Brian met Jason Martin, his American Alpine Institute guide, at his hotel on the first day of the course. After driving out to the desert and seeing the beautiful red and tan sandstone formations, the two decided to tackle a couple of short routes to start the trip. After climbing some unnamed single pitch routes and practicing skills, they jumped on Tuna and Chips. This particular two pitch 5.7 often challenges beginner and intermediate climbers because at the top of the first pitch, climbers must sit at a hanging belay with over a hundred feet of steep ground beneath them. The route gave Brian a taste of desert climbing, and he definitely wanted more!

      On the second day of the course, Brian and Jason climbed Cat in the Hat, a four-pitch 5.6. Cat in the Hat is another phenomenal route in Red Rock. Though it is not nearly as exposed as Tuna and Chips, the position is absolutely spectacular. From the top pitches of the route, the city of Las Vegas stretches out across the horizon. The duo had a great time trying to name casinos on the world famous Las Vegas Strip in the distance. It utterly amazed Brian that "the City of Lights" could exist so close to the wilderness of the canyons.

      Rising Moons is an interesting climb. The first pitch ascends a tight chimney which requires climbers to place their feet on one side of the wall and their back on the other and then squirm up the chimney. Pitch two, though not as tight, requires a bit of chimney climbing as well. This is all topped off by a third pitch where climbers ascend a wide crack using an assortment of skills that ranges from face climbing to off-width climbing. The variety on the route is absolutely great.

      Brian and Jason intended to climb the 5.5 route and then descend, so they hadn't brought extra food, water, or
clothing. The route was climbed rather quickly so that other
climbs might be attempted the same day. They wished they
had extra gear, because they could have attempted what
they saw above on that very day.

      The next morning they quickly climbed Rising Moons to attain their previous highpoint. From there, they launched out onto never-before-climbed ground. The climbing itself was not particularly difficult, but there was a lot of it. They ascended three pitches of mid-fifth terrain ground that afternoon, eventually climbing to a high terrace with a new challenge - the descent! The descent was without a doubt the most difficult part of the climb. A combination of down-climbing, awkward rappels, and butt sliding down dirty rock eventually placed the two climbers back at the base of the route some six hours later.