I left Hueco Tanks TX after just a short week. However, I was super excited to be on my way to see my sister and her family. It had been over two years since I had seen them last and I was arriving on my sister's birthday. I don't think I spent a birthday with her since we all lived at home...10+ years ago! I was able to spend quality time with my niece and nephew who are two amazing kids! I even went in and taught art to my niece's third grade class! I was kinda nervous as I haven't been in a classroom for a year and i'm used to high schoolers. The nerves were for nothing as teaching is not something you loose...its pretty natural. They were a great class and we had so much fun! I stayed for an entire week before heading out to Red Rocks outside of Las Vegas.
I passed the Hoover Dam on my way from AZ to NV although I didn't stop I did take a picture of the sign, which makes me feel like I put in some sort of an effort to see things while on my trip and not only climb.
I have been to Red Rocks once before on a short climbing trip. I really wasn't very stoked on it and felt the climbing was pretty slabby and kinda scary. My friend Sam who I met while climbing in Smith Rocks was going to be there so I decided to go anyway. I pulled up at the campsite Monday February 3rd to a warm welcome from Sam and Flip Flop Sam's dog. Since Bodi is chilling with my Mom for the second half of my trip I was excited to see Flip! I miss having Bodi around. Sam and I had plans of sport climbing, multi-pitching, and trad climbing.
The next few days we climbed with Sam's friends Luke and Kat. All of them are way stronger climbers than I am making it easy for me to ask for them to put up a top rope. However, thats not going to make me a stronger climber and I finally got to the point where I realized I needed to "man up". Sam and I went out and climbed at the pier I warmed up leading an easy 9 and then hopped on an 11a, which I had top roped before. I took at the bolt before the crux and then finished it. The next go I was committed to not taking, as I reached the crux I could hear climbers below saying where to go. Instead of continuing to climb it with my beta I listened to the voices, allowed nerves to take over and took a fall...and again it was fine! I was very proud to have tried rather than give in to my head.
After a few days of climbing Kat left and the boys and I went on a mellow multi-pitch climb with the intent of doing two 6 pitch climbs. We were behind a very slow party of two on Birdlands and never had the chance to pass them. Come to find out one of the men in the party ahead of us was 74. That is just badass and I can appreciate the fact he is still getting out. Realistically who cares if we had to wait around the sun was out and it was meant to be an active rest day anyway. It could be worse, we could be at work. I didn't lead any of the pitches even though I should have, but I really wanted to get on some single pitch trad before I led multi-pitch.
Towards the end of the day the boys learned i'm a typical girl who's attitude is greatly affected if she is hungry. Haha it wasn't that bad, but they definitely called me out on it.
The Next day we went bouldering. I was kind of surprised when the boys said thats what they wanted to do. I'm pretty much always down to boulder, but Sam and Luke are more sport climbers. We tried a couple of V5s that I had tried the first time I had been to Red Rocks. The Prow is a pretty sweet short V5 that has a hard start.
Being near Vegas is interesting. As I was leaving the bouldering area this guy told me the road was closed due to a homicide on the side of the road. I drove out and was able to make it to the campground, but the boys who were on their way back from Vegas to the campground couldn't get through. I looked it up and learned an officer shot a man and killed him and its unknown if the man had a weapon. If you don't know that a person is armed does it really make sense to shoot them period and then does it have to be in a place that will kill them? Why not just shoot them in the leg, but let them live. I don't know there were a few things about Vegas Police and the BLM rangers that made me a bit uncomfortable.
Anyways the next day we went climbing and Leah and Sarah joined us. I red pointed my first 11 so that means I led it and did not take or fall! yay. From this point on I led everyday I climbed. It was a good break through for me. The following days I led more 11s and even attempted a 12a, which I took at every bolt, but I still tried. Thanks Sarah for the photos and Luke for being a patient belayer!
Realistically it was no big deal, but it definitely took me a minute. I had a small mental freak out where I really didn't want to move off this huge foot. I wasn't super secure about my gear even though the placements were fine. Finally I had Sam take and saw that my gear was holding. After that I finished the climb and had such a great feeling running through me.
Right next to the 5.8 there was a 10d crack, which was super blank in the middle. Sam led that one, a rad climb, but scary. With so few gear placements there were several moves on thin holds that if he were to pop off he would have decked. I did not lead this one, but followed it and was stoked as the movements were super fun.
From there Sam led one more 5.10 roof, which I did not climb as I wanted to lead more. So I led another 5.8, which really only had 5ft of real climbing then it was a walk, but very run out! I got past the 5.8 part of the climb looked up and realized I really didn't have gear placements for 25-30 feet. It was super easy climbing so I continued up.
After that we walked over to a two star 5.9. When we first walked up to it I was nervous and in my head thinking i'm not leading that! Sam asked if he was putting it up or I was. I told him to give me a second...looked at the climb from another angle and decided it was mine. I racked up and started up the loose bottom to a sweet finger crack. I totally sewed up the first 15 feet and then became more comfortable. I didn't take or fall on this climb and had nothing, but a huge smile when I finished.
It is an amazing feeling to realize you are capable of pushing through mental blocks and obtain goals. Especially when you feel you have had those goals forever! I'm not sure if it was the fact that everyone I climbed with in Red Rocks was such a stronger climber than me, or if I finally had enough of being scared, either way I am proud of myself and stoked to have climbed with patient people who instilled confidence and pushed me to try with out making it feel forced.
After such a rad day we all met back at the campsite and decided to hit Vegas for a night out before we all headed out. We split a hotel room, hit the goodwill for some heels and outfits, and preceded to have a great night.
