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Routes in The Rainbow Wall
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Big Payback, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3 |
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Birdhunter Buttress T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Brown Recluse T 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a PG13 |
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Desert Solitaire T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A3+ |
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Desert Solitaire (Free) T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c |
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Kor Route "Free", The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a PG13 |
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Original Route, The T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Paiute Pillar T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Sergeant Slaughter T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13 |
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| Type: | Trad, 1500 ft (455 m), 9 pitches, Grade IV |
| FA: | Vincent Poirier, Andrew Fulton (1998) |
| Page Views: | 2,739 total · 15/month |
| Shared By: | fossana on Apr 26, 2010 |
| Admins: | Luke EF, Larry DeAngelo, Aaron Mc, Justin Johnsen |
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Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: Red Rock RAIN AND WET ROCK: The sandstone is fragile and is very easily damaged when wet.
Details
Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm, the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN RED ROCKS during or after rain. A good rule of thumb is that if the ground near your climb is at all damp (and not powdery dry sand), then do not climb. There are many alternatives (limestone, granite, basalt, and plastic) nearby.
HUMAN WASTE Human waste is one of the major issues plaguing Red Rocks. The Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council and the AAC provides free "wag bags" in several locations (Black Velvet, First Pullout, Kraft Mtn/Bouldering, The Gallery, and The Black Corridor). These bags are designed so that you can pack your waste out - consider bringing one to be part of your kit (just like your rope and shoes and lunch) no matter where you go. Once used, please dispose of them properly (do not throw them in the toilets at the parking area).
HUMAN WASTE Human waste is one of the major issues plaguing Red Rocks. The Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council and the AAC provides free "wag bags" in several locations (Black Velvet, First Pullout, Kraft Mtn/Bouldering, The Gallery, and The Black Corridor). These bags are designed so that you can pack your waste out - consider bringing one to be part of your kit (just like your rope and shoes and lunch) no matter where you go. Once used, please dispose of them properly (do not throw them in the toilets at the parking area).
Description
INTRO
Be prepared for 5.9 runouts on lichen-covered, suspect rock. I've seen this rated as PG13, but it's more of an R. Ratings felt kind of soft, so more of a mental crux plus crap rock.
On the upside you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Brownstone Wall, Rainbow Wall and Cloud Tower. We did the first 6 pitches, then finished on Bird Hunter Buttress. There's not much beta on this route in Handren's guide, but there's a brief description and topo in Brock and McMillen's Red Rock Canyon: A Climbing Guide.
ROUTE
P1 (5.9, 180')
Climb up the prominent splitter crack in the middle of the red cliff band.
P2 (4th, 200')
Angle up and right to reach a large ledge.
P2 (5.9, 110')
Head straight up the face to the ledge with a tree.
P3 (5.9, 200')
Instead of pulling the crappy white sandstone roof we traversed up and right toward a small varnished arete of sorts. After pulling onto the arete move slightly back left toward the crack that splits the licheny face. Belay at a ledge.
P4 (5.9, 170')
Climb the runout face aiming for the base of a prominent right-facing corner from which you will belay on gear.
P5 (5.8, 100')
Climb up the face to the left of the right-facing corner clipping 3 old bolts. Belay at a ledge with a bush.
P6 (5.7, 175')
Climb up the pillar. Optionally climb the (better) mossy 5.8 right-facing corner to the right, part of Bird Hunter Butress. Crappy bolts but the crack protects with small cams. Note: there were tons of ants all over the belay ledge.
P7 (5.9, 200')
Head up the face right then up over a roof to belay on a ledge. Optionally, climb the fun and grovelly 5.7 squeeze chimney on Bird Hunter Buttress. You'll wish you had dieted. One bolt. Belay from prominent ledge.
P8 (5.8, 180')
Move slightly right passing one bolt then through a roof.
P9 (4th, 80')
Go up and left to the top.
Be prepared for 5.9 runouts on lichen-covered, suspect rock. I've seen this rated as PG13, but it's more of an R. Ratings felt kind of soft, so more of a mental crux plus crap rock.
On the upside you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Brownstone Wall, Rainbow Wall and Cloud Tower. We did the first 6 pitches, then finished on Bird Hunter Buttress. There's not much beta on this route in Handren's guide, but there's a brief description and topo in Brock and McMillen's Red Rock Canyon: A Climbing Guide.
