Snow, ice and rock top list of winter sports

Paradise-area resident Vanessa Weston had not been ice skating since she was a kid, but on a whim, she decided to do so with her friends Dec. 19.

"It's wintertime, and it just seems like the thing to do during the holidays," she said.

Her friend, Summerlin resident Milica Grujicic, had a less cheery reason for tagging along.

"I just came to kill my time," she said.

Ice skating is a quintessential winter activity, and the Las Vegas Valley offers four locations to choose from.

Weston and Grujicic chose the valley's newest ice rink, at the Cosmospolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The hotel covered its Boulevard Pool with a platform of real ice. The rink is scheduled to be open through Jan. 20 on weekdays from 3 to 11 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Skating is $10 for locals, with no time limit, and rentals are $5.

A little north on Las Vegas Boulevard, The Venetian is offering 30-minute skating sessions on a synthetic ice rink adjacent to the outdoor gondola rides. The recycled polymer does not require refrigeration or electricity.

The rink is scheduled to remain open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Sunday. Admission is $10, and reservations must be made at the outdoor ticket booth.

The Las Vegas Ice Center, 9295 W. Flamingo Road, Suite 130, is offering extended public skate hours this week. Hours are 12:15 to 3:15 p.m., 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. today; 9 a.m. to noon and 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. Wednesday; 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Thursday; 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. Friday; 1 to 3:45 p.m., 4 to 6:45 p.m. and 7 to 9:45 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 4 p.m. and 4:15 to 7:15 p.m. Sunday.

All sessions are $10, or $6 for kids 5 or younger, and include skate rentals. Regular public skate hours are scheduled to resume Monday and generally are 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hours may change, so it is suggested to visit lasvegasice.com or call 702-320-7777 for the most up-to-date times.

The Fiesta Rancho's SOBE Ice Arena, 2400 N. Rancho Drive, posts its public skate times on the casino's website. Admission is $7, and skate rentals are $3. For more information, call 702-638-3785.

Locals can also try out snowshoeing this month at Lee Canyon with guided hikes from the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department and the U.S. Forest Service. The weekend program offers hikes through the Bristlecone Loop, including a night hike in the Lee Canyon Meadow and a Saturday night stay in heated cabins with bunk beds.

The camp is planned for Jan. 26-27 and Feb. 23-24. The events are $15 per person, and space is limited. The first 20 to reserve a spot receive free snowshoe rentals. For more information or to register, call 702-455-1905.

Rock climbing may not seem like a typical winter activity, but it is in Las Vegas. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is "an international climbing destination," said Justin Trayford, a physically disabled Iraq War veteran who took up climbing as a form of rehabilitation three years ago. Red Rock is popular year-round but especially during winter, Trayford said.

"I've climbed in Utah, California and Arizona," he said. "There's just something majestic about Red Rock. You're remote, but you're not. You get up above the city, away from the noise. When's the last time you saw a herd of bighorn sheep staring at you?"

Trayford was used to parachuting out of airplanes and flying helicopters. He said climbing has helped him get his "adrenaline fix" again. Even with his injuries - a "busted-up shoulder and jacked-up back," as he described them - Trayford climbs every weekend.

"I'm limited due to my injuries," he said, "but what has helped immensely is getting out of the house."

Trayford, who also has post-traumatic stress disorder, said the climbing community is also the closest thing to the "brotherhood" and "trust" he had with fellow soldiers.

Red Rock has opportunities for bouldering at low heights, sport climbing on pre-set routes and traditional climbing for advanced climbers.

Trayford described himself as "a fatty" before he started climbing and has lost more than 40 pounds. He recommends anyone interested in climbing to start where he did - at a climbing gym - so they can see what they're getting into. He said talking to people at the gyms is the best way to get started climbing outdoors.

The two local climbing gyms are the Red Rock Climbing Center, 8201 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 150, and Nevada Climbing Centers, 3065 E. Patrick Lane, Suite 4.

For more information, visit redrock climbingcenter.com or nvclimbing.com.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.