Red Rocks Climbing Route Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of 1,000 climbing routes at Red Rocks National Conservation Area, organized by their order along the scenic loop drive and scored based on climbing preferences.

🚨 Methodology Update: This analysis now uses a path-based approach that follows the actual Red Rocks Scenic Loop Drive, replacing an earlier polar coordinate method that fragmented canyon groupings. Areas are now correctly sequenced as encountered while driving.

Overview

This project processes Mountain Project climbing data to:

• Sequence areas along the Red Rocks Scenic Loop Drive using coordinate analysis
• Score climbing areas based on preferences for 5.7-5.10 grade climbers
• Categorize routes by type (traditional vs sport) and difficulty grades
• Generate trip planning data with comprehensive area summaries

Files Generated

Data Files

• red_rocks_routes_with_scenic_order.csv - All 1,000 routes with correct scenic loop positions
• red_rocks_area_summary_scenic_loop.csv - 176 area summaries with path-based ordering and comprehensive scoring

Documentation

• README.md - This comprehensive guide
• scenic_loop_order_detailed.txt - Complete route listings by area in drive order

Analysis Scripts

• analyze_scenic_loop_path.py - Path-based coordinate analysis and scenic drive sequencing
• create_area_summary_scenic.py - Area scoring and grade categorization with correct drive ordering

Methodology

Scenic Loop Drive Sequencing (Path-Based Analysis)

Uses actual waypoints along the Red Rocks 13-mile Scenic Loop Drive to determine the correct order areas are encountered while driving. The algorithm:

1. Defines waypoints along the actual one-way scenic drive path from visitor center through all major sections
2. Calculates distance to path for each climbing area using line-segment geometry
3. Orders areas sequentially by their position along the drive (0=start, 1=end)
4. Groups canyon areas properly together (fixing the fragmentation issue from polar coordinates)

Key Waypoints:

• Visitor Center / Entrance (starting point)
• Kraft Mountain Area (first climbing areas)
• Calico Basin / First Pullout (major sport climbing section)
• Central and Southern Canyon Areas
• Pine Creek & Juniper Canyons (mid-drive traditional climbing)
• Icebox Canyon & Willow Spring (later traditional areas)
• Wake-Up Wall Area (final major section before return)

Scoring System (Optimized for 5.7-5.10 Climbers)

Base Points:

• Every climb: +1 point
• Star rating: +1 point per star (0-4 stars)

Difficulty Bonuses:

• Routes 5.7-5.10: +2 points (sweet spot)
• Routes under 5.7: +1 point (warm-up routes)
• Routes over 5.10: +0 points (too difficult)

Route Type Modifiers:

• Sport routes: +1 point (bolt protection)
• Multi-pitch routes: -1 point (time/complexity)
• Traditional routes: +0 points (neutral)

Grade Categories

• 5.0-5.6: Beginner routes
• 5.7-5.8: Intermediate (target sweet spot)
• 5.9-5.10: Advanced (target sweet spot)
• 5.11: Expert level
• 5.12+: Very advanced
• Unknown: Missing/unclear grades

Key Statistics

• Total Areas: 176 unique climbing areas
• Total Routes: 1,000 climbing routes
• Traditional Routes: 545 (54.5%)
• Sport Routes: 423 (42.3%)
• Other Route Types: 32 (3.2%)
• Average Score per Route: 5.17 points

Top Recommended Areas

Highest Overall Scores

1. Wake-Up Wall (131.3 pts) - 24 routes: 3 trad, 21 sport
2. Panty Wall (117.1 pts) - 21 routes: 5 trad, 13 sport
3. Flight Path Area (115.0 pts) - 22 routes: all trad
4. Jungle Wall (108.2 pts) - 20 routes: 15 trad, 3 sport
5. Brass Wall (107.3 pts) - 21 routes: all trad

Best Sport Climbing Areas

• Wake-Up Wall: 21 sport routes (highest score)
• Southwest Wall: 15 sport routes (all sport)
• Cactus Massacre: 15 sport routes
• Rift Corridor - Left: 14 sport routes (all sport)

Best Traditional Climbing Areas

• Flight Path Area: 22 trad routes (all trad)
• Brass Wall: 21 trad routes (all trad)
• Sunnyside Crags: 20 trad routes (all trad)
• Ragged Edges Area: 20 trad routes (all trad)

Using the Data

For Trip Planning

1. Focus on high-scoring areas (90+ points) for optimal 5.7-5.10 climbing
2. Check route type breakdown to match your gear preferences
3. Use ring road order to plan efficient area transitions
4. Review grade distributions to ensure appropriate difficulty spread

CSV Column Reference

Route Data (red_rocks_routes_with_scenic_order.csv):

• Path_Position: Position along scenic drive (0=start, 1=end)
• Scenic_Loop_Order: Sequential order (1-1000) encountered on scenic drive
• Distance_to_Road: Distance from climbing area to scenic drive path
• Plus all original Mountain Project data (route name, grade, stars, etc.)

Area Summary (red_rocks_area_summary_scenic_loop.csv):

• total_score: Total points for all routes in area
• score_per_route: Average points per route (for quality comparison)
• num_trad / num_sport: Count of traditional vs sport routes
• 5.7-5.8, 5.9-5.10, etc.: Route counts by difficulty category
• first_scenic_order: When area is first encountered on the scenic drive
• avg_path_position: Average position along drive (0=start, 1=end)
• score_rank: Overall ranking by total score

Dependencies

Python Libraries:

• pandas - Data manipulation and analysis
• numpy - Numerical computations
• matplotlib - Visualization (optional, for plots)
• re - Regular expressions for grade parsing

Usage

# Generate scenic loop positions (path-based analysis)
python analyze_scenic_loop_path.py

# Create area summaries with scoring and correct drive ordering
python create_area_summary_scenic.py

Trip Planning Recommendations

For Sport Climbers: Focus on the First Pullout (Calico Basin) section - high concentration of bolted routes with excellent scoring.

For Traditional Climbers: Pine Creek Canyon and Icebox Canyon areas offer the best trad climbing with high scores.

For Mixed Preferences: Wake-Up Wall and Jungle Wall provide both route types with top-tier scoring.

Scenic Drive Strategy: Use the path-based scenic loop order to plan your day efficiently, starting from the first areas encountered (Kraft Mountain Area) and working through the drive sequentially to minimize driving time between areas.

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Analysis based on Mountain Project data - always verify current route conditions and access before climbing.