About six months ago, our friend Ravi invited us to Red Rocks to do some rock climbing. He introduced us to the magical world of traditional climbing and we’ve been hooked ever since! This weekend we went with a SpaceX climbing crew and had a splendid time climbing some moderate multi pitch classics. It was one of those that makes me super grateful for the friends we’ve made in LA and for the awesome sport of rock climbing.

Part I – Team Leisure climbs Olive Oil

We named ourselves “Team Leisure” since we did not want to get up early and climb a bajillion pitches. Instead, Rob, Melanie and I awoke after a great night of sleep and sauntered up to the base of Olive Oil. Our climb wandered up a huge corner on the aptly name “Rose Tower” and is very popular due to the quality of the route. As such, there were a couple parties ahead of us, but we weren’t in a hurry. We relaxed at the base, and then at the top of pitch one, we played some bongos:

After being interrupted by the swiss machines, we continued up the 5 amazing pitches of the climb. The final pitch was my favorite – a corner in the cliff with beautiful bands of white, red, and black sandstone

We topped out, signed the registry, then had a casual wine and cheese party! Then we gathered our gear and headed down the gully back to our car. Leisurely adventure success!

Part II – Black Magic and Lotta Balls

The next day, we decided with Julie and Necky to go to a less crowded part of the park. The routes we picked out were right next to each other, moderate, and perfect for another leisurely afternoon ascent. The routes, “Lotta Balls” and “Black Magic” led us up some beautiful patina, interesting roofs, and you guessed it, a lot of balls. The balls were embedded in the rock, and looked like ancient marbles spilled down the sandtone cliffs, defying gravity and time by just staying there.

We were within earshot, so we had a great time yelling encouragements across the wall, posing for photos, and generally being goons on the wall. After topping out and battling a particularly perplexing knot in the rope, we rapelled down the adjacent gully and headed back to the car. Another excellent adventure for the second day in a row!