Cathedral Mountain Guides Goes West

I absolutely love New Hampshire.  I really do.  Even with its bugs, its humidity, its roller-coaster winters; this is where I want to be.  But there are times of year where it feels really good to get out of New England, to cheat just a little bit on the seasons and to draw out that feeling of fall for just a few more weeks.  So instead of putting my head down and putting another hand-warmer in my chalk bag, when late October comes around, I know what I need to do: go West.

In recent years, those westward travels have become centered around Las Vegas, Nevada.  Sure, Vegas provides easy access to one world-class rock climbing destination after another, but for me, it’s all about the Red Rock.  It’s the weather, the access, the variety of climbing, and the opportunity to climb long routes comfortably well into November that always has me coming back.  But once I arrive, once I catch my first sunrise on Mount Wilson, and start my first approach into the canyons, I remember all those small things that make climbing in this range so incredible – the critters that scurry amongst the yucca, the smell of the Ponderosa Pine, the way the colors swirl across the cliffs… Deep in those canyons, the climbing has a feel unlike anywhere else in the country.

So as we start to feel our first cool nights of the season, as the rock begins to feel crisp again and those dreamy fall conditions get closer and closer, the excitement begins to build.  The best time to rock climb in North Conway is right around the corner.  It’s going to be amazing around here – it is every fall – but I know I’ll be left wanting more.  That’s why I’ve already pulled my Red Rock guidebook off the shelf.

 

Whether you are a sport climber or a trad climber, whether you want to climb single-pitch routes or venture up alpine-esque walls, whether you want to sleep in a tent and eat burritos or stay on the Strip and eat sushi, Red Rock makes it all happen.  With easy access to thousands of sandstone rock climbs of all difficulties and types, it’s no wonder that Las Vegas is the go-to venue for shoulder-season climbing in the U.S.  

Join Cathedral Mountain Guide partner, and AMGA certified Rock Guide, Grant Simmons this fall in Red Rock, Nevada.  Now accepting bookings for late October and the first three weeks of November.  

For information on route suggestions, travel logistics, pricing, etc., inquire through our Red Rock Page.