Valley of Fire

We had decided to take a rest day, rather than sit and bake in the expose camp ground we instead drove out of Las Vegas to visit the 'Valley of Fire'

It was another stunning place, many incredible rock formations, petrified trees, amazing petroglyphs and with several hikes around the park we easily spent the whole day there.

It didn't end up being much of a rest day, but well worth the heat and effort.

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The Black Corridor

We wanted an easier start to the day, and it was going to be another hot one in the desert so rather than do long multi-pitch routes we settled on doing some short single pitch sport climbs in the Black Corridor.

It was only a short hike from the car and the area promised shady climbing all day, we were still adjusting to the heat and time differences so it was an easy choice. The crag was busy, many people had the same idea, but we managed to climb the routes we wanted. A fun morning.

After lunch we decided to hike out to Pine Canyon to attempt the classic 'Crimson Crysalis'. It was a long steep hike, we arrived around 3:00 PM to the base of the imposing wall. We geared up, climbed the first pitch, but realised we had left it too late to climb the complete 900' so we bailed back to the ground.

Chris attempted a nearby trad route, but we didn't account for all of the trad gear so he had to bail before finishing the pitch. Our confidence was a little shaken, but we stashed some water nearby for an another attempt in the future. Our spirits rose on the hike back out, another stunning afternoon in the desert.

We hiked back to the carpark as the sun faded, just in time to witness a successful marriage proposal. We offered the happy couple some beer, and chatted for a while before returning to camp for another night.

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Dark Shadows

No choice but to be up early, the sun pouring into my open tent at 5:30 AM, quick coffee and breakfast and I was off to Las Vegas airport for a long overdue reunion with my climbing partner Chris.

We gathered some supplies and set off in the middle of the day to find some climbing areas in the shade. We decided to climb 'Dark Shadows', a 340' mixed climb at the grade of 5.8

It was a popular route, so we explored the base of the cliffs while the other climbers finished the route. The rock was in shade by the time we got on, perfect timing! I led the first two pitches, Chris finished the last two pitches.

It was a great fun climb, a perfect start to the trip. It was great to get accustomed to the rock and placing trad gear, but nothing too strenuous to start with.

We hiked out, stopping at a nearby stream for a quick but refreshing dip, then back to the car park for a well-earned and frosty beer.

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Arriving Las Vegas

Time for the next stage of my trip. I picked up the hire car, said farewell to Bec, and set off towards Las Vegas. The timing was right, I didn't encounter too much traffic getting out of Orange County. Getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road was nerve wracking enough, let alone having to deal with the rest of the drivers on the road.

Further from the coast and civilization, the scenery changed, getting harsher and more desolate. It had a certain type of beauty in its bleakness, fascinating to drive through (once or twice) but I couldn't imagine living there. Run down homes, graffitied and deserted pockets of ex-habitation, sombre and decaying. The temperature reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit (~ 40 degrees Celsius) as I ventured further inland.

I passed into Nevada, casinos and billboards lining the highways. It was getting late in the day so I skirted as much of the city as I could manage and found my home for the next week, Red Rock Canyon camp ground.

I found a site, set up my tent, and sat through a fascinating lecture by the park ranger about the desert. As the daylight faded I was treated to a stunning sunset in the desert, a perfect way to start to the next stage of my trip.

A warm beer finished the night, I retreated to my tent in the warm desert air, a slight breeze keeping the temperature down. The adventure begins.

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Beach Cruising

After the massive day previous we were both worn and out wanted to do something simple and close to home. After a coffee at Starbucks we drove back out to Balboa Island and rented some beach cruisers (fat tired bicycles) and spent the day on two wheels.

It took a while a to get used to the laid back cycling style (and the old-school brakes, cycling in reverse) but thankfully the island traffic was light and once we were out onto Balboa Peninsula we had a boardwalk all the way.

We passed Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dog Beach, Sunset Beach before reaching Seal Beach and turning around. Reuben sandwiches, cold rock ice creams, pineapple beers and other treats were consumed along the way, under perfectly clear skies and through the cold ocean breeze.

We covered over 32 miles (~ 51.5 kms) from Midday to 7:00 PM, the flat beach adjacent track easy to cycle. Thoroughly tired we came home to pizza and beer, a fitting end. A fantastic way to see the area and a fitting end to my time in Corona Del Mar.

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