Taking a flight to Las Vegas initially bring up images of slot machines, lights, poker tournaments and the like. Our recent trip to Las Vegas involved that (when in Vegas!) but mostly brought upon images of weird rock formations, cacti and plenty of awesome trad action. Oh and, in passing mention, a bit of work from the day job.

Ian, Rebecca and I recently flew to Vegas to climb in Red Rock Canyon. This was my first time climbing in the area, and first time ever in Las Vegas (nevermind the state of Nevada). Red Rocks, located just a few miles west of Las Vegas, is a climber's paradise and rated by some as being in the top 5 climbing venues in the US.

After a few times climbing in Charlevoix, I noticed that the rock is definitely different here. Contrary to the way it feels, the rock is solid. Delicate-feeling rock flakes will hold your weight (and your falls, most certainly). Oxidation has occured over time giving it a look that, when viewed from a distance, make it seem like different type of rocks have been stacked one ontop of the other.

Rainfall, followed by an abrupt shower of snow flurries, happened in Montreal upon leaving. In Red Rocks however, the weather was perfect. Cool in the mornings and evenings, and blazingly hot during the daytime, it's no wonder Fall is the time most climbers pick to flock to the region.

For the whole visual shebang, click here.