But really, y tho?
So what’s the point?
The Joe Herbst Appreciation Tour is a somewhat zany idea I had to climb every last one of Joe Herbst’s first ascents in Red Rock Canyon. Herbst put up over 100 documented climbs over the course of the 1970s, many of which remain classic testpieces to this day.
Herbst on Aeolian Wall, 1975Image credit Larry Hamilton
Me looking at Group Therapy in the White Rock lot, 2021Who’s Joe Herbst?
Joe Herbst is one of the early pioneers of climbing in Red Rock Canyon. He climbed through the 1970s until his wife Betsy passed away in 1980. Over the course of that decade, he put up some of the biggest, most classic, and hair-raising climbs in the canyon.
The Original Route, Solar Slab, Epinephrine, and Frigid Air Buttress are just a few of the 4-star routes that remain classics in the canyon to this very day. While he was climbing, he had a vision for beautiful climbing and magnificent features that in my opinion remains unmatched by any other route developer so far.
Herbst’s climbs were often wide, regularly wild, and invariably worthy. If you see his or Betsy’s name in the FA party on a climb you are guaranteed a memorable experience.
Who am I?
My name is Will. I’m originally from Chicago and started climbing in 2017. I quickly discovered I was a bit more up for awkward wide stuff than most people are, and when I moved to Vegas I quickly found out about Joe Herbst.
I’ve put together what I consider to be a fairly comprehensive list of Herbst’s FAs, or at least the ones he bothered to write down, and I’m working my way through them slowly but surely. Special thanks to Megan, Zak, and Justin for putting up with the Tour.
If you have information on any Tour climbs that aren’t on the list, please let me know!