Source: XTERRA // filed: May 19 2005
STAGE ONE
PAUL MITCHELL ROCK CLIMB
LOCATION: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, just 17 miles outside of the Las Vegas Strip!
WINNING TEAM: FIREFIGHTERS
Erin Johnson, Greensboro, NC
Brian Rothell, Richmond, VA
RECAP: The inaugural Nevada Passage got off to a “rocky” start today as competitors were tasked with scaling an 80-foot vertical rock formation known as “the Panty Wall” at Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon.
The setting was nothing short of a geological wonder, with extraordinary rock formations jetting out of the desert with an amazing array of colors: deep red, pink, orange, tan, purple, and white. The accompanying blue skies and bright sunshine with temps in the upper 80’s made for a spectacular first stage.
The Aztec sandstone posed challenges few of the competitors had ever faced before, as the muscles and mindset for climbing are truly unique. Fatigue set in almost immediately as athletes tried to balance their weight on sheer faces with just their fingertips and toes.
The 10 teams took turns scaling Panty Wall, as each team member climbed individually but simultaneously. Competitors had 10 minutes to reach the top of their chosen route and ring a cowbell. There were five routes available, ranging from fairly average to awfully difficult, with points awarded accordingly. Strategy set in as teams tried to pick the routes they could safely climb the fastest. Points were deducted for falling, and for having a slower time than another competitor on the same route.
In the end it turned out that 8B (third hardest) and 10A (second hardest) was the winning combination, as all three top teams chose these two. Those trying for the two most difficult routes (10A and 10B) were both snake-bitten by their ambition, as neither climber attempting the most difficult route were able to ring the bell. On the contrary, those that chose easier routes didn’t get the points necessary to place high enough.
Appropriately, the team wearing red - firefighters Brian Rothell and Erin Johnson - took home top honors at Red Rock. They were the eighth team to go, and both ascended smoothly up the face without a fall. Johnson posted the fastest time on the most difficult climb for a female, while Rothell had the second best time for the men. The winners received the uniquely Nevada Passage stage trophies (spurs on wood), plus the Silver staff and yellow bandanas signifying their overall lead.
Journalist Scott Schumaker posted the fastest climb on the toughest route for the men, while his partner Melanie Kim’s persistence and courage in the face of adversity (she fell several times) gave them the third highest score. The veterinarians, Rory Carolan and Kylie Kavanagh, completed the same routes as the firefighters but at a slightly slower combined time to earn second place.
In the “almost had ‘em” category both bartender Anthony Snoble and doctor Audie Smith lunged at the last second for the bell but came up empty, while Megan Melgaard - the female entrepreneur – fell one good step shy of completing the most difficult climb.
After the contest athletes jumped on the bus to Boulder City, site of Stage Two – a 40-mile scavenger hunt/card game across magnificent Lake Mead on Jet Ski’s. More tomorrow, from the Nevada Passage…
ABOUT RED ROCK: The iron in the sand combines with air, water, and other minerals creating the color variations in the rock formation. This oxidizing process can be more easily thought of as a rusting of the sand. With over 2,000 climbing routes, Red Rock Canyon is one of the premier climbing destinations in the U.S. Read more about this magical place at www.redrockcanyon.blm.gov
STATS: Visit www.nevadapassage.com for more information and pictures from today's event.