All the AAI Guides
AAI guides and athletes on stage for the opening ceremonies
On the first day of the festival, Friday, all the attending climbers are in clinics focused on teaching basic climbing skills – learning climbing commands, rappelling, the use of different gear, knot tying, belaying, hand and feet placement and general climbing techniques. One of the reasons RRR is so amazing is this first day. There are not many events in the world that teach people who have never stepped into a harness how to climb on their own.
Festival participants enjoy a water break during Friday's clinic with Andy Bourne
On the second and third days, Saturday and Sunday, the clinics ranged from rock rescue to crack climbing to slacklining to wilderness first aid. The majority of the clinics were run by AAI guides and professional athletes such as Sonnie Trotter, Micah Dash, and Katie Brown. Many of the clinics took place on the festival grounds (especially as the weather turned to rain on Sunday), but most were out in the Red Rock canyons. The canyons are breathtaking this time of year - everything is green and vibrant, there is water in the creeks, and wildlife (birds, rabbits, burros) to be seen.Viren, an AAI guide, relaxing in the sun on the Friday clinic
Participants in a course on wilderness navigation - note the mild confusion on everyone's faces as they learn to use a compass to navigate the wilds of the RRR festival grounds . . .
A burro - I can't tell you how excited I was to see this little guy!
A few rain clouds approach on Sunday
AAI guide Andy Bourne teaching belay techniques out in Calico Basin
My role (I normally work as one of the program coordinators in the office) was to hang out at the AAI booth and talk to festival participants about what AAI does and who we are, and how we’re involved with RRR. Although I didn’t get to attend any of the clinics (next year I’ll make it happen!), I did get to do some personal climbing before and after.
The AAI booth - come and see me here next year!
Laura and Richard hanging out in the booth
Because we had 20 of our guides in one spot, we ran a few trainings for our guide staff. As I’m still a pretty new climber myself, I got to be the ‘client’ in Thursday’s training, which was super fun. We all climbed Algae on Parade, a four-pitch route in the First Creek area. On Monday, I climbed in the Calico Basin area - and tried out some of the routes detailed in Jason Martin's new book, Fun Climbs Red Rock.
Ben and Forest discuss the finer points of guide training half-way up the route
Can't wait for next year!Can you see the rainbow? The rain never seems to stick around too long in the desert . . .
-- Ruth Hennings