Red Rock Rendezvous Roundup!

We just returned from the 9th annual Red Rock Rendezvous and this was a party to beat all parties. I have been involved with the Rendezvous since the second annual event in 2003 and there is no doubt in my mind that the festival is growing up. Mountain Gear has been sponsoring the event since the start and they have once again done an absolutely excellent job running a quality event...!

This year we had approximately fifty athletes -- well known climbers from the magazines -- as well as twenty American Alpine Institute guides. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in climbing clinics, mountain bike tours, climbing competitions, avalanche awareness clinics, first aid courses, mountain photography classes, service projects and a whole lot more.

Oh yeah, and the whole lot more includes things like parties and beer drinking...

Brad Meyers of Mountain Gear put together the following video recap of the 9th Annual Red Rock Rendezvous:


 
Following is a photo essay of some of the event's highlights. Click on the photos for larger images:

 AAI Staff Members Working the Rendezvous

From Left to Right: Higinio Gonzalaz, Lyle Haugsven, Angela Seidling, Ben Traxler, Alasdair Turner, Mike Pond, Kurt Hicks, David Farkas, Ian McEleney, Paul Rosser, Tom Kirby, Dustin Byrne, Andrew Yasso, Ben Gardner, Tim Page, Ian Wolfe, Cliff Palmer, Chad Cochran, and Jason Martin

Pro-Climber and Base Jumper Steph Davis skydived into the event.

Night at the Vendor Booths at Spring Mountain Ranch

Tom Kirby, Tim Page and Andrew Yasso answer questions at the AAI Booth

As always, there was a dyno competition at Spring Mountain Ranch.

A beautiful morning at Spring Mountain Ranch.

Slacklining at Spring Mountain Ranch

A Climber ascends a rope at Moderate Mecca.

Photo by Paul Rosser

The vendor area at Spring Mountain Ranch

While this year we didn't have that much wind, some big wall tents still couldn't handle it...

There is a history of wind at Red Rock Rendezvous. Indeed, Red Rock is a very windy place with a major wind event (winds above 40 mph) at least once every ten days.  This year things were pretty mild. We had a minor wind storm on Saturday night that lasted from about midnight to 10am.  In other words, it didn't really have an impact on the event.

A little tiny bike.

New Belgium Brewery brought a couple of giant Connect Four games.  

I have to admit that I got quite competitive at it. Photo by Jon Jonckers

David Farkas, hanging out in the evening.

A Climber Learning Leadership Skills at Moderate Mecca.

Omega Pacific's Jon Jonckers, AAI's Tim Page and I participated in a VIP designer beer tasting event put on by New Belgium Brewery.

Every time I go to this event I'm amazed by New Belgium Brewery and their commitment to outdoor recreation. The two women who put on the beer tasting event told me that they do fifty events a year, nearly all of them at outdoor events.

AAI's Paul Ivaska and Angela Seidling

A Climber on Jabba the Hut

AAI's Paul Rosser, myself, and Mountain Gear's President, Paul Fish

It should be noted that Red Rock Rendezvous isn't all fun and games. One focal point of the event was a service project sponsored by the Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council. The project expanded the Pine Creek Parking area to add ten new parking spaces, a major accomplishment. Additionally, the event included raffles and auctions which raised money for the American Safe Climbing Association, the Access Fund, the American Alpine Club, and of course, the Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council.

Mark your calendar, because the Red Rock Rendezvous ten year anniversary will take place April 5-7, 2013...and the rumor is that it is going to be bigger than ever! I personally wouldn't miss it for the world!

--Jason D. Martin