - but even then I doubt I would feel comfortable soloing out there. There's a time and place for everything - and friable sandstone is not it.

Ryan, the above is because you are a total n00b ;) Got any Turkey Day plans? Save me from the PNW.

Bill Ballace wrote: Ryan, the above is because you are a total n00b ;) Got any Turkey Day plans? Save me from the PNW.

Psh! what does a honkey from pnw know about climbing anyway. i'd rather be a n00b than a has-been .. OOHH SNAP!

As for turkey day weekend, i'll be climbing in the desert or skiing in the mountains. depending on what old man winter has in store, of course. maybe some hotspringing and microbrews.. you see, we can do fun stuff like that out here in co, because it's not in the middle of butt f*ing nowhere. like pullman. honkey.

TomCaldwell wrote: the right side of the black corridor is crappy quality rock

i was actually pretty stoked on the rock quality in the black corridor. that right side had especially fun climbing, though short.

BY THE WAY, for you Red Rock aficionados. What's up with all of the human feces? The entrance to the black corridor is literally _plastered_ in shit and toilet paper! I have a hard time thinking that this is where the tourists go to take a dump, seeing as there is a pooper in every single parking area and I didn't see many of the them getting back this far. Maybe it's the tourist climbers? Wherever it came from, it's gotta go. Bag that shit up, homies.

RyanO wrote: i was actually pretty stoked on the rock quality in the black corridor. that right side had especially fun climbing, though short. BY THE WAY, for you Red Rock aficionados. What's up with all of the human feces? The entrance to the black corridor is literally _plastered_ in shit and toilet paper! I have a hard time thinking that this is where the tourists go to take a dump, seeing as there is a pooper in every single parking area and I didn't see many of the them getting back this far. Maybe it's the tourist climbers? Wherever it came from, it's gotta go. Bag that shit up, homies.

I blame da wimmin...

RyanO wrote: Red Rock aficionados..

..don't go to the Black Corridor.