ROUTE
P1 (5.9, 180')
Climb up the prominent splitter crack in the middle of the red cliff band.
P2 (4th, 200')
Angle up and right to reach a large ledge.
P2 (5.9, 110')
Head straight up the face to the ledge with a tree.
P3 (5.9, 200')
Instead of pulling the crappy white sandstone roof we traversed up and right toward a small varnished arete of sorts. After pulling onto the arete move slightly back left toward the crack that splits the licheny face. Belay at a ledge.
P4 (5.9, 170')
Climb the runout face aiming for the base of a prominent right-facing corner from which you will belay on gear.
P5 (5.8, 100')
Climb up the face to the left of the right-facing corner clipping 3 old bolts. Belay at a ledge with a bush.
P6 (5.7, 175')
Climb up the pillar. Optionally climb the (better) mossy 5.8 right-facing corner to the right, part of Bird Hunter Butress. Crappy bolts but the crack protects with small cams. Note: there were tons of ants all over the belay ledge.
P7 (5.9, 200')
Head up the face right then up over a roof to belay on a ledge. Optionally, climb the fun and grovelly 5.7 squeeze chimney on Bird Hunter Buttress. You'll wish you had dieted. One bolt. Belay from prominent ledge.
P8 (5.8, 180')
Move slightly right passing one bolt then through a roof.
P9 (4th, 80')
Go up and left to the top.
Location
APPROACH
Park at either Pine Creek or Oak Creek. Take the trail up Juniper Canyon, passing below Cloud Tower and Jack Rabbit Buttress. The trail will cross the wash then head up a red dirt hill before dropping back down into the wash. Look left for a slab heading up toward the base of the wall. Work your way up the slabs heading climber's right for the base of an obvious dark red cliff band. This took us 1:20, although I've seen guidebook times up to 4 hours. You can leave packs at the base as you'll end your raps uphill and left from the start.
DESCENT
If you took the Bird Hunter Buttress variation you'll see a rap station climber's left and ~20 feet above the ledge. Head up toward it then hand traverse on the exposed but easy ledge system heading left around the corner until you reach a rap station. Note: we finished on Bird Hunter, so I don't have any firsthand info on getting from the top of Paiute Pillar to the first Brown Recluse rap station. The topo shows a rap station from the summit. Both routes rap Brown Recluse with a single 70m. From Bird Hunter you will start lower down.
Be cautious as some of the rap stations are close to the end of the rope and/or are difficult to locate. You do not want to do this in the dark; Plan accordingly.
Descend back down the slabs. The final steepest slab has a rap station that takes you down the (potentially wet) water streak.
Park at either Pine Creek or Oak Creek. Take the trail up Juniper Canyon, passing below Cloud Tower and Jack Rabbit Buttress. The trail will cross the wash then head up a red dirt hill before dropping back down into the wash. Look left for a slab heading up toward the base of the wall. Work your way up the slabs heading climber's right for the base of an obvious dark red cliff band. This took us 1:20, although I've seen guidebook times up to 4 hours. You can leave packs at the base as you'll end your raps uphill and left from the start.
DESCENT
If you took the Bird Hunter Buttress variation you'll see a rap station climber's left and ~20 feet above the ledge. Head up toward it then hand traverse on the exposed but easy ledge system heading left around the corner until you reach a rap station. Note: we finished on Bird Hunter, so I don't have any firsthand info on getting from the top of Paiute Pillar to the first Brown Recluse rap station. The topo shows a rap station from the summit. Both routes rap Brown Recluse with a single 70m. From Bird Hunter you will start lower down.
Be cautious as some of the rap stations are close to the end of the rope and/or are difficult to locate. You do not want to do this in the dark; Plan accordingly.
Descend back down the slabs. The final steepest slab has a rap station that takes you down the (potentially wet) water streak.
Protection
Not much beta on this. We brought gear to 4", with doubles 0.5" to 2" (#4 optional for future reference). Nuts weren't overly useful. The bolts on this route were mostly antiquated or spinners. Some fixed anchors/slung trees.
A 70m rope will allow you to rap from the top of Brown Recluse with a single rope.
A 70m rope will allow you to rap from the top of Brown Recluse with a single rope.
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