Rescue at Red Rocks?

There was a short story on the national news this morning about a rescue at Red Rocks. Along with the story they used footage of rappeling from Calico, which I know is not where the rescue must have happened. Any details?

Here is a story...

ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S…

Just another day at the office in Red Rock (minus the rescue). ; )
Glad they are okay.

winds kept them from getting down??

Maybe their ropes got stuck, or they were too scared to try, and climb in strong winds? The winds can get pretty darn nasty in some areas in Red Rock. It's not easy leading in it when you're practically getting blown off the rock; especially (speaking from experience) on climbs like Black Orpheus, and on the Solar Slab Wall, and if they didn't have headlamps, and were new to the area, and couldn't find a fairly safe way to bail, it's a double whammy. I believe Angel Food Wall gets "nastier" wind exposure too, if that's where they were climbing.

The report said White Stone Mountain which I assume they meant White Rock Spring. Was it Angel Food, or Sheep Skull?

White Rock Mountain/Angel Food Wall is my guess. Sheep Skull crags has short climbs.

The 1st part of the article says White Rock. I wonder if they were trying to rap the route or just got lost on the descent.

White Rock Mt. from atop Angel Food Wall is a walk-off. You don't rap those routes unless you are bailing, or totally unfamiliar with the area, and didn't bring beta. Sounds like they were very unprepared, or what sqwirll said "lost on the descent." Maybe more info. will come out later.

I was passing by the area on early Sunday and looked in on the situation to see if there was anything we could do to help. Rescue chaps told us to leave the area. Seems there were climbers on Tunnel Vision that got benighted. Things may have been more complicated than they appeared if it took six hours to get sorted out...

i know high winds can make a climb more difficult...mentally if nothing else. but, it's kind of hard to imagine a situation in which i'd choose to stay on the wall in the winds over rappelling out. but, then again, i'm picturing a simple series of rappels in which you're moving from one rap anchor to the next. i suppose that, if you have to deal with any sketchy sections on the descent, 50 mph winds could be intimidating.

Crag Dweller wrote:i know high winds can make a climb more difficult...mentally if nothing else. but, it's kind of hard to imagine a situation in which i'd choose to stay on the wall in the winds over rappelling out. but, then again, i'm picturing a simple series of rappels in which you're moving from one rap anchor to the next. i suppose that, if you have to deal with any sketchy sections on the descent, 50 mph winds could be intimidating.

I'd be leary of rapping anything in Red Rock in 50 mph winds. I've seen people's ropes get blown sideways a 100' there and get stuck on the featured rock, leaving them stranded.

sqwirll wrote: I'd be leary of rapping anything in Red Rock in 50 mph winds. I've seen people's ropes get blown sideways a 100' there and get stuck on the featured rock, leaving them stranded.

Awhile back, Jonny, and I were benighted on Crimson Chrysalis in extreme cold, and winds; possibly more than 50 MPH, and our ropes were whipping sideways, when pulling them, and got snagged on the horns, and chickenheads, and rope eating cracks way off into oblivion on every single rap. Jonny did some really serious, and scary traversing at night to get the ropes unstuck on practically every rappel. Luckily we didn't have to spend the night up there (thanks, sweetie!), but did get down close to midnight. Sucked!

Ok so Angel Food wall yep the descent can be pretty interesting in the dark but not so bad as to bivy. Last season myself and two others started up the Purblind pillar around 2pm after driving 6 hours (yes I know an uber late start) finished the route in extremely slow form topping out around 12:30am yes the descent was bothersome after a long day on the wall but I don't understand how you a party would need SAR to get them down. Maybe there were issues that aren't coming forward in the media but a source within the media (Channel 13 KTNV and Channel 8 KLAS) tells me that it was a simple matter. They were inexperienced and unprepared, yes rapping the AF wall on a blue bird day could be a pain in the ass and rapping it in 50+mph winds makes it "royal" pain in the ass but the wall is not to be rapped (save for maybe the first pitch of most routes there). As for being lost on the descent unless you haven't looked at the route or any beta or have never been in a canyon before I don't get it. Basin and Range Navigation is simple go down to find the road go up to go away from the road. Sorry if this comes across as cold or rude but but being a public land management employee rescues like this are unnecessary and take away thousands of tax dollars that could be spent on better training, equipment, and or much more needed rescues.
Self rescue is key in this world of popular climbing. In addition Metro SAR has become increasingly short and even uncouth with members of the climbing public that want to lend a hand (something to do with their antiquated methods/equipment). Any experienced SAR IC can tell you that more people 90% of the time are welcomed. Rescue is exahasting exspecially High-Angle. If you have the skills voulunteer for your local public SAR service they will be happy to have you.

I hope everyone involved is ok and that lessons have been learned and a greater respect for the vertical world has been fostered.

i've found that tying my partner to the end of the ropes and throwing him off the wall is a good way to weight the ropes so they don't get blown around.

Crag Dweller wrote:i've found that tying my partner to the end of the ropes and throwing him off the wall is a good way to weight the ropes so they don't get blown around.

The problem is mostly when "pulling ropes" in strong winds; not so much when rapping in winds. The wind blows/whips the rope/ropes up, and sideways, and gets easily snagged. It's a fairly common phenomenon in Red Rock's canyons/walls when climbing long routes on windy days. Don't go unprepared. : )

The climbing footage was at Magic Bus. That's my butt at 1:23.

Crag Dweller wrote:winds kept them from getting down??

50mph gusts in J-tree turned a 5.5 crag lead into on of the more memorable pitches of my life. Wind can be unbearable.

I don't know the specific of this situation, but I'm sure glad it had a happy ending.

The 50 mph winds were what was recorded down in Las Vegas. It is almost guaranteed that the gusts up in the canyons were considerably higher. Winds like that could keep you from being able to climb up. If you can't get up, you can't go down the "easy" descent.

A rope that hangs up after pulling free of the rappel anchor can turn the most experienced climbers in the world into a bunch of stranded tourists. I don't know this particular area of Red Rock but I think that anyone who has been up on a Red Rock wall in very high winds knows better than to judge a party who has gotten stuck.

I had a very similiar experience on CC one time.
I think it was 2002? I was rope soloing the route in January. The winds picked up BIG TIME and I made one of the smartest climbing moves I've ever made by deciding to bail. Holy mother of crap is it hard to rap that thing with wind! Some SUPER sketch ball traversing and pendji's got my ropes free. It was memorable!

Looking forward to spending the Next Month in RR!

josh