Climbers from the world over are making pilgrimages to Red Rock Canyon mecca

LAS VEGAS -- By the time Randal Grandstaff has wiggled his way up the V-shaped crack in the huge boulder, a sheet of clouds has settled over Red Rock Canyon and the rain is staining the sandstone dark red.

But several clusters of climbers linger among the giant rocks, apparently reluctant to surrender their positions for the day.

On a sunnier weekend day, they'd likely have to share this part of the Kraft Rocks Bouldering Area with dozens of other climbers. Out in the more popular sport-climbing spots near the area's scenic loop, they'd be among even bigger crowds.

"On a day like today there are hundreds of people out climbing in Red Rock," says Grandstaff, who owns Sky's the Limit Climbing School and Guide Service.

Back in the early '70s, when Grandstaff first learned to climb, Red Rock was still a well-kept secret among climbers.

"I used to have the place to myself," he says.

But that changed after a couple of guidebooks appeared, touting the myriad virtues of the Las Vegas valley in general and Red Rock in particular.

With its beautiful year-round weather, a rare combination of different kinds of climbing and a uniquely sturdy supply of rosy sandstone, Red Rock beckoned as a climbers paradise. Rock enthusiasts from all over the world began showing up.

"Almost anyone who's been climbing for like five years has been to Red Rock," says Tyler Stableford, photo editor of Climbing magazine. "(It) is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the United States."

Michael Ward, owner of Desert Rock Sports, says "literally hundreds of people have moved here for the climbing."

"One of the reasons was that it was a pretty vast area with not a whole lot of routes," says Ward, who moved here in 1978 after exploring Red Rock with friends. "We started climbing and realized the potential that someday it was going to be one of the really awesome areas."

With its colorful sandstone bluffs and tall limestone canyons, Red Rock offers opportunities for an array of climbing experiences.

"There's something for everyone here," says Michelle Locatelli, a Las Vegan who ranks among the nation's top female climbers.

The valley's weather provides an additional bonus. During winter, spring and fall, when the temperature plunges in other areas of the country, the air here is reliably warm and dry. And in summer, when the scorching sun makes Red Rock unbearable, climbers simply head for nearby 11,918-foot-high Mount Charleston, where temperatures are much cooler.

"This is probably one of two places in America where you can climb year-round," says Vance Sutton, owner of Great Basin Outdoors, an adventure sports outfitter in Green Valley. "People say you can climb year-round in Flagstaff (Arizona), and the climbing there is OK. But the climbing here is world-class."

Part of the attraction is the superior quality of Red Rock's sandstone, which is smooth, strong and vividly hued.

Climbers come from as far away as Japan and Europe.

"Europeans really, really like Red Rock," Ward says. "They don't have the deserts with the cactus and vast, open spaces with beautiful climbing. They basically come here just to climb."

An increasing number of visitors are coming from urban areas of the United States, where climbing gyms have fueled a rage for the sport.

"I notice a lot of young college-aged people out there (in the canyons near Red Rock)," Locatelli says. "I think a lot of them discovered climbing in the climbing gyms and now they want to graduate from that."

The trend has been a boon for people such as Grandstaff, Ward and Sutton, who have managed to transform their love for the sport into viable businesses.

And it's had positive implications for the valley as a whole.

"Climbing is good for the economy," Ward says. "It brings people in to buy gas, and go to restaurants and eat."

But local climbers say certain areas of Red Rock have become too popular for their own good.

"It's getting extremely crowded," says Locatelli, who noticed a rising tide of traffic along the scenic loop several years ago.

Lately, the throngs of climbers have spilled over into the surrounding canyons.

On a recent weekday morning, Locatelli arrived at the base of a climb called Frogland in Black Velvet Canyon and was surprised to find nine other climbers waiting for their turn to start up the route.

"Some of us locals wish we could still have our areas that nobody knew about," she says.

For more information, visit Sky's The Limit's Web site at: http://www.skysthelimit.com/

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