The sun crept over the horizon as we arranged ourselves exactly 10-meters apart. Bella Bussian and I stepped forward in unison, alert, looking for any signs of the elusive Mojave desert tortoise. As field biologists, we walk long miles in the desert, sleeping in our vehicles for months on end. You’re mostly working - once or twice a week you might climb indoors to try to maintain some semblance of fitness, but the real reward is a shower to wash off the desert grime. Who would have thought that spending the prime of our lives in a nondescript dirt lot behind a Love’s Travel Center would become our version of living the dream? Maybe the dirtbag lifestyle isn’t so dead after all.

While surveying, there is ample time for music, podcasts, and chorble (a term coined specifically for the mindless discussions that result from slow-cooking your brain for 10 hours a day at 105° F). Bella thrives on the social element of the job, but her background as a thru-hiker and a backcountry guide make her quite the proficient endurance athlete. Most days we would walk together long after other people had called it a day, fueled by deep and personal conversations and a shared love for the outdoors. Bella divulged that she had only climbed a few routes in nearby Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, so I figured that an endurance-based week of mega-classic climbs would be a great way to wrap up our work season.
 
With its proximity to the cultural hub of Las Vegas, the Red Rock wilderness isn’t what most people think of when imagining climbing in the mountains. However, the sandstone formations lining the canyon walls loom ever-taller as you progress deeper into the wilderness. You soon realize that the elusive summits tower thousands of feet above you. Descents are often long and involved. And stabby - if you don’t watch your footing while walking amidst the cholla cactus and cat claw. ​

Camping in the desert for work. (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl) ED NOTE: No dispersed camping is allowed anywhere at Red Rock Canyon! There is dispersed camping in areas surrounding Las Vegas including the Spring Mountains, out by Boulder City, and in Lovell Canyon. Red Rock Canyon has one campground.

View of Red Rock Canyon wilderness from near the summit of Mount Wilson. (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

We made our reservation to enter the park and drove the scenic loop, arriving at the Pine Creek Canyon trailhead at 09:00 a.m.  We left the car jogging. Bella asked if I was joking, to which I replied “Cardio Day!” which became our mantra for tackling the long approaches. I figured that starting on MysterZ (800’ of 5.7 up Jackrabbit Buttress) would be a good opportunity to see how we climbed as a team. We finished the route in a little over an hour, simul-climbing it in two pitches (protecting the follower with micro traxions placed every 80m rope length). 
 
After topping out MysterZ, we traversed to the base of Brownstone Wall. Three parties were in line for Armatron, a classic romp up striking alligator skin black desert varnish. We temporarily shifted our sights to the ultra-classic Nightcrawler (550’, 5.10+). We ascended the amazing chocolate brown dihedral on steep and sustained jams, reaching the top of the pillar just as the sun dipped behind the ridge. We rappelled the nearby route Time’s Up and concluded that yes, we could manage another 680’ of 5.9 climbing before we ran out of daylight. We backpacked the rope and ran uphill to the base of Armatron (cardio day), simul-climbing the 680’ route in half an hour. We lost some time playing “find the approach shoes,” which had somehow unclipped from Bella’s harness near the top of the route and fallen down a hole. As we hiked out the sun was low and the coyotes began to howl.

The next day we arrived the Black Velvet Canyon parking lot and hit the ground at a fast pace at 11:00 a.m. We wore our harnesses, walking to the familiar sounds of bouncing quickdraws. We made a beeline to Epinephrine, which some would argue is one of the best 5.9 routes anywhere (with 1,600’ of fairly sustained and interesting 5.9). 

Bella styling the varied corner climbing on the classic "Nightcrawler," Brownstone Wall. (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

Bella descends from a quick romp up Brownstone Wall via the classic "Armatron." (Photo Credit Chris Koppl)

At times the slick walls of the infamous chimneys provide little reassurance that you won’t accidentally slide down into the gut of the mountain. We linked some pitches, ran the PDL, and really went for it. We topped out 6 hours later and made it back to the car 30-minutes after dusk, due to the long and involved descent. To commemorate the mileage, Bella experienced her first Charley horse (leg cramp), probably due to me insisting that we didn’t bring a pack, or anywhere near enough water for such a long and involved route. 
 
On our third day Bella expressed her desire to lead something on gear, so we started at noon and opted to climb Ginger Cracks (900’ of 5.9). It was a welcomed change of pace - Bella confidently led everything and I happily top-roped it in the comfort of my approach shoes. Win-win! She was rewarded for her efforts with a blue totem cam as booty. We continued up the classic Blade Runner Arete (350’ 5.10b) which ascends a must-do vertical knife edge arete.

Bella climbing the Elephant’s Trunk on "Epinephrine." (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

Bella leading up the fourth pitch of "Ginger Cracks." (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

As night fell we hit a traffic jam while rappelling. There was only one dying headlamp between the four of us, but Bella kept the mood cheerful and did a great job of slowing us down enough that we found the anchors and made it to the ground safely. 
 
*Note to self: next time don’t leave the headlamps in the pack at the base of the route!
 
I was most excited for our fourth day, with the goal of topping out Mount Wilson (the largest formation in the park).  We left the parking lot at 07:00 a.m., setting out to climb Inti Watana to Resolution Arete (2,600’ 5.10c). We blasted up the crux pitches, which greet you right off the deck. Leaving the icy crimps behind us, we transitioned to simul-climbing the rest of the route.
 
This proved to be very fun and efficient. The panoramic position high on the route was spectacular, with definite big wall vibes. I didn’t bring a #4 cam, so I felt trepidation standing beneath the runout “5.8 off-width” on Resolution Arete. Thankfully, true to Red Rock style, there were face holds next to the crack and no real off-width technique was required. We managed to top out Mount Wilson in a respectable six hours.  As we pulled over the summit we were thrust into a windstorm, which had been mercifully blocked all day by the mountain. 

​In an (unprecedented) effort to avoid an epic on the descent I downloaded a GPS track the night before, which quickly brought us down the gorgeous Oak Creek drainage. Night fell as we reached the flats, but by then we were home free. We finished early enough that we celebrated at a fancy Thai restaurant, which was a perfect way to end a very solid four days of climbing. This amounted to roughly 30-miles of approach and descent, combined with 7,680 feet of climbing (according to Mountain Project).​

Bella leads up the endless positive edges on the last pitch of "Inti Watana," Mount Wilson. (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

Our time spent climbing in Red Rock Conyon cemented our plans to go sport climbing in Spain for the month of December, a perk of the seasonal lifestyle. 
 
Happy climbing!

Summit shot on top of the a Red Rock classic: "Epinephrine," Black Velvet Canyon. (Photo Credit: Chris Koppl)

Climbing in Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon has routes that are sure to please any style of climber. Whether you’re looking for steep sport climbing, long adventure routes, runout spook-fests, or just a casual bouldering session, Red Rock has it all! Don’t forget the water, sunscreen, helmet, and a headlamp! 
 
Pros:
• Tons of amazing moderate routes
• Climbable nearly year-round
• Interesting rock features
• Very scenic
• Close to the Las Vegas airport
 
Cons:
• Classic routes are often crowded
• The worst braided trails I’ve seen
• Driving the scenic loop (to access most climbing areas) requires a reservation
• Can’t climb for several days after rain (don’t even try!!!)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: What Chris and his climbing partner did is exceptional, both in terms of the fast approaches and descents and the very fast simul-climbing. Simul-climbing requires very confident climbing for the grade and, in-and-of-itself, has inherent dangers. Confidence at the grade does not prevent rock from breaking off and a fall, which would impact both people in a simulclimb. A broad rule of thumb for most traditional climbs is to plan for 1 hour per 100 feet of climbing - especially on popular climbs where you might have to wait or where route finding on the climb itself can be challenging. In addition, Red Rock Canyon has long, complex approaches and descents, 1.5 to 2 hours each way is not at all uncommon (we strongly recommend Climb-On Maps to help you find your way at Red Rock Canyon). Start big climbs at Red Rock very early in the morning. There are a ton of rescues at Red Rock because of people getting in over their head. (Editor Stefani Dawn lives in Las Vegas and intimately knows Red Rock Canyon and its climbs.)]

Author Bio

Chris Koppl lives in Reno, Nevada where he works seasonally as a desert tortoise biologist. During the summer he enjoys working as a deckhand in Bristol Bay, Alaska. He has been climbing for over a decade and is a prolific first ascensionist in the Sierra Nevada and beyond. Climbing has been his excuse to travel to 10+ countries where the climbing is all about going on wild adventures with friends. In addition to climbing, his passions include: XC paragliding, whitewater packrafting, backcountry snowboarding, and technical diving. 
 
His favorite climbing styles include: long endurance days, hard slab routes, easy solo climbing, and ground-up first ascents on granite. In addition to free climbing, he has done his fair share of light and fast aid soloing (including a one-day solo ascent of the Nose). 
 
You can follow him on instagram @twinboas